Topic: Work Life Balance

American Dads Aren’t Taking Paternity Leave Due To Super Lame Office Daddy Stigma

American Dads Aren't Taking Paternity Leave Due To Super Lame Office Daddy Stigma

Other countries may have mandated paternity leave, but here in the United States we’re just begging for the basics, like decent maternity leave. Companies like Yahoo that give new daddies eight weeks of paid time off are in the minority on this side of the ocean. But even among the Lean In crowd’s male partners, specifically men who are privileged enough to have access to this type of leave, dudes aren’t taking it. And it all comes back to being taunted at the water cooler by their colleagues. More »

The 5 Types Of Part-Time Working Mom Guilt

The 5 Types Of Part-Time Working Mom Guilt

After I found out I was pregnant with my third child, I decided to approach my boss about reducing my hours at the hospital where I work as a labor and delivery nurse. Her reaction, after subtly and offensively also quizzing me on my age? (27, in case you’re wondering.), was as follows.

“I don’t care if you go part-time,” she told me. “But I want you to know that if you do this, everyone will hate you. People will say you’re not a team player…” More »

Melissa McCarthy And Sandra Bullock Sing The Working Mom Guilt Blues

Melissa McCarthy And Sandra Bullock Sing The Working Mom Guilt Blues

Here’s a way to get an immediate microphone in your face. Be a successful lady who happens to have kids and utter “working mom guilt.” Insta-press. Not that Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock need it. But it’s the easiest “these women are just like you” press gimmick out there. It’s practically #1 on the top 10 mommy soundtrack. Hit the ballad, ladies. More »

Mothers Are Finding Work-Life Balance, But Office Politics And Attitudes Still Weigh Them Down

Mothers Are Finding Work-Life Balance, But Office Politics And Attitudes Still Weigh Them Down

Last week we were all up-in-arms after hearing Paul Tudor Jones’ statement about babies as a focus-killer. Rightfully so, he acted like women get an instant lobotomy when they become mothers. What’s missing from the discussion, after how wrong his comments were, is the fact that it is still relatively unacceptable to want anything more than to achieve the highest expression of a career you might start when you are in your early 20′s. More »

I Envy My Teen Mom Friend

I Envy My Teen Mom Friend

I’m completely jealous of one of my two best friends, who was a teen mom, and had her son at age 17. I met her in university when her son was a toddler. Her son has just graduated four years of a hard-ass business school and has landed his first “adult” job. My friend, now only 41, works as an editor-in-chief at a very well respected magazine and pretty much has her entire life back. She IS having the time of her life. More »

First World Parenting Problems Are Still Parenting Problems

First World Parenting Problems Are Still Parenting Problems

I couldn’t help but feel personally attacked by Eve Vawter‘s piece on entrepreneur women and the empathy they don’t deserve when they dare find balancing their businesses and family difficult. I find myself in a very similar situation to Natalie Massenet, the founder of Net-a-Porter. Like Massenet, I have a new baby, a new business and a successful husband. Unlike Massenet, I also have a demanding 3-year-old. Also unlike Massenet, I don’t get to talk about this extremely difficult time in my life in retrospect. More »

Looks Like I Might Be The Only One Who Thinks Millennials Are Not All Delusional, Entitled, Lazy, Greedy Brats

Looks Like I Might Be The Only One Who Thinks Millennials Are Not All Delusional, Entitled, Lazy, Greedy Brats

In just the past few days there have been half a dozen articles painting a portrait of Generation Y, or the Millennials, as materialistic, entitled, delusional, lazy and greedy. What’s bringing on this slew of criticism?  A recent study co-authored by psychologist Jean Twenge. Every outlet lapped up her conclusions, quick to pick on the iGeneration, but not one of them offered another theory behind the answers from the high school seniors. Meanwhile, while I read article after article, all I could think was “maybe millennials are not delusional, maybe these kids just value work-life balance?” More »