“Construction Mom.” Illustration by Megan Kinch.

This piece by Megan Kinch was first published in CBC Parents in 2020. Although Kinch’s own life situation has changed as her daughter is now in middle school, the reality she describes and the points she raises remain current. The article title has been changed and a new original illustration by the author accompanies the piece. One correction has been made: the original piece cited the figure of three percent as the proportion of women working as construction electricians, but better information indicates that it was and still is closer to one percent, at least in Ontario.

In that time of morning that seems like the dead of night, I quietly get dressed. My six-year-old stirs and I ask her to climb onto my back—which she does while still basically asleep—like a tiny monkey. I leave my apartment unit and carry her downstairs to another unit where my neighbour is waiting.

Settling her into sleep on the couch, I thank her caregiver and rush back upstairs. Then I’m out the door to get to my job as a construction electrician in downtown Toronto.

It’s so early and I’m so tired and my day has just begun.

Who was this system designed for, and who is it working for?

Why does the school day start at nine a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. if no one works those........

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