In the era of fourth-wave feminism, there’s been plenty of talk about how women navigate motherhood in the workplace. While the majority of the working mothers demographic doesn't necessarily relate to what we see in the media (for example, four children all only a couple of years apart in age just isn’t as feasible to some people as it is for Kim Kardashian), the reality of moms working while caring for a little one has made its way to the forefront of a lot of discussions.
More and more employers are getting heat for their maternity leave policies; equal opportunity in the workplace as far as ladder-climbing and pay has women more fired up than ever.
But it’s little things, even. For example, a photo of Rachel McAdams breast pumping while at a photoshoot, wearing Versace circulated a few weeks ago -- and it blew up. Obviously, the average mom is not posing in couture for her job, but the point stands: Women are breaking down barriers of what it means to be a mom, period, let alone one with a career.
Adding to the conversation, Mindy Kaling recently talked to Bustle about how her personal career goals have changed since having her daughter, Katherine. As we know, Kaling is a woman on a mission -- she has her name on more projects than we can keep track of (a “Four Weddings and a Funeral” revival and feature-length movie, currently). She finds herself carrying an extra perspective after having 1-year-old Katherine, though, that coincides more with what she’s doing than how she’s doing it.
Unhandled
She talked about how projects like 2015’s Pixar film “Inside Out,” in which she voiced the character of Disgust, is something she’d be proud to show and discuss with her daughter one day.
Kaling’s opinions on what she should be spending her time doing resonates -- a lot of moms find themselves experiencing a sense of guilt for being away from their children while working. And it applies to these A-listers just as much as the average suburban working mom! Take Serena Williams -- she missed her daughter’s first steps to attend a training session, and it broke her heart. Kaling’s response to that nearly unavoidable stigma of not being home with your child? Make it worth it.
“Now there’s this little person that I want to spend so much time with at home, it just makes the projects that I do -- they really have to matter,” she said. “I sort of feel like I want everything to be something that I’m incredibly proud of and that is truly worth me not being with my child.”
The mom is bringing a shade of that anti-guilt philosophy to a new project with Fiber One, where she’s writing one-liners for a mini social campaign for Protein One bars rife with mom-isms.
Kaling’s point is to allow moms to relate to how motherhood can be as rewarding as you want to make it, especially if you choose to go down your career path at the same time.