Why is being ‘just a mother’ seen as not enough? It’s time to recognize the invisible labor that shapes futures—and give motherhood the glory it deserves.
The Unspoken Hierarchy of Roles
When a woman announces that she has become a manager, an executive, or an entrepreneur, applause follows. LinkedIn posts flood with congratulations, colleagues beam with pride, and society nods approvingly. But when a woman says, “I’m a full-time mother,” the room often falls silent. At best, she is met with polite smiles. At worst, she is told, “That’s nice, but what else do you do?”
The message is clear: being “just a mother” is somehow not glorious enough.
A Culture of ROI Thinking
Over my three decades as a teacher, I have watched parents make careful investments in their children—time, money, coaching, degrees—and then look for a “return.” If their daughter excels academically, they expect her to work, to prove that the sacrifices were worth it. “Bacche toh sab paal lete hain,” one mother told me, dismissing the value of parenting. “If she doesn’t work after marriage, then what was the point of educating her?”
The irony struck me: in trying to uplift women, society was downgrading the role of motherhood, as if nurturing a human being is the lowest rung on the ladder.
The Invisible Labor That Shapes Futures
Motherhood doesn’t come with performance reviews, promotions, or salary hikes. But every successful student I’ve ever taught carried within them the invisible imprint of a mother’s effort—whether it was ensuring a calm home environment, packing lunch boxes with care, or being the quiet sounding board after a hard day.
I remember a brilliant young mathematician who once told me, “My mother never understood calculus, but she understood me.” That understanding was his anchor, his emotional stability, the very thing that allowed him to thrive in mathematics competitions. Yet, his mother’s contribution rarely made it into the narrative of his success.
Why the Role Feels Diminished
Part of the problem lies in the way we have absorbed productivity culture. We measure value in outputs: reports submitted, money earned, recognition received. But motherhood operates in a different currency—patience, consistency, empathy. Because these don’t come with certificates or plaques, they get sidelined.
Even women themselves sometimes feel guilty if they choose parenting over career. “I’m wasting my degree,” one mother confided to me. But knowledge is never wasted. Education sharpens a woman’s ability to parent with perspective, to answer questions, to raise curious minds. The tragedy is not that she chose motherhood, but that society told her it wasn’t enough.
Reframing the Narrative
What if we began to treat motherhood with the same reverence we give to any profession? What if being “just a mother” was recognized as being a builder of futures, a shaper of character, an architect of emotional resilience?
In mathematics, we often say that the foundational steps matter most. Without addition and subtraction, no one can attempt calculus. In life, mothers are those foundational steps. They lay the groundwork so children can attempt the “higher math” of adulthood.
A Call for Respect
Motherhood is not less glorious. It is simply less visible. It does not fit neatly into a CV, but it is woven into the character of every generation. It is time we stopped asking mothers, “What else do you do?” and instead asked, “How did you do so much?”
The truth is, society’s most profound investments—the leaders, thinkers, dreamers of tomorrow—are raised in the quiet, unrecognized labor of mothers today. That is not just glorious. That is priceless.