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Can women have it all?

Trying to balance work and home life and have a life
18627263_web1_marisca-THUMB

For the first time a visibly pregnant CEO is on the cover of a business magazine this month.

Inc., a business magazine that features small businesses put Audrey Gelman on their front cover with a beautiful, big, baby bump.

Gelman is cofounder of The Wing, which is a growing community of women across the country and globe,

I’m surprised that this is a first and took so long but I’m so happy it has happened. What a great message to young women that you can be a boss in the boardroom and at home.

I hope this also helps to get rid of the motherhood penalty, which according to Wikipedia is a term coined by sociologists who argue that, in the workplace, working mothers encounter systematic disadvantages in pay, perceived competence, and benefits relative to childless women.

There have also been studies done that show mothers face penalties when being hired, and have lower starting salaries while fathers can benefit from being a parent.

It also brings up the question of whether or not women can have it all? The age old question that continues to haunt me.

Can a woman have a successful career, a family, a circle of friends, a hobby and happiness — without losing her mind? And do men worry about this?

I always thought I’d have a flourishing and long career before having children, but a tequila-filled camping weekend had other plans.

Now, two children and two completed maternity leaves later, I’m wondering how to balance being a mom and having a job.

I know I’m not the only who has a part time job with little ones at home but sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who feels guilty about it. I see my working mom friends’ Instagram and Facebook pages with their happy children and a clean house in the background.

How do they do it?

When I take a photo of my children I literally sweep the toys and dirty dishes just out of the frame and rarely do I snap a photo where both my kids are smiling at the same time or even just looking at the camera.

Recently I sat down with a friend of mine who is in the same line of work, but whose children are older, and asked her if she had any regrets working when they were little.

She told me that women can have it all, just not all at once. I think that’s really smart but it got me thinking that maybe a woman that has it all may not actually have it all but is content with what she does have.



Marisca Bakker

About the Author: Marisca Bakker

Marisca was born and raised in Ontario and moved to Smithers almost ten years ago on a one-year contract.
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