Being a woman, I feel lucky to be living in the twenty-first century, the time that gives much more opportunities for women. It's hard to imagine nowadays that it wasn't always like that, and there were times when women were not allowed to go to the university and their main task was to stay at home, cook and look after the children. These days women can make an astonishing career and work in every area they like. But building a career and being entirely devoted to one's work isn't easy and requires a lot of time and efforts. Of course, if this is something a woman likes and wants to do in life, she would by no means be devoted to the work and be rewarded afterward. But what if there comes a moment in a woman's life when she decides she wants to have a baby? Does it mean that her career is over? Does it mean she has to choose between the two? How much time would she be able to devote to a child if she continues working hard?
Opinions towards this issue vary. Some people would claim that a woman does have to choose between the career and the family and decide what is more important for her. Others would argue that it's perfectly Ok to combine having a great career and having a child (or even two or more children), and it wouldn't impact her job in any way. And there are different articles and suggestions written for women on how to combine the career and the family. While it might be possible to have a successful career and to become a good mother, I think we should always have priorities in everything we do in life.
Of course, it would have been great if we had more than 24 hours in a day and could have time for everything, but, unfortunately, it's impossible. And if we still try to do too many things, we will have to face such consequences as sleep deprivation, lots of stress, inability to concentrate properly and constant blaming of oneself for not being able to cope with all the tasks.
Since we cannot find the time for everything, it's essential to direct it to the most important things during a certain period of life. So, instead of torturing oneself and struggling to find the time for both, the child and the career, it's much more efficient to devote at least some time to a child, and then come back to one's work and continue making a successful career. Of course, there's a possibility to hire a professional nanny for a child who would take a good care of him or her, but, if you want to be a good parent, you would still have to devote the time to your infant. Even buying proper toys, reading about and choosing the best exersaucers for your infant, takes a lot of time and efforts, not to talk about actually spending time with a child. And the child can't grow happy if he or she doesn't feel mother's touch and her love.
So, what to choose: career or motherhood, and what's more significant? While everyone has to decide for oneself what is more important at a certain life period, I think that once a woman chooses to have a child, she should devote at least some time to the child and put the career aside. When the child grows older, it gets possible to devote more time to work. I believe that setting priorities during different time intervals is going to be very helpful and can eliminate a lot of stress. It's all about making a constant choice and enjoying different life periods, which can never be the same.