Why would Victoria Beckham's greatest achievement be her children?

[mcmooncup]

She's quoted today as saying her kids are her greatest achievement.
That's lovely n all.

But how about the fact she's brought up 4 children AND been a very successful pop star, and has now developed a multi million pound fashion label. They are massive achievements.

An example of women playing down their achievements so as not to threaten the menz?

I think David Beckham would say the same though.

Any parent, no matter how successful, would surely rate their children above any career achievements.

I would say the same thing too.

No matter what career heights I achieve, nothing will come close to creating the wonderful human beings that are my children.

I take more pride in their achievements than my own.

Fashions and businesses come and go, and are a means to an end, but her children will endure for her. I'm pretty sure most parents would say the same as she has without any need to play down to not upset males, whatever that means. Her dh may be a sporting hero, but he's probably wise and experienced enough to say the same thing despite all his other 'achievements'.

I agree with parking

I was just going to say the same thing as PansBigChainring - businesses, singing careers, sporting achievements all come and go but if your children turn out well, what more can you ask?

And yes, I can totally see David Beckham saying the same thing. As a couple their family appears to be very important to them.

Wouldn't any normal person put their children up there on in the top 5 of the best things they have done? It would depend who I was speaking to of course. I wouldn't say it in a job interview but on a general discussion on life, which I assume was what the interview was all about, then yes, why not? If you aren't proud of your children there is something wrong.

I would say the same thing. To me, everything else is superficial in the grand scheme of things, my family comes first.Perhaps her children are her greatest motivation and her biggest driving force when it comes to her success, as she wants to provide for them first and foremost.

I really don't get why you think she said that to not 'threaten the menz.' (Whatever that means.) That just comes across like you're man-bashing for the hell of it.

Not at all stickEm

Unless you'd think the same if shed said her greatest achievement was the pop career?

Assuming you haven't had one of those either? Other people's achievements don't make yours less worthwhile or unimportant.

StickEm everyone has different priorities, people shouldn't be judged if they value their children and hail them as their greatest achievement, and people shouldn't be judged if they don't

Not really StickEm - that would be like saying if you haven't been in the Olympics you've failed because someone else rates the Olympics as their greatest achievement. By that standard VB should be noting that she hasn't won Wimbledon, hasn't climbed Everest, hasn't walked on the moon - godammit there's basically nothing the woman has done :)

I think it's a bit different to the Olympics type thing though.
It does reinforce the 'failure of woman' aspect if woman's greatest achievements are having babies.

Honestly I'm just a bit sick of wine towing the line saying this type of thing. She's done some pretty amazing things (sounds like I run the fan club) and just sometimes I wanna hear women say they've done other things apart from look beautiful and be a mother.

*Wine = women

Her greatest achievment is her excellent pop career despite not being able to sing very well.

Children are also an achievment.

If Victoria Beckham feels they are her greatest achievement then they are her greatest achievement. End of.

What you think is immaterial.

VB isn't comparing her achievements to anybody else's. She is just saying that out everything in her life, her children are the most important thing to her. That is what she values the most. It could be another way of saying, if everything you had was going to be taken away from you, what would you fight hardest to keep.

If you don't have children then presumably you will value something else. It isn't a competition. VB's achievements don't negate the value of anybody else's.

I'd think it's the question of pointing out her most valued achievement being motivated by not upsetting males, and so being dishonest in what she says, that is the most OP.

The alternative perhaps is Matthew McConaughey saying he is his own role model in his Oscar acceptance speech. Male or female, I think a tad more humility and sounding less like a dickhead is probably a good idea.

In fact it would appear David Beckham has said his greatest achievement is his family: Mirror link. Clegg has said the same (whilst distinguishing between 'achievement' and 'thing he is most proud of').

I agree with you in the sense that women should be forthright about their accomplishments and not downplay them - I don't think VB is necessarily doing that; her top 10 achievements would certainly have other things on it.

My children are my greatest achievement too. Although I haven't done anything of note career-wise, so they genuinely are the 'thing' that I have put the most work into and are the most proud of.
I don't particularly like the attitude of 'just a mother' or 'only having babies' - pregnancy, birth, motherhood are the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life, women are bloody amazing to go through all that!

They are themselves, yes - but raising them as well-balanced, independent, kind, empathetic, considerate, tolerant, well rounded people is an achievement.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that bringing up my children was my greatest achievement, as raising me and my siblings was my parents'. The children themselves are not my achievement, and I'm assuming others mean the same.

Yep, that's what I meant too almond

It won't matter how much I achieve in work, or academic, or financial terms the thing that I will be most proud of are my children.