Work Isn’t the Enemy of Good Parenting: A Review of “Ambitious Like a Mother” by Lara Bazelon

Formidable
Like a Mom draws
on exploration and interviews centering Bazelon’s possess struggles and successes—a
individual body that intimately highlights the tensions of skilled ambition
and individual associations, but just one that always puts far more large-ranging
viewpoints at the periphery. Although she interviews dozens of females (and some
of their children) throughout diverse backgrounds, there is minor point out of the
racial inequities at engage in in workplaces, the two historic and contemporary. Compared with the
ladies of her mother’s technology, Bazelon writes, “twenty-very first-century gals
are inspired and generally financially compelled to have professional professions.”
However even in her mother’s technology, it was widespread for girls of color to get the job done
outside the dwelling. There ended up amazingly classic factors to the guide,
with an complete chapter on balancing function ambitions with finding a husband or wife and
acquiring married in advance of offering birth to biological children—priorities for some,
but definitely not all, of us.  

Perhaps
unsurprisingly for the book’s thesis, there is a potent focus on the positive aspects
of paid, skilled do the job. For a dissenting viewpoint, she seems to be to Lillian, a
homeschooling mom of a few, whom she sees as “open challenge to my thesis.” The
two fulfilled when they both equally appeared on a tv
show about doing the job mothers and Lillian recounted how she and her young ones shell out
their days learning 3 languages and two kinds of musical instruments. “I
experience like it is the best work in the globe,” Lillian mentioned of homemaking and
homeschooling. Yet in truth, I consider Lillian’s case in point supports Bazelon’s
argument that dad and mom need to have to uncover joy and success in their work in
purchase to be superior mothers and fathers. Lillian’s childcare and schooling operate just transpires
to come about outdoors of the formal capitalistic procedure (and inside a really
traditional and patriarchal marriage, by her account), but it is however
work—and some dad and mom truly feel great ambition for it. A broader watch of women’s
ambition necessarily features all type of function, paid out and unpaid, all of which
is precious. The issues start out when we define women’s ambition as well narrowly in
a single course or the other, toward or away from the domestic sphere.

But
Bazelon’s key argument about the significance of ambition and accomplishment is
a crucial and timely phone to motion as more moms join the workforce—and face
significantly higher challenges, especially in the wake of the deeply
disruptive pandemic. Bazelon mentions several moments the importance of changing
neighborhood, condition, and federal policies to “make workplaces and household life additional
equitable,” which include by making certain paid out maternity leave—I would increase this to
contain all styles of household leave, which includes elder leave and all parental leave—and
backed childcare and common preschool. It’s not adequate simply to say
gals really should be happy industry experts with out offering the help and solutions
they require, particularly mother and father with decreased incomes, for whom the price of
childcare can significantly restrict skilled chances.