Being a parent is one of the greatest joys in life but juggling family life with professional writing can be a highly challenging task. Being a mother with two kids close in age, one has to find a way to balance taking care of the child while still finding time to write and work. Striking the balance is difficult because there is no definite way to juggle being a parent and a writer.
One thing that has helped me to strike a balance between parenting and being a writer is knowing that I cannot do everything and that is okay. (It took me awhile to get there though!)The younger a child is, the more attention they are given. It means that more time will have to be dedicated to taking care of the baby and less time to writing. In such a situation, it is okay to accept that one cannot be everything for everyone.
Setting goals has helped me have a definite schedule that makes me aware of the time that I need to be doing something important. I have ensured that my family members know about my schedule and that sometimes I need time away from my family to be able to accomplish the tasks I have in hand.
Most of the time, I have a house help or my partner watching over my kids when I am gone to write. In essence, communicating goals is key to teaming up with a partner so that they can help with the kids so that you can achieve your goals. Once the schedule is set, one has to aggressively prioritize it due to time sensitivity.
Alexandra McGroarty
Genre: Social Sciences
Publisher: McGroarty and Company Consulting
Date of Publication: June 8, 2022
ISBN: 9798835096770
ASIN: B0B3NJFVQZ
Number of pages: 129
Word Count: 30,210
Cover Artist: Jenna Gelow Designs (Graphics)/Allison McCafferty (Photographer)
Tagline: Offers insight into how women and those around them can help cultivate growth opportunities
Book Description:
Bridging the Gap - Reducing Gender Bias in the Workplace is an overview of the current state of gender bias in the workforce with a personal twist.
McGroarty outlines the biases we have unconsciously, those we impart on others and how the pandemic shaped the way we view women in the workforce.
By outlining what women face both at home and at work, McGroarty lays a path for how to reduce gender bias whether you are an executive professional or looking to further your understanding of this important topic.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/Og-Y6KX_vFg
Excerpt:
Sometimes, it takes a truly dramatic event to bring the truth to light: we do not have to struggle so hard, and we do not have to struggle alone. I am still learning what it means to have mental health. It is not about a constant state of happiness or complete enlightenment; mental health does not free us from pain, grief, worries, or bad days; it only reframes our thinking about these struggles so that we can learn from the ones that are out of our control and do something about the ones that within our control.
Dealing with my own mental health issues also taught me better how to interact with others. We do not all interact and communicate in the same way. What I need may drive someone else’s triggers; what I dislike doing may be the way they prefer to communicate. I am still in therapy, and I am constantly working on myself. It has taken time, and will continue to take time, to unpack the events of my life, and realign them in a way I can move forward with.
We women stand in a world bursting with opportunity.
There’s not a job out there that we’re forbidden from trying. There’s not a position that we can’t be considered for. There are spoken intentions to place us in positions where decisions are made. In fact, companies, CEOs, politicians, the workforce itself, really seem to want to announce their dedication to the world. “Look, we hire women! We promote women! We listen to women!” We are now able to work full- time and be mothers, too. People absolutely understand that women have babies and want to raise them in addition to having a career.
The COVID-19 Pandemic proved a fact that really needed no proof: that women are on the frontlines when it comes to holding society together, keeping the engines running, and keeping the fires under control.
And yet, somehow, the problems we work so hard to overcome (microaggressions, systemic bias, serious pay inequality, and our shouldering the overwhelming burden of stress and responsibility for unpaid and/or unpromotable work) remain stubbornly in place. Putting women in the workplace is not the problem. Putting them on equal footing with their male counterparts is.
Gender equity begins with equitable hiring – that means hiring men and women for the same amount of money. But it also means that once they are there, both men and women are given the same opportunities. Women must be able to occupy an equivalent number of executive, managerial, team, and departmental roles within the company.
Gender equality means a more peaceful, productive, healthier, wealthier world. Men who accept and promote equitable gender practices are generally healthier and happier), they experience fewer mental health issues, and they have happier life-partners. Societies where men treat all genders as equal are more inclusive and peaceful, both inside their own borders and in relation to other nations.
We are all beautiful in our differentness, and our differentness lets us lean on each other in times of need. Someone else’s puzzle piece can complete your picture. That is what diversity and inclusion are all about.
About the Author:
Alexandra runs McGroarty and Co. Consulting as the lead Human Resources consultant and serves as a certified diversity professional as well as a certified professional coach. She is currently pursuing her PH.D in Social Psychology.
Alexandra lives with her two children, Lucas and Ava and two bulldogs Max and Sadie in New Jersey. In her free time, she likes to spend time with family, travel, and volunteer in the Greater Philadelphia area.
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