Just wait, Marissa Mayer, and believe the hype.

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Marissa Mayer is in the news again. In her first interview as Yahoo CEO she claimed "The baby's been easy!" 
 
From the beginning, I have been confused by this woman. She becomes the CEO of Yahoo at 6 months pregnant, a huge triumph for working mothers everywhere. Then, she takes a 2 week maternity leave which doesn't help anyone, including herself. But that is her prerogative, and to be fair, she didn't ask to be the poster child for working moms. Now she says everyone made the whole baby thing out to be much harder than it really is. Cue the teeth grinding...  
 
My response - just wait, Marissa. In the beginning, babies sleep all the time and you can take them anywhere and everywhere. I spent many a day at work in my babies' first 6 months with them napping in the stroller quietly while I did some work, held a small meeting,etc. It's definitely doable. But then the sick days start kicking in and all hell breaks lose. And you can't take a 2 year-old to work with you and tell them to play quietly under your desk. So just wait, Marissa, your baby and the challenges of motherhood will live up to the hype.
 
Izzy at 3 months, helping me prepare a presentation at work.

Don't get me wrong - I don't wish any ill will or tough times on Marissa. I don't wish that for any new mom. And while I know she didn't ask for the role, I do wish she would champion working moms, and all working parents, in a way that acknowledges the challenges rather than just plowing right over them. Is that too much to ask?

On a positive note, since it is the positive side that keeps me going in all this, I liked Mayer's response when asked how she manages everything on her plate: "Ruthlessly prioritize." Maybe she can be the working mom's champion after all.
 

Comments

  1. Julie ChristiansonNovember 28, 2012 at 2:01 PM

    They're super easy if you have a team of nannies and baby nurses, too. But, I hold no grudges. Nope, none at all...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nguyen-Sul JayhawksNovember 28, 2012 at 3:03 PM

    Having made the choice to stay at home with my kids, and happy with that decision, I certainly would not turn away a team of nannies and baby nurses.

    ReplyDelete

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