With so many people afraid to lose their jobs, some moms who work outside the home feel as though they have no choice but to skip their kids' sports games, winter concerts and other events.

If a child needs to go to the doctor's, they tell their boss that they're going to their own doctor's appointment instead of admitting they have a sick kid.

"(I)n an era of rampant job insecurity, it seems indefensible to request time off to hear my kid sing an Italian folk song—or get her a flu shot," wrote Newsweek reporter Kathleen Deveny in her latest column, "Families Need To Man Up."

Since men have bit hit hardest by this recession, women now have more than half of the jobs in the United States, Deveny points out. Despite their added responsibilities outside the home, women are still viewed as the caregivers -- the ones who should be volunteering at school, driving the carpool, attending recitals and other events that involve their children.

"Maternal profiling is real," Deveny stressed. "When a working father takes time off to watch a ballet recital, he's seen as noble. When a working mother rushes out of the office to care for a case of head lice, she's more likely to be labeled undependable."

What do you think? Is the workplace harder on moms than dads?