Top Female Scientist Gives Aspiring Mothers Some Work Life Balance Advice

A very articulate group of female scientists sat down with the The New York Times to chat about all kinds of issues that they’ve encountered as women in a male-dominated field. From subsidized on site childcare to work life balance to how women can help other career-minded women, these top lady scientists left no stone unturned when discussing their field. Yet, Dr. Tal Rabin, a cryptography researcher at I.B.M, had some very specific advice to women planning motherhood along with a demanding career track.

Dr. Rabin noted at the Times roundtable that:

What I do feel as a mother is that sometimes I hear these young women graduate students talking. They are saying, ”Yes, the baby is going to be born, I am going to be back doing research within a week,” and so on. And I think that one important thing to remember is that these children are going to grow. And if you miss out on their babyhood and then childhood and so on, these times are gone. You should think how to balance these things and get the research done but not forsake these things that are never coming back. The research is going to be there two years down the road, three years down the road, but there are things that are very precious that should not be missed out on.

Dr. Rabin’s comments are extremely relevant in an age that touts how much women can successfully accomplish everything. Men who actively parent do get a nod in the roundtable discussion as being more proactive than in previous years, but as a mother who may want to be just as active in her child’s life as she is in the boardroom, the question of what to sacrifice and what to maintain is often revisited.  It’s because mothers are first and foremost people with individual circumstances that all choices with regards to motherhood and career are so unique, but Dr. Rabin points out some factors worth considering to those just starting out.

(photo: nytimes.com)