For some reason, it's controversial when a mom who decides to work or is working decides to have kids. In fact, many studies have shown that women with kids are constantly punished in the workplace, even if their performance is just as good as, or better than, men with children.
What's worse is that working fathers are rewarded with a 6 percent salary raise per child, but working mothers are punished with a 4 percent salary decrease per child. Yet 71 percent of mothers work, so why are moms punished? Well, there's this nasty little theory (totally unfounded) that once a woman has kids, she simply won't be as good at her job anymore. It's a story we've all heard before.
One working mother, artist Hein Koh, was happy to dispel that rumor. One of the most famous artists in the world, and a woman, Marina Abramovic said children will ruin a woman's career. Koh believes having her twin babies has reinvigorated her and has taught her many life lessons that she wouldn't have learned otherwise.
See her powerful message to anyone who believes a mom can't be good at her job…
"When my twins were 5 weeks old, and despite the sleep deprivation and frequent breastfeeding, I was still getting sh*t done. [World famous artist] Marina Abramovic thinks children hold women back in the art world… All Marina knows is her own experience, and it may be true for her, but that is not everyone's experience nor truth."
"Becoming a mom (of twins no less) has personally helped me become a better artist, I learned to be extremely efficient with my time, prioritize what's important and let go of the rest, and multitask like a champ."
"I learned to function (even if barely) on very little sleep, and out of the chaos, insanity and even torture at times, a flood of new emotions entered into my work, becoming more interesting and layered as a result."
"I'm also not saying that artist parents are better artists than non-parent artists, or that choosing not to be a parent will deny you access to these learning experiences."
"What I am saying is that parenting is like any other challenge in life – the biggest f*cking challenge in my own life thus far — and if you embrace it and figure out creative solutions, you can emerge a better person."
"It's important to think about the ways in which these challenges can help you move forward, rather than hold you back."
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