I had a meeting last night with some other mom (and dad) bloggers. We all write for the same local outlet, and this was the first time we had met in person. What struck me about the five us was this:
- We all have children under the age of 5
- We are all within a few years age of each other (Gen X)
- We have all found ways to work that allow us to spend time with our kids
What is most remarkable is that everyone’s paid day job is something they want to be doing. One mom works three days per week in a science field, another works one day in the office and telecommutes a few other days as a journalist, another works some weekends as a coach, and another works part-time, splitting child care duties with his spouse who also works part time.
During my college days I recall being saddled with the label “Generation X: the slacker generation.” On the contrary, I think my generation has made great strides in creating a better balance between work and family. There’s nothing slacker about it. We’ve decided we want to spend time with our children as well as work, and we’ve been rewriting the rules to do so.
Rewriting these rules is exactly what Katty Kay and Claire Shipman have written about in their new book “Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success.” The book talks about how women can influence the balance between work and family, and that we don’t have to climb the corporate ladder in the traditional sense to achieve success.
Filed under: defintions, office tips, parenting, productivity, reviews, telecommuting, work from home
