Bottles Before the Boardroom?

There’s been lots of talk lately about women putting off having children for their careers and the high cost of the ‘mommy track’.

The average age of women having their first baby increased 3.6 years to 26 in this generation.

Many are delaying childbearing to establish careers and financial stability. But, history proves that may not be necessary.

Geraldine Ferraro earned a law degree in 1960 then married and had three children.

Fourteen years later she began her career as a law clerk and advanced to become the first female candidate for the U.S. Vice Presidency on a major party platform.

Katherine Graham worked for a short time after college as a reporter then married in 1940 and had four children.

When her husband died in 1963, rather than sell the family newspaper she took the reigns as publisher and ran The Washington Post for over 20 years. Graham later earned a Pulitzer for her autobiography.

Madeleine Albright married in 1959 and continued going to school while raising three daughters, eventually getting her Ph.D. Fundraising for her daughters’ school led to positions on several education boards which led her into politics.

In 1997 she became the first female U.S. Secretary of State.

Today the majority of female CEO’s of the largest public companies are moms.

With children ranging from toddlers to teens; mothers are at the forefront of corporate evolution.

Have children earlier or later; stay home then opt back in, or juggle bottle feedings with board meetings – there’s no one way to succeed.

Your family, your career – your choice.

Bonus PINK Link: Not sure it’s possible to have it all? Consider this.

Did you leave the workplace to stay home with young children?

By Myra McElhaney

“If I had to embrace a definition of success, it would be that success is making the best choices we can … and accepting them.” Sheryl Sandberg