Meet Jennifer.
Jennifer is a wife, a mother of three, a runner, the breadwinner in her family; and that’s not all: Jennifer just got big news. She has just been offered her dream job as editor-in-chief for Northern Virginia magazine, but that means moving the family from Richmond to Chantilly, Virginia.
“What will Bill think?” Jennifer thought as she hung up the phone. Should she let herself get excited? Was he going to be okay with the idea of leaving HIS job, finding new schools for the kids, moving away from his parents? Jennifer knew she should be excited about this opportunity, but she just wasn’t sure.
Later that evening…
“Hi honey,” Bill kissed Jennifer’s cheek as he took her coat. “How was your day?”
“Well…,” Jennifer smiled.
“You got the job, didn’t you?!”
The couple had, of course, talked about the possibility, and he’d been supportive, taking the day off work to drive her to the interview two weeks before, but Jennifer was genuinely surprised by his reaction.
“I did.”
Bill beamed.
“But you know this means we’re going to have to move. Start all over,” Jennifer said hesitantly. “I told them I’d have to talk to you, that I wasn’t sure you’d be willing to leave your job for mine.”
“Are you kidding?!” Bill was incredulous. “Of course I’ll leave my job! Let’s go. Call them back right now. [shouting] KIDS! Pack your rooms; we’re moving.”
—survey , Americans are more willing to move for the wife’s job today than just five years ago. And, in fact, almost 90 percent of Americans believe that relocating for the wife or mom’s job is now more common.
Nearly half of respondents said they know someone who has recently moved for the wife’s job, which is not surprising considering 40 percent of married women surveyed reported earning the same or more than their spouse. This new data complements the results of a 2013 Pew Research Center analysis, which found that a record 40 percent of households with children under the age of 18 — married, and single — moms are either the sole or primary source of income for the family.
“For us, gender was never part of the conversation when it came to our careers,” said Katy Michael, a mother of two who recently relocated her family for a career opportunity. “We weighed the pro and cons, and decided to move because it was ultimately the right decision not for me or for him, but for our entire family.”
The survey found that the majority of women would be willing to move their family for their job, and more than half of families report that they’d support the decision.
Jennifer supports Bill. Bill supported Jennifer’s big career move.
Craig Van Lines supports the residents of northern Virginia, DC and Maryland. From local to long distance, our commitment to personalized moving services for residential and commercial relocation is unmatched in the industry.
