27 Feb Can mother combine career and family successfully?

Taking your child to a business meeting? Crazy or desperate or just plain stupid?  Perhaps all of that as well as honesty. I recall Michelle Obama explaining that she took Sasha who was 4 months at the time for a job interview as she did not have a baby sitter. She said \ that she took a risk but she told the interviewer that this was her, she would do the job but she would need flexibility and to be paid reasonable salary. Needless to say, she got the job and became the Vice president of University of Chicago Medical Center.

Would this approach work here in Australia? Are we flexible in work culture to accept that mothers with kids can be organised enough to get the job done and be mothers and succeed on career ladder as well?

When I had my first son I took deliberate choice after nearly two years at home not to return to work. It was financial risk but also I knew that my job would have required me to travel and be away from my family long periods at the time and as a mother I did not want to take the chance of missing precious moments with my son.

Fast forward 4 years later I am running my own business and doing my own thing. I am not bound 9-5 rat race to the city and back and can work around nap times and evenings when everyone is at sleep. This is my choice and it is not for everyone and financially it can be a stretch but I would not have it any other way. I am doing another career as self- employed business woman and I love what I am doing and how I am achieving my goals.

I think we have some work to do with work place attitudes towards mothers coming back from maternity leave or trying to enhance their careers in Australia. Mothers at work are sometimes looked at as a nuisance as they want certain days, times, flexible hours etc. to do the job due childcare issues or pick up and drop offs. Colleagues are rolling their eyes when you must dash off 4.30 on the dot to collect the kids from day care or school and others are left to close the shop. But should we be looking this other way? How the mother with kids contributes equally much at work place or even more and she should be allowed to leave early as she as another job at home in hand?

Taking a baby to a job interview like Michelle Obama takes courage and I applaud to any women doing the same. This is to show the employer who you really are and let’s face it a baby (providing they do not scream and cry through the meeting!) will be a cute distraction.

It makes me think if a man asks the same, flexible working arrangements would the respond be the same as well?  I would like to think yes, but I have a feeling that in the dominant male society we live in, he would probably get the hours with less hassle than a woman colleague.

Want to read more about working and motherhood and how to combine these two? Check out Working Mother with lots of interesting articles and support on this subject. Also Parents website has a great resources like 10 Ways Mom can balance Work and Family. Check out also Parenting Files Blog for some great tips on how to do quick breakfast and be super efficient with your family chores!

About the Author

Hi, I am Susanna, sassy mother of two little cheeky boys. I am married to a gorgeous husband and after many years globe trotting we relocated to Sydney. I started writing stories when I was very young and I have continued writing all my life and not until recently did I feel it was the time to unleash my inner Mayfair Lady, goddess of all good things in life and publish my own blog!

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