NY Times says more Harvard women planning on skipping career, becoming full-time mums

[Medea]

Was wondering:

1. Is this actually a trend already in the US, or merely a prediction?

2. Is there a similar trend/prediction for young women here?

3. What do you make of this, if anything?

I have no opinion about the choice, per se (I'm very much for women having choices), but I think it's naive of these young women to make so many assumptions about their futures. . .having kids takes some luck, some doing, a man (or sperm) etc. . .and they're also making assumptions about motherhood. I mean, isn't it possible that some of these confidently pro-SAHM 21-yr-olds might find that motherhood isn't what they expected and that it might actually not be the best choice for them. And yet they seem to be categorically rejecting the idea of a career.

I'd be happy to post a link to the article (it's way too long to cut & paste), but you'll need to register with the NY Times (it's free, though) in order to read the article.

Many Women At Elite Universities Set Career Path to Motherhood , New York Times, Sept 20th.

Even as a student as I said that when I had children I'd want to stay at home with them. It didn't stop me doing very well at school, uni and then being very successful in my career before children - it's still worth doing.

When it came to having my first ds, I did indeed give up work. I do freelance for my old employer though so I've not 'left' entirely but I am a full time SAHM (working in nap time, evening, weekend).

I've always believed it's important to be at home for your children - call me old fashioned, traditionalist, a 50's housewife, whatever...but it's what I believe and I'm fortunate enough to be in a position to do it.

I've read similar articles in the UK press. What irritated me were quotes by 20 year olds making assumptions about today's thirty and fortysomethings putting career above all else as if that's all it depends on. It's like the recent editorial in the BMJ about the risks of being an older mother, etc. It's a tricky business meeting the right person at the right time and in my experience delayed parenthood is just as much a problem of men putting career above family (and often also relationships).

theyll live and learn like we did

yeah exactly nightyhight!!

When I was in my early 20's I always said I'd never be more than a size 12.........

How on Earth do they pay back their student loans then? It costs an absolute FORTUNE to go to Harvard.

there's a bit of a trend of young women saying this in their late teens and it doesn't mean they'll be saying the same in their late 20's.

i was involved in a study of young people's aspirations a few years ago and recently met one of the interviewees, she told me she'd said something like this aged 20, and now aged 27 she laughed at the idea.

expat maybe they reckon the only way they'll pay off student loans is marrying somebody enormously rich...

sorry, haven't read the article - have they done a similar survey of what the guys think they are going to do?

Similarly (not to upset anyone here, i see things are getting heated on another SAHM/WOHM thread), we must all know women who were convinced they were going to work full time when they had a child, and then changed their mind after having one

Well, I went back to work after my DS was born and lasted 4 months, have now resigned and from next week I will be a full-time mummy and it's the best decision I have ever made! I have three degrees including a MSc in economics, a long & successful career behind me and I really enjoyed my job but I found it absolutely impossible for both me and my husband to have full-on jobs without my son suffering. And I just could not bear all the problems with nannies etc, and I missed my son so much. So there...