Professional Moms Quit Work for Motherhood

March 15 -- Cheryl Nevins, who is eight months pregnant with her third child, loves her powerful, lucrative position as a labor lawyer for the Chicago Board of Education. But she is about to give it up.

After giving birth, the 34-year-old mom plans to take an extended leave of two or three years to devote herself to motherhood. It doesn't mean she is permanently out of the work force, though, Nevins said.

"I definitely want to go back. I love my job and what I do and I'll miss it," Nevins said. Still, she enjoyed spending time with her two younger children, and looks forward to the opportunity to do it again. Her husband, a finance manager for Kraft Foods, supports her decision to stay home with their two sons, ages 2½ and 11, and the new baby.

Currently, Nevins works between 50 and 60 hours a week and spends time checking e-mails and juggling phone calls at home.

"I just want to spend more time with my children," Nevins said.

Not Quite June Cleavers

Nevins is part of a growing trend, featured in a Time magazine report, in which more professional women are opting out of the rat race, at least temporarily. For the first time, the percentage of workplace participation by married mothers with children less than a year old fell from 59 percent in 1997 to 53 percent in 2000 — a significant change, even though it impacts only a small group, experts say.

There are various reasons for the move toward old-fashioned motherhood, but for many, it is a sign of some women's new, non-linear approach to their careers.

"In the woman who can afford it, there is an increase," said Claudia Wallis, who reported the story for Time magazine. "They don't want to re-create the lives of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. This is just a new approach to their career," Wallis said.