What happens to a woman’s ambition after she has children? How does she combine the rigors of advancing a career with those of raising a kid? There is no single answer. Here are five essays that showcase the different choices mothers make when it comes to working—either in or out of the home.
Motherhood and Ambition, a Motherwell original series, featuring:
Following the fishing line of my ambition, by Adrienne So
Before I had kids, my mother told me: “Your career is the only thing you will ever have that is entirely your own.”
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Navigating my ambition as a single mother, by Katherine Sargent
My own aspirations weren’t as important as buying groceries. I had my daughters 80 percent of the time.
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Showing my children that dreams can change, by Sonya Spillmann
The sparks of ambition, even in the middle of life, can become flames.
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On opting out and not having it all, by Lauren Apfel
Having a kid before establishing a career was part luck and part madness.
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On not leaning in, but not leaning out, by Brianne DeRosa
I don’t want advancement. I just want to do a good job each day and go home without guilt.
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