Responding to opinions about your work-family situation
The discussion at The Juggle the other day about “do your parents support your work-family choices?” kind of hit home with me.
While my parents are/were nothing but supportive, my dad did make a statement after I had my first child along the lines of, “Wow, the daycare is very good, I never thought you’d be sending a baby to someplace like that, but, it’s worked out, huh?”
WHAT?
It seemed to come out of left field at the time, but, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that his only experience with young children and infants was the mother staying home all the time. Women just didn’t work when kids were young (usually) in his generation.
It was just a sentiment that he’d never expressed before, not that I would/could have done anything differently had I known his opinion before, it just caught me off guard.
I have no idea what I said to him, but, it may have involved something mature like, “I’m married to a teacher, you wanna stay home and take care of them for me while I work?”.
Since you are likely more mature than I am, how would you have responded? Have you ever had your own family venture an opinion about your career and kids choices?
Tags: Career and Kids, choices, familyRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Career and Kids
1 opinion for Responding to opinions about your work-family situation
Kate
Oct 6, 2007 at 5:50 am
I have the kind of personality that makes it clear that I do what I must and what I believe to be best. People offer their opinions at their own risk.
So, no, I am not any more mature than you are.
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