Posted on 09/05/2006 8:08:40 AM PDT by truthkeeper
This Mommy Track May Go Somewhere
Some companies offer a chance to advance on a schedule that allows more time at home
Attorney Becky Belke works at a Los Angeles law firm where colleagues regularly toil nights and weekends. But as a mother of three children under the age of 5, she wants to work only three days a week — even if it means she can't become a partner soon.
No problem.
Not only has Belke's firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, agreed to her part-time schedule, it will put her on its partnership track if she wants to boost her hours when her kids are older.
"I know if I were home with my kids every day I'd be insane, and if I were here every day I would not be happy," the 39-year old said of her part-time schedule. "It's a good situation for me..."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Rather interesting that 'freepers' (using the term loosely) will rail on women who work full time and put their kids in day care.
Now we have women who find a way to work part time and have more time for their kids and it ain't good enough!
Sad to see that there is so much jealousy, bitterness, and arrogance on this thread alone towards working women.
Hey, if I could earn enough to only work three days a week I'd absolutely do it!
And people are liars if they say otherwise unless they never plan any type of retirement until the day they die or are too disabled to work.
I love my daughter, and I wouldn't change being her mom, but I will also admit that 24/7 can get to be a bit much. I commend women with large families who are SAHMs, I am one myself, but I only have one child.
I've been self-employed for so long that becoming a mom really had no impact on my life. I was home anyway.
With THREE children under age 5, her children need her more than any client. And she won't become a "PARTNER" at the firm. Gosh.
It is a business decision. But maybe it is better that their children get love from someone else other than a lawyer.
I'm running into quite a few women who don't want a kid. Ever.
But I do know a number of women who are having babies now (28-35). Some are on their second husband when they have their first pregnancy.
The social order was disrupted by the anti-establishment types who now are the establishment.
And to hear the establishment tell it, we NEED illegal immigration to keep our population from falling. As if 50million abortions didn't factor into that.
yanno, this could be a great situation- if daddy had a similar schedule.
i would be ecstatic if my wife worked MTW, and i worked TFS, and we both had sundays off. then one of us would always be home with the kids, and i'd get equal time to be with them.
I agree that with normal women the best place for them is with the kids at least until school age.
It doesn't have to be all or none and she found a way to compromise.
But I don't get to make choices for others and get a bit reluctant to judge the way this woman has been judged.
In other words, instead of looking for something good here (she can be at home part time) 'freepers' on this thread chose to bitch about her.
I might be more easy going if she were trying to promote her partnership with something more useful than another law firm.
Even an independent restaurant.
With all due respect, she didn't do herself any favors with the crack about going insane if she were home with her kids.
She is just more honest than most freepers here. I dare say that statistically 100% of parents have thought about saying exactly the same thing.
Mommies were never June Cleaver no matter what we'd like to imagine.
I think it is probably a normal thing for mothers to want/need some relief from their children. Maybe not idealistic but realistic.
She trades the typical associates' hours for no chance at becoming partner. I don't see what the big deal is.
Just my opinion, of course...but isn't that why we're here?
Not true. I am a June Cleave, left the work force for 19 years to raise my kids. Now, back in the corp. world after loving every minute of raising my children. Never once did I want to trade or think about saying the exact same thing. Given a choice, a mother should choose to be with the children she brought into this world. JMO...
I did make that choice - but guess what? I need a break occassionally.
If I may give a lawyer look at this.
Law firms are no longer tied to having people in the office as in years past. In fact, with computerized research you can be anywhere. Many firms are even going paperless with documents so even the files can be virtual.
What does this do? It is a dirt secret that part time women lawyers are easy grunts and not as much a threat to those who are on a traditional partnership track no matter what anyone says. You can also count on them to do more work for the office from home even though it can't be billed.
Personally I think as offices go more and more paperless, the idea of a brick and mortar office may be less and less needed. Many insurance defence offices have only machine receptionists now.
I think that is a far cry from...
"I know if I were home with my kids every day I'd be insane,
There are many working mothers who are not like these narcissists. The women who agree to be profiled for articles such as these tend to be self-obsessed. Many women work part time without talking about how "bored" they'd be if they didn't work, and without demanding unreasonable concessions from their bosses. At least the companies mentioned in this article require women working part time to wait longer before they grab the brass ring! As a woman, I get sick when I read about firms that have two different tracks, where men have to work longer and harder just because they're men.
Momies were never June Cleaver?
not true, I know of more than a few that were very much like June Clever. (down to the pearls)
Men would fight the devil himself with only a glass of water for a wife like June Cleaver. Of course she would be on a different partnership track...
I think she is setting up her "reasonable expectation based on assurances" claim when she is denied partnership for being a fist class female dog.
I don't have a problem with her comment, I really don't. There have been days when I was a raving lunatic by the time my husband got home from work.
I don't know who was looking forward to the first day of school more (today) my daughter or me.......does this make me a bad mother or person? No it doesn't. It makes me human and honest about it.
Working woman get vacations, why wouldn't the stay at home woman need one too? Your being honest is much more than she is being.
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