These are my notes for book club discussion:
34 pages of footnotes. Lots of research, quotations, references to studies, discussion with other professionals.
Girls growing up today are not the first generation to have equal opportunity, but they are the first to know that all that opportunity does not necessarily translate into professional achievement. Many of these girl watched their mothers try to "do it all" and then decided that something had to give. That something was usually their careers. 15 -- what about smaller family size and women starting a family later in life what if that's the something that has to give?
quoting Judith Rodin-- "My generation fought so hard to give all of you choices. We believe in choices. But choosing to leave the workforce was not the choice we thought so many of you would make." 14 -- what choices do we want for our daughters? How would we react to our daughters making different choices than we did?
Another 23 percent of mothers are co-breadwinners, contributing at least a quarter of the family's earnings. 23 -- why is a quarter considered co-? Is it because quarter more represents real life than half?
"Tiara Syndrome", where "women expect that if they keep doing their job well someone will notice them and place a tiara on their head"... And anyway, who wears a tiara on a jungle gym? -- (jungle gym metaphor instead of career ladder) -- Disney princesses and toddlers wear tiaras on playground. Tiaras for toddlers, see Cinderella Ate My Daughter but that is another discussion. -- pg 63
Child care is a huge expense, and it's frustrating to work hard to just break even. But professional women need to measure the cost of child care against their future salary rather than their current salary. -- 102
The Lit Lover's Guide for this book http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/14-non-fiction/9147-lean-in-sandberg?start=3 has a question about this section of the book asking how this changes / effects your attitude towards money and employment after having a child. This is something my husband and I have discussed quite a bit as we anticipate a move and anticipate adding to our family in the coming years. Sandburg also talks about how women need to "lean in" and take advantage of opportunities and challenges and work hard right up until they have kids, not back off in anticipation of having kids or other familial changes.
Something Sandburg didn't discuss but maybe I wish she did is that in addition to family life and work life she has to make time for herself. She also didn't address the pressures of women in business to look a certain way. I assume that as a former aerobics instructor there's a certain amount of athleticism she holds herself to?
There was another question on the Lit Lover's Guide that I thought pretty interesting, but didn't catch when I was reading the book. It asked about the attitude difference between Sheryl and her hubby when it comes to the kids. She worries she isn't spending enough time with them. He focuses on being grateful and proud of the time they are able to spend together. I had a friend comment on some pictures I posted on Facebook of my family. She said that it was great that even though I worked all week I still had the energy to go have adventures with my kid on the weekend. She said I make good use of the time I have with my kid when I'm not at work.
This was a fast read with lots of research and statistics that didn't feel bogged down by its research. I don't know that I got a lot of new information from it that I hadn't heard bits and pieces of it otherwise, but I think reading this book in the analytical way I read when I read for book clubs and discussing this book will give me an opportunity to gain some new perspective from mothers on varying steps of the career jungle gym. Will comment more after book club.
Something Sandburg didn't discuss but maybe I wish she did is that in addition to family life and work life she has to make time for herself. She also didn't address the pressures of women in business to look a certain way. I assume that as a former aerobics instructor there's a certain amount of athleticism she holds herself to?
There was another question on the Lit Lover's Guide that I thought pretty interesting, but didn't catch when I was reading the book. It asked about the attitude difference between Sheryl and her hubby when it comes to the kids. She worries she isn't spending enough time with them. He focuses on being grateful and proud of the time they are able to spend together. I had a friend comment on some pictures I posted on Facebook of my family. She said that it was great that even though I worked all week I still had the energy to go have adventures with my kid on the weekend. She said I make good use of the time I have with my kid when I'm not at work.
This was a fast read with lots of research and statistics that didn't feel bogged down by its research. I don't know that I got a lot of new information from it that I hadn't heard bits and pieces of it otherwise, but I think reading this book in the analytical way I read when I read for book clubs and discussing this book will give me an opportunity to gain some new perspective from mothers on varying steps of the career jungle gym. Will comment more after book club.
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