Final answer:
Mothers were able to catch up to their childless counterparts in terms of wages when their children became older, and they could return to the workforce with fewer interruptions. The motherhood penalty, nevertheless, resulted in wage discrepancies due to temporary workforce dropouts or part-time work to manage household responsibilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of maternal feminism emerged as women had to prepare their children for the trials of the contemporary world, which involved taking qualities traditionally nurtured within the family into the broader society. Despite this shift, mothers, particularly in their 30s and 40s, often faced challenges in the labor force, leading to wage discrepancies known as the motherhood penalty. Childless women, on the other hand, with the same education and experience levels as men, were paid more comparably, although still not at complete parity. The age at which mothers were able to catch up to their childless counterparts in terms of wages is implied to be when their children were older, and they could return to the workforce with fewer disruptions.
Employment discrimination against mothers has been a significant impediment to achieving seniority and advancement opportunities. As women typically bear a larger share of household responsibilities, they may have to drop out of the workforce temporarily or work part-time, particularly when their children are young. However, as life expectancy increased and the expectation for mothers to stay home lessened, women started to seek part-time employment to afford elements of 'the good life', signifying that as children aged, women began reintegrating into the workforce, partially closing the wage gap.