tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post7534272301130825981..comments2024-03-19T02:34:46.958-07:00Comments on Get a Life, PhD: How to Welcome New Faculty with Children: Three Tips Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-51105623463057414002013-08-26T09:56:36.164-07:002013-08-26T09:56:36.164-07:00Childfree carries a certain connotation that havi...Childfree carries a certain connotation that having children is a burden and is a very obvious marker of anti-natal sentiment. I don't think anyone is obliged to take anyone else seriously on the basis of having children or not having them.<br />We're talking about good work and good lives here, I think. And people helping each other to succeed in a cooperative atmosphere, which benefits everyone. Hattiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13297404386730167834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-91460801710783404612013-08-26T04:54:25.930-07:002013-08-26T04:54:25.930-07:00I think it's also worth noting that there can ...I think it's also worth noting that there can be penalties within some department cultures for being a child-free person. A colleague of mine found that her senior dept. members never viewed her as a serious person or a "real adult" until she had a child. Prior to that, they'd often make references to her going out with "drinking buddies." Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-72353794290155043902013-08-25T12:11:03.119-07:002013-08-25T12:11:03.119-07:00That is an awesome story!! Thanks for sharing.That is an awesome story!! Thanks for sharing.Tanya Golash-Bozahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-67847850404506875302013-08-25T12:10:41.334-07:002013-08-25T12:10:41.334-07:00No problem! And, thanks for your feedback and idea...No problem! And, thanks for your feedback and ideas.Tanya Golash-Bozahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-87181307035953460192013-08-25T12:04:10.368-07:002013-08-25T12:04:10.368-07:00When a colleague was joining our music department ...When a colleague was joining our music department with his wife and three-year-old, I sent a card directly to his son from my three-year-old daughter and another music faculty's three-year-old son, telling him about all the fun things that awaited him: playdates, adventures, and birthday parties. To this day, as they prepare to head off to the same university, his son and my daughter are "bros." I was one of the first female (full-time) faculty members to have a child, and I didn't EVER want anyone else to experience what I experienced.Sean Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15146392501978678861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-74851562853541365892013-08-25T12:02:30.715-07:002013-08-25T12:02:30.715-07:00P.S. I apologize for the typo in your name, Tanya!...P.S. I apologize for the typo in your name, Tanya!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-50178461620645146272013-08-25T11:38:19.312-07:002013-08-25T11:38:19.312-07:00Tonya,
It is great to see something positive bei...Tonya, <br /><br />It is great to see something positive being written about the experience of being a parent and an academic. Lately, the news out there has been overwhelmingly negative. I like the suggestions you have offered. One way that I am combining scholarship and service at the same time as parenthood is by facilitating a campus discussion about how to balance academia (as a student, staff member, or faculty) and parenting responsibilities as part of a larger semester-long campus discussion series. At this particular event, we have arranged for a few students from several academic clubs to entertain the children while the parents attend the event. <br /><br />Having role models like my mentor, Kimberly E. Simmons at the University of South Carolina, have made me realize that it possible to be both a successful academic and an involved, primary caregiver. Sometimes you just have be get creative! Your words and advice are much appreciated and I hope that the prevailing attitudes toward 'serious' scholarship and parenthood start to change. <br /><br />Best,<br /><br />Kimberly Cavanagh<br />Assistant Professor of Anthropology<br />University of South Carolina-BeaufortAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com