This Single Mom Wears a Wedding Ring to Work. Why, oh why? 

This week, Kirstin — a single mom who works in corporate sales — writes at Single Mom at Work about the fact that she wears a wedding ring to business meetings, even though she is not married:

“I have learned that business acquaintances are much more at ease when they learn I have a child if I am wearing my ring on my wedding finger. It’s not that I lie and say that I’m married, but the ring creates the assumption that I am, and I’ve found, for surface-level business conversation, it’s easier that way.”

Say what?

First, I’m a huge fan of Kirsten’s blog, but when I first read this post, I wanted to scream. C’mon, babe, be proud of being a single mom! Don’t set us back another 10 years. Pretending to have a hubby at home will only stigmatize us further.

Then, I read the comments. Alaina says that she wanted to scream, too:

“Trade in the ring! Forget about what people think! But I work on the other side of the table… with a lot of closed minded/old fashion people who make it a hobby to gossip about sales reps. I wish it was different.”

Tamara says that Kirstin is “silencing inappropriate questions and by doing so, bringing the focus back to what’s important- the fact that she’s kick ass at both her jobs - being a mom and a sales person.”

Am I being too judgmental?

After all, I’m a single mom who runs her own business from a nook off the kitchen. I don’t go to corporate meetings anymore. I occasionally have meetings at corporate offices in San Francisco, but I never wear a ring on my wedding finger.

Do any of you single parents wear wedding rings to work?

What do you think about this?