The Challenges Of Being A Lawyer and A Mother
Guest blogger and lawyer/mom, Amy Epstein Gluck, gives Darling Hill readers the scoop on the Challenges of Being A Lawyer and A Mother.
Here's the thing I've learned over the years about trying to continue and advance my career as a lawyer and being as good of a mother as I can be: there is no right answer. That's what all the mommy war books and articles do not understand. Neither mothers who are professionals nor stay-at-home moms really get a break.
If you work, you are not giving enough time to your kids, or your 3rd grader can't be in this dance class, or that class because you can't get home in time to carpool, or you worry that your nanny is raising your kids. You feel guilty for not helping out in your kids' classes, and you're constantly exhausted from going from one (paying) job to another (at home) with no transition time in between. Not to mention all the hours you are not spending in the office.
If you don't work, you, or most of you, worry about the money you are not making to support your family, or the type of role model you are presenting to your daughters who you encourage to be anything they could possibly want. Or you worry that you are stagnating as an individual since all you do now is exercise, tidy up the house, drive your kids around, and cook for them.
Whether you work part-time or full-time or not at all, these are the constant challenges that women face as moms. My older daughter once said she felt sorry for mommy because all daddy did was work while mommy worked and “did everything else.”
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Amy Epstein Gluck is a mom and practicing attorney living and working, as a contract attorney, in Bethesda, MD. She can be reached at aegluck2 [*at*] aol [*dot*] com.
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The points raised by Amy really ring true. We are always to find the right balance between the professional self and the personal life. The eternal struggle. FYI, there is another great article from a lawyer/mom (and tips on achieving work/life balance from moms both in and out of the legal field) on http://www.theglasshammer.com/. We'd love to hear your stories as well!
So very true! I have done both - been a work out of home parent for a few years and have been a stay at home parent. Now I'm a work AT home parent! I have struggled in every single role. There are always things that seem to not get done, always priorities that need to be juggled and managed. I want everything - to be a great mom, to go to school events and soccer practices, and I want to have a challenging and rewarding career. I guess I'll just keep working at it and hope that I can do most of the things I want!!