Many women, and men, know the daily challenges of balancing family and a successful career. Soccer practice, doctor's appointments, business meetings--there aren't enough hours in a day.
If you are a parent with a career, would it be easier to strive for success without a Rugrat? (for the uninformed, that's the term used for little ones on a popular Nickelodeon cartoon by the same name. I like it so much that it's what I call my kids, especially when they are getting on my nerves.)
Would it be easier as a woman to climb the ladder of success without a family?
These are questions posed by Lauren Ashburn in Childless: How the Most Ambitious Women Choose not to Be Sidetracked by Family.
Ashburn applauds the successes of recent Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan and Justice Sonya Sotomayor as they ascend to the pinnacle of their profession, yet argues that the corporate culture must change so that advancing one's career doesn't mean having to choose between family and work.
Seventy-one percent of women in the workforce have children ages six to 17, and for the first time in history, there are more women working than men, Ashburn reports.
She writes: "Some speculate that there is a fear among ambitious women that they can't rise to a preeminent position if they start a family because of the intense job pressures -- late nights, long trips, the need to be available 24/7. Let's face it, could Justice Sotomayor really schedule car pool from One First Street, N.E.?"
Ashburn's article is an interesting read, and of course goes down that road of whether parents (mothers, in particular) can have it all.
Personally, I don't think you can have it all, at least not at the same time and do everything well. Something will suffer. Or you will try to do it all -- ambitious career, be adequately available for your family -- but will eventually drop from exhaustion or exasperation.
ad_icon
I can't have it all and do it all well.
Ashburn says the solution is the following: "If being childless is not an option for you, it's time to raise your voices, demand flexibility in your workplace and show the world that, yes, you can work full-time and be productive members of a corporation without being chained to a desk just because that's the way it's always been done."
So what do you think? Can a woman (or man) have both professional and personal success at the same time? Send your comments to colorofmoney@washpost.com. Put "Working Parents" in the subject line.
Medical Move
Looking for work? Well, think about the health-care sector.
The recent passage of the health-care law has added 244,000 jobs in the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reports Vickie Elmer in Health care offers healthy prospects for second careers.
An amendment to the financial reform bill being debated in Congress right now would give some consumers a free look at their credit scores. Those who have been denied credit or a job would be allow to get a free copy of their credit score.
While consumers are allowed to obtain a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months at www.annualcreditreport.com, they are not entitle to free credit scores. Gail Cunningham, a spokesperson for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling says, "this may be a first step toward universally providing free credit scores to consumers," reports Chavon Sutton of CNNmoney.com in Washington pushes for free credit scores.
Color of Money Question: Your responses
For last week's Color of Money Question, I wanted hear what financial advice you would give to recent college graduates, as well as tips you have received that helped you keep your financial footing.
In today's column, I share some of that wisdom. Here are some additional comments:
For Jeanette Watkins of Randallstown, Md., mama always knows best.
My mother "said pay your rent or your mortgage first if you don't pay anything else. If you pay your rent or mortgage there will always be a roof over your head. You can always stop by mom's house to eat and grab a few rolls of toilet paper."
ad_icon
Jenelle Turner-Reid of Oklahoma City, Okla. advises recent graduates to, "continue to live like you are on a college student's budget and max out any matching 401 (k) or 403 (b) contribution from your employer."
For Nancy Dubiell of Burke, Va., a little goes a long way.
"Everyone can afford to have $5 or $10 automatically deducted from their paycheck and put into a credit union savings account. If you don't see it, you won't miss it."
Brad Glickman of Chevy Chase, Md. says, "Whenever possible, pay with cash! When credit card usage spins out of control, one can fall well behind in the race to financial independence. Consumer debt can be very hard to control especially as the interest piles up."
