Okay, I definitely missed a memo. Apparently, motherhood is now an asset for working women. Who knew? I spent years in the office downplaying my life as a mother for fear I would be exiled to The Mommy Track, never to get a promotion again. Apparently I should have flaunted the fact I had children. After all, critics are saying the problem with Elena Kagan, President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, is that she is not a mother.
I wanted to write in depth on this topic today. However, I am a working mother and I was up all night with my sick 5 year old. My daughter and I finally fell asleep around 5:15 this morning but then my son woke me up at 8:15 so he could give me a kiss before he went to school. And now, I am too tired to write a coherent sentence. Want to hire me?
So instead, I have complied some of the recent stories on Kagan and motherhood. What do you think? Oh, and if there is a mother out there who actually had eight hours of sleep, can you answer this question for me: If Kagan isn’t qualified to rule on work-life balance issues, then are men qualified to make laws about women’s bodies?
“Then Comes the Marriage Question” by Laura Holson at The New York Times
“Is ‘careerism’ the new ‘empathy’?” by Susan Reimer at The Baltimore Sun
“The Supreme Court needs more mothers” by Ann Gerhart at The Washington Post
“Elena Kagan sends us on the way to a motherless Supreme Court” by Michael Roston at True Slant
“Are Mothers Better than Everyone Else?” by Bella DePaulo at Psychology Today
Thanks for the recommendation.
Very thoughtful article. For a fresh take on building strong careers and families, check out Getting to 50/50 — on how men and women share roles with all sorts of good results — including a healthier sex life. The book also debunks some common myths that cause many moms to back away from their jobs. Authors Sharon Meers (a Goldman MD now in tech) and Joanna Strober (a private equity exec) share their often funny tales of combining work and family. Definitely a book worth checking out. http://www.gettingto5050.blogspot.com