No one Judges a Mother like Another Woman

Many women like to stay home with their kids and take care of their home. This trend is called tradwives, for those who decided to forget that women fought to give us the right to work and be our own bosses. I don’t know what their motivations are, or even their reasons, but I know this role isn’t for me. And yes, maybe I’m judging them too. Maternity leave differs from country to country. In the US, it seems very short, while in some Nordic countries, it lasts more than a year, and sometimes the father even gets a very generous paternity leave. I think I’m one of those women who want it all. I’m a fan of the series Workin’ Moms, and especially of its heroine, who wants it all and fights to have it all: a husband, a family, a career. It’s not easy, but it’s what I want. I didn’t tell anyone when I was planning to go back to work, but I think no longer being only a mother, but also a wife who works and has a child, boosted my self-esteem. Especially when I picked up my baby from daycare after my workday, and the daycare teacher told me how alert and happy my baby was. At work, some people didn’t believe I had a child, because I wasn’t worn out by motherhood. On the contrary, I was balanced. I think it was the whole arrangement that strengthened my confidence: seeing myself as a mom and an accomplished working woman who knows how to manage without being overwhelmed. I learned to manage. I still listen to some doctors, but I no longer let myself listen to criticism from my peers, because I have confirmation that I’m doing a good job. Yes, sometimes I get little remarks, because my little one can be rowdy in public, especially on our first flight, which was a nightmare. But thankfully, a kind soul came to my defense when a woman complained about my baby crying during the landing. And it was actually a man who defended me, while a woman yelled at me, as if to drown out my baby’s crying. What a world!