Women Who Follow Mommy Track Should Tell Truth About Their Goal

* I’m writing in response to the letter “Mommy Trackers Should Cover Trail” (Ariela Erez, June 26). As a successful female working in a male-dominated engineering field for 11 years, I empathize with the author. However, I disagree that women leaving their jobs to become full- time mothers should “cover their trail” by giving some other reason for leaving. This circumvents and reinforces the real problem.

Employers regularly invest in training and development for men, knowing full well that the man can leave at any time for another job, city or career. Why is it different if a woman leaves? If skilled, talented women were supported and compensated similarly to men, they might be less likely to leave their careers and might instead seek creative alternatives (telecommuting, etc.).

Suggesting that women hide their true plans does more harm than good by further stereotyping us as the weak gender that cannot face reality. It is only by facing, rather than hiding, the truth that we will ever achieve true and lasting results for all people in the workplace.

CHRISTINE PSAROS

Mission Viejo

* After reading the letter from Ariela Erez, who was responding to the article, “Dismantling Barriers That Limit Girls’ Opportunities, Success,” I had to respond to her. I wanted to scream! She puts an employer’s money and concerns ahead of her children in importance. I hope her children are too young to read so they can’t read that their mother feels a woman’s corporate career is more important than they are. She’s concerned that those who choose to leave to be with their children weaken women’s career equality, then she has the audacity to suggest they cover up and lie about their departures! I think women who choose to go home, and are strong and brave enough to be honest about it in these days of feminism run amok, should be given medals.

Rearing and spending time with children is the most important endeavor there is. There is no more noble reason to leave the workplace behind. We need parents to rear strong, stable adults for our future. Maybe, just maybe, the professional women she knows are leaving because they realize this higher priority, far exceeding that of meetings and memos. She insults motherhood when she refers to those leaving as the “weak” gender.

Yes, I’m in the work force and have been for nearly 10 years, but I don’t have kids yet, and when I do, I too will be home with them. To quote a very wise man, “No other success can compensate for failure in the home.”

C. WALKER

Irvine