Mom Guilt vs. Productivity: The Internal Battle of a Working Mother on the Road
How many mixed feelings, thoughts, & questions can you trigger with one little photo?
A LOT. 😶
Work-related travel as a scientist mother gives me ALL the feels.
Just look at that pristine, quiet, peaceful room that I get all to myself for the next 3 days! LOOK at it!! 👀 Just me, my breast pump, and my laptop. Don't even get me started if there is a robe!
Do I hide in my hotel room and get as much DEEP, UNINTERRUPTED, (GLORIOUS?!) work done as possible? (Admittedly, that is my current plan). My introverted self rejoices! 😃
Alternatively, do I sleep as late and as much as I want? Catch up on the years of shows I've wanted to watch but don't have time for? Part of me wants to be this person. Do I deserve it? The G-word (guilt) starts to creep in here.
Do I take advantage of the networking opportunities at the conference? Attend talks and try to actually listen rather than being distracted by my inbox the whole time? Sometimes attending the talks just makes me feel overwhelmed by new ideas and not enough time to pursue them...
To FaceTime or not to FaceTime? Will the baby say a new word while I'm gone (she said "ok" for the first time yesterday morning before I left 😍)? Is hauling all my breastmilk through the airport worth it? Will my daughters eat any fiber while I'm gone? Unlikely. Will they be safe and loved? Most definitely.
What comes up for you? I would love to hear ❤️
I also acknowledge my privilege in having access to reliable childcare allowing me to travel to a conference. This is a huge systemic barrier for many scientist mothers. Here are the few resources I know of but would love to hear about more!
Caregiver Travel Grant
Childcare Costs for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellows and Institutional Research Training Awards
#mothersinscience #workingmothers #workingmoms #mothersinmedicine #womeninscience #womeninmedicine #mothersinstem #womeninstem
