A Self-portrait with Personal Perspectives

This chapter contains a self-portrait; an interview with a woman working in STEM. It highlights the perspective of a mother, who is now a professor, complemented with a survey of colleagues to reflect the views of both mothers and fathers who are actively involved in childcare. The chapter also illustrates the challenges faced on a daily basis by those who wish to pursue a career in science while looking after one or more children, with the intent to show active parents that they are not alone with their struggles. There are commonalities, including similar challenges, and often very similar ways of meeting these challenges. This information can be useful when parents question themselves or feel guilty about working too hard, not having enough time for the family, or not being able to perform as they would like, etc. At the same time, it conveys the message from active scientists raising children to those at the beginning of their careers who may be unsure whether it is possible to raise children while doing science: it is an adventure worth having.