I never realized that I would have to stop for even a momentary pause to hide my real identity in an admission form.

It happened a couple of months ago while filling the admission form for my child’s nursery class. Enough rumors had made me write my occupation as nil or housewife fearing that schools will not take the child’s admission if written ‘WORKING’.

Yes it is happening in some of the Bangalore schools where mothers are fearing that their job is a major detriment to the child’s future. The child would not get admission because you studied to prove yourself, you fought all odds to balance work and home.

Lest, the mother standing in the line behind me said to her father “Working antha bariyalla!” I was standing there thinking of all the moments that had hopefully made my parents proud, my rank in Class VI, my graduation, my first job and then a better job and designation and then my promotion.

But now I feared and imagined whether the administrative staff who was busy collecting forms  would mention “ Nice you have done so many courses in your life, but did you say you are working?” “Sorry we give admission to those children whose mothers are educated but stay–at- home mothers.

I really admire stay at home mothers but I cannot digest the fact that my work will affect my child’s progress in school. Would I be a bad mother who will not oversee my child’s academic progress. I hope not. At least that’s not the way I see it. I think working mothers want to give the best to the child while assuring themselves that the job is the best for their well being too.

Thankfully I have found a school that takes me as I am and trusts my instincts in raising my child with all the right values I believed in. I did write ‘working’ hesitatingly in two admission forms and though I did not get admission in one prominent school where the rumors had begun, I got through the other.

Currently not working in an office space and trying my hand in being a part-time writer, part-time home maker and of course whatever time left as a mother. This was not the consequence of the school but it has happened so that I get to take a break literally once again before diving back into part-time  work schedule. At my own pace I guess!