STATE COLLEGE — Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 12. Originating in the United States, Mother’s Day is typically observed on the second Sunday of May each year.
The history of Mother’s Day in the United States has roots in Pennsylvania. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Anna Jarvis, a Philadelphia woman who had previously organized women’s groups to promote friendship and health, is credited with creating the holiday. Jarvis first held a memorial service at her late mother’s church in 1907. Within five years of the service, almost every state began observing the celebration, and President Woodrow Wilson officially declared it a national holiday in 1914.
While the holiday celebrates mothers in all their shapes and forms, Mother’s Day takes on an additional layer of significance for mothers who work outside the home. These moms not only fulfill their role as caregivers but also navigate the demands of the professional world. The Centre County Gazette and its sister publication, Town&Gown, are no exception when it comes to benefiting from the valuable contributions of mothers who work outside the home.
“I think it’s hard to be a working mom,” Tiara Snare, general manager of The Centre County Gazette and Town&Gown said. “I think that being able to separate your work and life is the biggest obstacle to overcome.”
Snare, a mother of two, noted how self-care and checking in with oneself are major ways to find some of that balance.
“I find that it’s important whenever you go home at the end of the day to try and shut off work and solely dedicate that time to the kids. Sitting down at the table together and eating, playing outside together for even an hour, just finding that time and making it for the kids is good work-life balance,” Snare shared.
The idea of finding the right balance also resonates with Town&Gown account executive Jera Harter. Harter, also a mother of two, noted how boundaries and positivity can make a huge difference while navigating motherhood and a career at the same time.
“Being able to take the time to check back in with me, whether it’s taking a day or just a couple of hours to do something just for me, helps so I can really step out of both roles and have myself be the first core important thing that I’m focusing on,” Harter explained. “There are hard days where I think, ‘How am I going to do this?’ But, when I take a step back and look at it all, I realize I am doing it and I have been doing it. That’s rewarding in itself.”
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2019 showed that 72.3% of mothers with children younger than 18 held paying jobs, comprising about one-third of all working women. In 1975, only about 47% of mothers held paying jobs. This also shows how much the culture around working while parenting has changed. Furthermore, a 2023 Pew Research study showed that as of 2016, on average, mothers with paying jobs worked about 25 hours a week, compared to 10 hours a week in 1965.
The moms at The Centre County Gazette and Town&Gown take pride in their roles as mothers and in their professional careers. For The Gazette’s advertising sales manager, Billi Hoover, whether it’s her four adult children or even five grandchildren, showing up and being there for the kids has been a vital part of the experience.
“It was always important to me as a parent to be there for all of their sporting events, important school things going on, volunteering when they were younger, birthday parties, sleepovers — I always just tried to make it work,” Hoover said. “Life is short, and kids grow up so quickly. I think that you need to make the time for your kids. Working is great but you also have to remember to take the time for your kids and let them know that you’re there. Be supportive and open to listening to them.”
Harter noted how the experiences of motherhood can go hand in hand with her work life as she continuously sets an example and serves as a role model for her kids as they grow up.
“I’m setting them up for success in knowing that whatever you want, you can go get. You can have a career that you enjoy but also understand that family life is still super important. I think I’m showing them an example of having a successful career that instills goals which I hope when they’re a little older they’ll understand.”
Snare shared the sentiment, noting that her career experience has helped in raising her children to be respectful and kind. For Snare, watching her children grow using the skills and values she’s taught them is incredibly rewarding.
“My 8-year-old will say to me, ‘Mom, I’m going to set a goal just like you,’ so I know they see me set goals, they see striving, being organized, being dedicated to both work and life,” Snare emphasized. “Some of my stuff at work, I take it home and try to instill it into them and let them see I can be a mom, I can work and I can do this.”
These women are only a few of the parents who contribute to the success of The Centre County Gazette and Town&Gown. As we extend our warmest of Mother’s Day wishes here in Centre County, it’s important to recognize not only the impacts of mothers who work outside the home, but also the love and sacrifices of all moms, grandmothers and motherly figures in our lives. Their stories, similar to those of many other moms, signify the resilience, dedication and love that goes into the many different roles that mothers play.
