(continued from previous post)

Speaking of careers in academia, there is something else that has been weighing on my mind for some time now. I read an article last summer in The Chronicle of Higher Education concerning women in academia with more than two kids and whether or not such a family dynamic is detrimental to one’s career. That article was a downer, if ever I’ve read one.

I mentioned the article to a colleague last week, and in my brief recap, I said that women who have more than two kids and also have highly successful careers in academia are an anomaly. Without missing a beat, she replied, “So, be the anomaly.”

Be the anomaly.

How powerful is that?!

What might be overwhelming to you might be par for the course in my life. On the contrary, what might drive me bonkers might be right up your alley. Who’s to say that having more than two kids makes a woman less able to manage a successful career in academia (or anywhere else, for that matter)?

If I didn’t think I could handle serving on this-or-that committee, then I would politely decline. If I felt snowed under by deadlines, then I would delegate and ask for assistance. The point is, how can someone else say that I might not be as capable when they don’t even have a frame of reference for how to walk in my shoes? Maybe having more than two kids forces a person to be more organized and manage her time better than when she had so-called “free” time. Maybe having a large family is 24/7 on-the-job supervisory training … and conflict resolution … and risk management … and budgetary analysis.

I’m not Superwoman, and I don’t think that I clutter my life with unnecessary to-dos, but I do enjoy challenging myself and having projects to work on. Take the writing contests, for example. I attempted NaNoWriMo last November and am working on Script Frenzy right now. It’s a long shot to make the goal, but it’s been fun to try. I just enjoy the challenge, and it gives my brain something to do. I’m really ok with going along for the ride and seeing how far I can get. The deadline is self-imposed, so I’m not hurting anyone if I don’t finish; it’s a personal challenge. I guess you could say that it’s a nice change of pace from my work environment, because there’s no harm in missing the deadline. :p

So anyway, the fact is that I do have more than two kids, and I am on a good career track. I guess I’m already the anomaly, so why stop now? Let’s see where this train is heading, and maybe 10-15 years from now, it’ll be me at that podium encouraging younger women to break the mold and not let stereotypes define them.