Working Moms and Parents Find New Support Systems Post-Pandemic

Almost 1.5 million fewer moms of school-age children were working in March 2021 than in February 2020. The pandemic has certainly taken its toll on working parents. 

Kelly loves all things tax. She’s an attorney, and she’s a mom. She strongly believes it’s important for her kids to see her working and to know that their mom loves what she does. Kelly says that being a working parent has made her a better tax attorney: from planning, keeping organized, multitasking, and cultivating an abundance of patience and empathy. 

Professional networking groups like All Before Dinner can be a great resource and support network for working parents.

On today’s episode of the Taxgirl podcast, Kelly is joined by Lisa Jerles and Mara Geronemus to chat about pursuing a successful, fulfilling career while also being a mom. Lisa and Mara founded All Before Dinner, a professional networking group for working moms. They are both attorneys and mothers, and describe the group as changing the narrative around motherhood, which is often seen as a liability rather than an asset. The group focuses on business development and personal and professional growth for working moms across a variety of industries. 

Lisa is a commercial litigator at Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, where she focuses on complex business disputes and litigation strategy. Mara is a corporate attorney and the founder of Geronemus Law. 

Listen to Kelly and Lisa talk about professional networking as a working mom:

• What seem to be the trends for working parents returning to work right now, by the numbers between men and women? Are women and moms not returning to work to the same degree as men and dads? 
• As kids get older, their interests and activities become more complex and demanding, and as parents, it becomes more difficult to plan accordingly. Childcare can seem one-dimensional, but it has so many facets that vary for every family. How can working parents manage their time between work commitments and family commitments? 
• One of Kelly’s pet peeves with some working parents is how they talk about their lives without ever alluding to or admitting they have childcare help. It’s important to set an example for younger professional parents that it’s okay to have help, and it’s great to have a support system like a networking group as well. 
• All Before Dinner was started a few months before the pandemic hit. What impact did the pandemic have on their group, and what do they think draws a working mom to join the group? Lisa and Mara say “interest exploded in 2020.”
• Kelly says parenting still falls largely on moms, whether we like to think about it that way or not. She says in her experience, schools will always call her cell phone first, even if calling her husband would have been much more convenient for their family. How does this bias impact moms’ professional lives? 
• No matter the profession, working parents can predict their availability at times. Networking groups can help working parents feel solidarity during busy and unpredictable times. 
• Kelly shares an anecdote about taking her baby to a networking event and being terrified she’d get a lecture, but everything turned out fine. What contributes to the negative stigma toward working mothers, and how can the stigma continue to be broken down?  
• Many working parents operate outside standard working hours. To what extent is this a healthy practice, and how easily can it become all-consuming? From scheduling emails to joining Zoom meetings from the carpool line, Lisa and Mara share their tips for balancing work and family. 
• What is the long-term plan for All Before Dinner? Lisa and Mara say they will continue to meet virtually, and hope to integrate in-person events very soon as well. 

More about Kelly:

Kelly is the creator and host of the Taxgirl podcast series. Kelly is a practicing tax attorney with considerable experience and knowledge. She works with taxpayers like you every day. One of the things that she does is help folks out of tax jams and, hopefully, keep others from getting into them.

You can find out more about Kelly here, and you can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

To subscribe to the podcast (it’s free!) using Apple, Spotify, or your favorite listening app, click here.

Links:

Kelly’s Website – Taxgirl
About All Before Dinner — ABD Networking Group
Follow the Instagram — @allbeforedinner
Follow on LinkedIn — All Before Dinner