https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:00:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms#post-535695 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:25:26 +0000 JennyD 535695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ha! This feels like the story of my life. I went back to work when my baby was 7 months old, and my husband stayed home until this week, when baby turned 1. I was promoted to management and given a ton more responsibility about 2 months after I went back. I work at a small company, and the "higher ups" are very supportive of my "work/life" balance, but with the exception of one other guy, everyone at the office is at least 10 years older than me, either childless or mostly with kids my age! It's hard to be the only one rushing out at 4:45 to get to daycare pickup on time. I wish there were more "middle class" role models like they mentioned in the article. </p> <p>Anyone else out there? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms#post-534885 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:22:10 +0000 Adira 534885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: Ugh, I totally agree. That mentality really bothers me. And that article you're talking about is upsetting - why can't her making work a priority be an EXAMPLE to her children about what a happy work-life looks like and being able to provide for your family? Why does it have to be her putting something ABOVE her children? Can't women work FOR their children too? We don't judge men like this. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms#post-534882 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:21:28 +0000 blackbird 534882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers, yes, exactly. </p> <p>Flexible work arrangements for parents in general makes a huge difference. My coworker frequently comes in late so he can go his daughters' preschool and do breakfast with them or leaves early to do lunches or take them on field trips or special things. It's acceptable to say "no" to work commitments sometimes! Of course, some days are better than others, but that's just like any situation. </p> <p>Why is it that working moms get all the guilt, despite 75% of us maintaining our careers? Working dads get a fraction of it. </p> <p>But it also takes people to catalyze these movements within companies. For many women, I'm sure it's too easy to just quit and not come back from maternity leave instead of trying to lobby for change. Why would management change if there is no push for it? When the woman who simply quits can simply be replaced? There has to be a push for these changes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms#post-534845 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:14:02 +0000 ladyfingers 534845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Yes I agree, that "choose what's more important" mentality is really troubling. Can't our careers and our family be equally important? I just read an article on Babble today by a work-at-home mom justifying her "parenting in absentia" and the subtitle of the article referred to her children not coming first. I doubt she wrote that, but the fact that anybody did is troubling. Who would ever say their children don't come first? But that's what automatically needs to be "said" about that situation -- she doesn't put her children first because she has to say no to them when work obligations come up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms#post-534839 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:11:37 +0000 ladyfingers 534839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not just for moms -- the way I see it, part of the problem is that it's considered acceptable for men to not be on these field trips, to miss school plays, to not volunteer. They still call them "class moms," not "class dads" or "class parents." So when a woman needs to duck out of work so that somebody can be there for her kid, she's seen as taking things less seriously than her male counterpart. And then there's that argument that just won't die -- "You want to be treated the same as men, but you don't. Make up your mind." Our own needs and our fundamental rights as humans are being used against us when convenient.</p> <p>I'm not saying that men who can't attend school functions are bad people. But it was the norm for so long, that it's going to take something huge to change that mindset of "dad duties" and "mom duties." To be honest... I don't know what the solution is. I just don't think that, when it comes to careers, we live in a parenting-friendly society in general. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms#post-534815 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:05:37 +0000 Adira 534815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Reading the article now, but wanted to say that I find it very frustrating at my company whenever I've listened to our leadership teams talk about how they got where they are today. They talk about the importance of work-life balance, but then go on to say that they didn't have the balance and they chose work over everything else to get where they are now!</p> <p>ETA: Great article! I wish it provided more examples of what could be done to help out new moms (and dads!) who are ambitious but really have to balance work life with home life! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms#post-534802 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:02:48 +0000 mrsjazz 534802@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: I agree. The article doesn't get into specifics, but a flexible work schedule would be heaven. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms#post-534781 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:58:02 +0000 Mrsbells 534781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There should be more flexible hours for working moms.. ( I havent read the article yet) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms#post-534651 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:32:45 +0000 mrsjazz 534651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is an interesting article from NY Mag:</p> <p>"But if we want more women to stick it out and reach leadership levels, we should also do a better job of catching the already ambitious ones at the moment when they are most likely to duck out due to the pressure of motherhood. No matter what commitment you think you have to your career, it's another story when your 3-year-old clings to you on your way out the door each morning shouting, 'Please don't go to work, Mommy!' or your second grader says, 'I wish you didn't have a job so you could come on the field trips and pick me up after school.'"</p> <p><a href="http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/01/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms.html?mid=r_thecutblog" rel="nofollow">http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/01/want-more-women-in-leadership-help-new-moms.html?mid=r_thecutblog</a> </p>