Teaching your kids about work – docs911.blogspot.com
Happy happy Saturday! Yes, it’s the start of the week-end, even for some of us who still have to make it to the office, even for a couple of hours today…The weather’s beautiful, you can take the kids out, spend more time with them than during the week, and maybe teach them one thing or two… Or three…
As corporate sisters, we most often deal with the guilt of not spending enough time with our children, versus committed to our careers. So when we get to spend quality time with them, we definitely want to make it count! Yet, with all the guilt we carry day in and day out, how thin we stretch ourselves, not to mention the weight of all the modern responsibilities that somehow have become ours, what are we really teaching our kids about work?
This week, Matt Lauer got under fire for his “sexist” question to General Motors CEO Mary Barra about being a mom and CEO at the same time. I was actually less struck by the question he asked than how he mentioned she had revealed in an interview that her kids told her they’re going to hold her accountable for one job, that of being a mom. Her kids’ answer prompted me to ask myself: “What message are we conveying to our kids about work and success in the workplace?” Do our kids realize the sacrifices and tough choices we have to make, and still hold us accountable for being better parents than professionals? And if so, are we meeting their expectations?
Teaching our kids about the importance of success and a solid work ethic is one thing. Teaching them about the precarious balance between effective parenting and fulfillment in our careers is an entirely different one. The challenge is in consolidating both experiences, while still being able to draw a healthy demarcation line between the two.
When we strive at work, meet our professional goals, and are recognized for our achievements as corporate sisters, are we teaching our children, especially our daughters, that it is what matters most? Or when we willingly sacrifice career success for the well-being our families, are we conveying the message that career success is vain and unfulfilling? And when we manage to balance both, is our difficult balancing act testifying more to our strengths or our weaknesses as parents?
Whether we commit to striving for career success or not, one of the most important questions may really be, at the end of the day, what are we teaching our children about what work means to us as women, corporate sisters, and most importantly, mothers? What legacy are we leaving behind, and are we at peace with it?
The Corporate Sister.
