Mad Max is taking a break from blogging today, and he is working on his jumping skills to impress all the tot ladies ... so Train Wreck Mommy here!
We are taking a break from our regular "Thursday's: Kids, Tweens, and Teens" to bring you a topic that of course indirectly affects kids, tweens, and teens!
I'm sure many of you heard about the new Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer. If you just Google "Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer" you will get plenty of articles. But she's receiving a lot of focus and debate because she is 6 months pregnant and due in October with her first child. (Just like me ... well second child for me!). The issue of working versus stay-at-home Moms, parenting philosophies, and more continues to be a hot topic with many differing opinions.
So what is YOUR opinion about a woman taking a high-powered position while pregnant and expecting her first child? We can all only imagine that a CEO position is very demanding. So this also all goes back to the (also very active in the news), "can women have it all?" I also heard that she plans to take 3 weeks of maternity leave.
In my opinion ...
First, kudos to her for being hired to a powerful position (and while having a family)! And kudos to Yahoo for hiring a pregnant woman. Kudos to her for seemingly trying to have a successful career and family life.
On the flipside, I think it's very unfortunate that the media is even discussing this topic because this would never be discussed if they hired a man (that had a wife expecting their first child). So can men "have it all" and women are just criticized for it?
Although at the same time, I do understand why this topic is coming up. What is the most challenging aspect of motherhood to me? Balance: myself, myself + husband, myself + child, myself + husband and child. Not to mention everything else adulthood throws at you! But I am definitely not alone. I'm not sure about how men feel, but this is a hot topic among women. I've really been enjoying A Cup of Jo's series on this: Motherhood Mondays.
Now I don't know Marissa Mayer's exact circumstances (for all I know she could have worked out a flexible schedule), and we all have different opinions on what it means to be a good wife, parent, and career woman ... but I personally could not even imagine only taking 3 weeks maternity leave. I think 12 weeks is WAY too short! Although I am very driven also, I don't think I could accept a position such as hers knowing how much it may take away from my life and my family (18 years of a child's life goes fast!). But that is just me. I don't know that I would have said that before I had Mad Max. It's hard to imagine how you will feel until you are going through it yourself. We can all assume that she has plenty of money to get the help she needs, and maybe Yahoo is going to be flexible / family-friendly. Although even if I had all of the money in the world, it might make things slightly easier ... but I don't think it would completely fix the balance issue. And some might argue that her job won't be much more demanding than other jobs ...
So what do you think? What do you think about the new Yahoo CEO's decisions? Do you think women can have it all? What about men? What does "all" mean to you? How do you find balance in your life? Do you have balance? Leave your comments below!
Now a quick sneak peek at our blog post tomorrow from Sadie! It'll be from Sadie and all about Sadie! Don't miss it.
 |
| Image Credit: Mad Max and Family / Alicen S |
-Mad Max and Family
PS: Be sure to also check out Mad About Town.
Posts
6 comments:
In my eyes, it's like one step forward, one step back, so basically working moms haven't made any progress just from this one act. While it's fantastic that they hired her on qualifications alone, and not on sex or current family planning stage, I think it's absurd that she's only taking 3 weeks of maternity leave. I think that in itself sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of us. And for those who know what the body goes through postpartum, there are many who are physically not ready to go back to a hectic working lifestyle after three weeks, much less emotionally. It's great that she's a go-getter, but I would have been much happier if she'd taken the standard three months with no apologies, or even said she would be working from home for a few weeks before returning. As it stands, I worry this will turn into a "Well SHE did it, so why can't you" type of situation.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment! I added you to my Bloglovin (do you use it?).
Very good point, and I totally agree. And I wonder how the women feel that are going to work with her at Yahoo? Will they feel the pressure to take less than 12 weeks? I even personally think 12 weeks is too short. Canada gets a year! And if she ends up having a c-section (like I did), there is a 6 weeks recovery period (not to mention you can't drive for 3 weeks - but I'm sure she can afford drivers).
I am glad the debate of working Moms is in the news lately, but I really hope it means companies can come to better solutions! What do you think?
-Tara
I really hope she can make it so she can shut all the mouths that have criticized her. I guess only time will tell how things with her are going to go but I can only wish her well and thank her for breaking another stereotype to make women's lives better.
I agree. I'm 6 months pregnant also and I would have never looked for a new job during this time period (unless I really had to) because most people wouldn't accept it. That's just a fact unfortunately!
I hope companies / organizations / places of work can start or continue to be more family friendly.
Thanks for stopping by!
-Tara
I hope that whatever she decides works for her truly does turn out that way. Whether that be getting back to work at 3 weeks or extending it to 3 months, I hope she finds peace in her decision and the balance that she needs. The bottom line is that it is a personal decision and we can weigh in all we want, but all a new mother or mother-to-be needs is support!
www.themamayears.com
Hi Jen, thanks for stopping by! I agree ... I hope she can find balance too (I think it's difficult, at least for me!) ...and new Moms need support. But I'm glad we are all talking about it too maybe that will lead to more support for all of us.
I look forward to checking out your blog.
-Tara
Post a Comment