To all (working) mothers

Dear mothers,

especially working mothers, let me say one thing: I see you, I hear you, I feel you. Even more so to mothers with pre-school children, it's not easy, it really isn't to be divided between your own ambition and your love and care for your child, relationship and family.

In the past weeks, since we were able to enjoy life in a somewhat normal way, I had to cancel or choose between working activities that I will attend in person. With so many live events and in-person meetings spanning a whole day, I had to divide my time and focus to be present at those I deemed most important, but naturally I was not able to attend everything, despite all of them being important for my career and networking. And to make one thing clear: I have one of the most supporting and caring husband, who understands my job and takes the brunt of the childcare for me to able to attend meetings and events after 4 PM, but the buck has to stop somewhere. He too has his own obligations, activities and after work events that he needs to be at to accelerate his career.

Even with the amazing people at work surrounding me, who understand me and support me, I cannot help but to think that I am limiting my potential because I cannot fulfill all the duties presented before me and be out late several times a week to mingle, network, make connections and relationships. I do not have that luxury. Both of our parents are working as well, so forget granny-service. It's a tale as old as the world, it seems: with women being torn between familial responsibilities and our own advancement. One could say that men are equally limited, but we all know that is not so.

I'm not pessimistic though, because I honestly believe that any person with ambition to strive and excel, finds a way to compensate the lost time, most times by delivering high-quality results in a restricted time-frame, it just might a bit more time to figure out how to do so.

But, let us make one thing clear: if more women with children were not passed for a promotion and if more of the same women were given top executive positions, I am sure that the nature of late-night meetings, events or in-person gathering would fundamentally change.

Perhaps, we would see a rise in meetings taking place in the playgrounds, casual strolls or cafes with swings. Let's strive for a future like that: we owe it to our children. And one final disclaimer: this post it not to say anyone else is not dealing with similar issues, children or no children, it's just one aspect of the reality I am seeing and experiencing. And my views are only my own.

Urška