THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 25, 1994 TAG: 9409220642
SECTION: HAMPTON ROADS WOMAN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH FERRARO, SPECIAL TO HAMPTON ROADS WOMAN
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
I AM 33 years old, married with a bachelor's degree in biology and an MBA in management. I have varied experiences in the laboratory and sales. Of the wide variety of career choices available to me, I have chosen the most challenging: motherhood. You see, I am the mother of two wonderful children: Jennie, 4, and Nicholas, 1. It sounds like a peachy life, except for my dilemma. I am determined to find a job I can do from my home to make ends meet for my family and still be a mommy to my children. My search has led me down many interesting paths.
First, I tried the telemarketing job from 9 to 5, while my husband watched my then 6-month old daughter. Since I was still breast-feeding, she would not take a bottle and screamed the entire time I was gone. That job ended four months later when I, working on a Saturday, saw my husband walk in with Jennie with that ``she won't stop crying no matter what I do'' look.
My next search cost me close to $100 sending away for information to ``assemble products at home.'' My particular favorite was a cross-stitch piece that took me over 7 hours to do - you had to complete 100 of them per week!
When my daughter was 18 months old, I found a publisher that hired people to do proofreading from home. The perfect job! Well, temporarily, anyway. When something is too good to be true. . . After my first year, I realized that respect and courtesy were the two actions most needed and most lacking at this company. Being pregnant with my son, I was reluctant to rock the boat. But I truly felt I deserved to be treated better. So I tried for the next year and a half to bring to my superior's attention my concerns and was rewarded with a ``take it or leave it'' speech, while my two children were present. I left it.
My latest endeavor lasted only one day: delivering newspapers. I did not realize the amount of time needed to prepare before the four hours of delivering with one child in the stroller and the other whining every 10 minutes that she wants to go home.
In between these jobs, I've typed papers for college students (seasonal), done baby-sitting (I can barely handle my own two), set appointments from home for time-share companies, etc.
My purpose for sharing this with anyone and everyone is to see if someone else out there knows how an intelligent, responsible, articulate woman can make some legitimate money at home and still exercise her first priority: being a mother. Are there any companies out there willing to take the chance? Women in my situation are much more dedicated to this job arrangement and make ideal employees. We don't take up office space or require benefits. We don't miss work when our children are sick because we don't get paid if we don't work! Please take a chance on us.
- MEMO: Elizabeth Ferraro is a resident of Chesapeake. by CNB