Oprah Asks, “Can Women Have it All?”
posted in Work-Life Balance, Child Care, WAHMs, Working Moms, Maternity Leave, Flexible Work Arrangements, Celebrity Moms |
Thank goodness for my DVR. For without it, I would not have been able to watch today’s episode of the Oprah show on the topic, “Can Women Have It All?” (see representative sample of “women” to the right). The episode discussed the issues between being a working mother or an SAHM. However, because I have a short attention span, and because Oprah isn’t exactly my favorite TV personality, I’ve decided to split my thoughts about the show into two sections: the serious and the catty.
Skip the next 2 paragraphs if you’re not interested in my really interesting, insightful and very lucid (I’m running on 6 hours of sleep) thoughts about the topic. I promise it will be worth it. But, since I’m in the business of blogging about working motherhood, I can’t stay completely out of the work-life balance/ SAHM fray that has become my new existence. So here goes.
The show started out with working mother example-extraordinaire Elizabeth Vargas. I actually kind of feel bad for her now, as she’s had to go on the record several times to defend her position for leaving her post at ABC’s “World News Tonight.” Well, on today’s Oprah, she did a terrific job doing just that. I blogged about her 20/20 piece on the “Mommy Wars” awhile back and found that segment to be boring and a little self-serving. I take it back. On today’s show, ”Tin Lizzie” (a dependable spokeswoman for all of us working mothers) was eloquent, and brutally honest in her reasoning for making the choices she did. When she said that on “90% of her days I feel I’m never doing anything quite right” I could totally relate. Unfortunately, Tin Lizzie was only on the show for a mere 10 minutes or so (excluding commercials which I happily fast-forwarded through).
The rest of the show was left for the “lay” women, both working and not working. Here, we covered familiar territory: judging others, fear that if you work your kids will be screwed up adults, fear that if you stay home you lose a sense of “self.” The debate “raged” on (on Oprah’s terms) but, unfortunately, Dr. Robin got in the way of some really good fights. I wish we could have heard more about why these women made the choices they did and less about how we find “the gift” in each choice we make. To me, a gift is something that comes in a small blue box with a white ribbon. But I digress. The debate pointed out a few insecurities I have about myself as a working mother - I’m not doing a good job of what Dr. Robin calls “being attuned” to yourself and your kids whether you’re at work or at home. I promise, Doc, no more checking BlackBerry when junior is awake and whining. I seriously promise.
Ok, now onto the catty.
First, can somebody out there please tell me why on God’s green Earth Oprah and Dr. Robin wore matching outfits? I’m just not digging the shiny pink shirt/ brown combo enough to see it twice on my TV screen. But Oprah’s earrings were fabulous.
And, I really liked Tin Lizzie’s hair cut. Where does she get it done? And do you think that ‘do would look good on me?
Finally, why did all the moms on the show who were profiled look constipated? Do I look constipated like that all the time?
See, I told you it’d be worth it.
Oh, and if you care about what I think about whether or not a woman can have it all, here’s my answer. NO. Why? Because we all define “all” differently, so I don’t think we’ll ever come to a consensus. I feel that I have everything I could ask for, but maybe other moms think I’m missing out on something. Frankly, I’m kind of “over” this debate at the moment. But, I’ll throw it out there, what do you think?
Tags: working mom, mommy wars, Oprah
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