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INDICE:

• Professional Mothers... and Jugglers

PROFESSIONAL MOTHERS... AND JUGGLERS

After such a long struggle, most women have the opportunity to develop professionally, gaining ground in the working world. Now, what would happen if that professional development overshadows family life? How can women be successful in their career without sacrificing their parenting? I don’t mean to imply that achieving a career path is harmful, especially when raising a family. On the contrary, entering the labour market has given women the opportunity to gain academic training and be financially independent. However, it’s true that nowadays most professional mothers suffer from mom guilt, especially when they have to leave their children in the care of third parties, even if they are their own grandparents. I believe that it’s a matter of finding the proper scale between work and family… which is not always an easy task.

An example that captures that tension is the movie The Roses (2025). Although it is basically about the deadly confrontation between Ivy Rose (Olivia Colman) and her husband, Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch), because of the competitive implications resulting from Ivy’s career takeoff as a chef and Theo’s architectural project failure, this film also tells how Ivy and her children’s bond begins to weaken, since now Theo has the main role as the caregiver. Ivy is aware of this new reality that makes her feel distressed, but her more successful and demanding job forces her to be away from home most of the time. In fact, she agrees that Theo becomes the primary caregiver, since, at the moment, he isn’t involved in any architectural project (except when he decides to build a new home). Certainly, at the same time Ivy can’t stop feeling thrilled to have finally fulfilled her dream of becoming a successful chef, which she set aside when she started a family. However, Ivy is unable to balance her more demanding job and her family’s needs.

Naturally, there are other realities with respect to motherhood and parenting when mothers are professionals. I have friends and acquaintances who are mothers juggling between raising their children and being effective workers. It is a complex matter, and there are many other arguments and views that can be added. In any case, I believe there isn’t one true prescription or rule to find that ideal scale between work and family. Each family’s reality, the possible opportunities, the kind of job and/or other matters have an impact on that not-always balanced scale.

Eyer, E. (2020, 28 de diciembre). Madre con su bebé durante la jornada laboral [Fotografía]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/padre-nino-bebe-infantil-6319819/