One of the few attempts that I have ever made to write about my role as a working mom was well received. It was a Boston Magazine piece written in 2003 shortly after I left the Governor's office having made headlines mostly for the birth of my three daughters during my time in statewide politics. http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2006/05/in-her-own-words/
In the intervening 11 years, I've often thought about returning to writing about my non-professional job as a busy working mother to three girls and the family life my husband, Chuck, and I have created. I post frequently on my two Facebook accounts -- one public and one private -- and my short blurbs regarding the Erma Bombeck-esque incidents in our house frequently attract the greatest attention (and fuel my impressive Klout score). And while I thought the entreaties from friends and strangers: "You should write a book!" would slow down over the years, in fact that encouragement continues.
However, as the CEO of a growing ed-tech business, Board Member of public, private and not-for-profit companies and organizations and the mom to a High School freshman and twin 7th graders, there is no way that writing a book fits in my current reality. But this blog is a step toward documenting more of our stories.
The picture above is taken from my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jane.swift. Recently, Lauren and Sarah started at Christ the King School in South Burlington, and in the mad scramble to assemble uniforms, I ordered (gasp!) the below the knee skirts from Lands End (as opposed to the above the knee skort). No self-respecting 7th grader with any fashion sense could wear such a thing -- so the call went out to shorten the skirt, immediately. I spent more time than usual on such a request and the duct tape job (while intended to be temporary till my mother could tackle the real thing) was well done, IMHO. It engendered the requisite teenage-girl-eye-roll but also serves as the inspiration for the naming of this new blog.
I hope to include information gleaned from my 20 years working in education policy & technology but also share the absurdity and wisdom gained from parenting girls as an imperfect mom. Truth is I have never been taken with sewing and although I have largely conquered cooking big meals on big occasions, my day-to-day efforts aren't fueled by a passion for domesticity (hence, the Christmas gift from the girls proudly displayed in our kitchen: Dinner is Ready when the Smoke Alarm Goes Off).
The great disconnect I hope to dispell is the perception that my passion for my (paid) work and my disinterest in certain domestic rituals equates to a disinterest in parenting. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, as I have widely admitted in speeches on work/family policies -- if I were ever forced to choose between my wildly fulfilling & successful professional work and my role as a mom, I would not hesitate a bit to chose the role as a Duct Tape Mother.
