Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of all working parents who face the challenge of maintaining a work-life balance. We live in a society where the fact is that in many families both parents must work. All parents, whether working or staying at home, make the right and sometimes difficult decisions that are best for their families.
I am a proud, hard-working mother of a young son and I am the daughter of a working mom.
Whether one is a nurse, a waiter or even an astronaut like Chris Hadfield, with three kids, our work often takes us away for days, or months in some cases, from our family and our kids. However, our kids are always at the heart of everything we do.
The most recent figures from Statistics Canada indicate that 72.9% of women with children under the age of 16 living at home are currently employed. Today, I join all Canadians to recognize and take a moment to appreciate the difficult choices that accompany this reality.
Parenting is a full-time, tough yet rewarding job and being a mom or a dad is truly the best job.