Ahead of Mother's Day in the US this Sunday, Casual Editor, Aalia, from our New York office, gives us an insight on her experience as a working mom in the video production industry.
Because it feels like there are so few working moms in this industry, I used to feel like I had to keep that part of my life completely compartmentalized. Like I had to keep it a secret or my colleagues would hold it against me as a reason to think that I’m not as efficient or capable as a woman without a child.
I had a comment from a colleague a few years ago that implied just this - and it was in a context that I felt was completely irrelevant and inappropriate. This comment actually sobered me up from feeling like I had to pretend that I wasn’t a totally normal woman who has a child and a full-time job.
My son, Aaron, is four years old now, and I can’t downplay that he exists anymore.
In this hybrid work environment, I have unlocked the power to put in a full day of work while being as present and engaged as I can for Aaron, and it is truly amazing what I can accomplish all at once in one day.
I’m not perfect; there are definitely more days than I’d like where I pick him up from school, give him a sandwich and let him watch 3 hours of TV until I log off and scramble to cook him a dinner that he may or may not eat. He hums Artlist tracks from my edits while he plays with his trains.
But most days, if I keep everything running on schedule, then it all happens like Kung Fu and sometimes it’s pure magic.
I’m not saying all this to pat myself on the back, I’m not special. In a time when people are talking about representation, being honest about who they are, and creating fair and equal workplaces, I’m chiming in for the working moms.
Women have children. They work. They lead full lives. If you support women’s rights and you want to see women in Production, that means you need to respect and support working mothers in Production too.
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