Work in Progress, Worklife, Workplace, TIME

December 20, 2007 9:32

And now for Working Mom of the Year

Posted by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen | Comments (12) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

TIME just unveiled its Person of the Year. I know, I know; you're thinking, who what huh? Putin? As my brother-in-law said, "What—next year it'll be Castro?"

I can give you only a tiny behind-the-scenes peek at the process that resulted in his selection because even within TIME, POY (as we call it) is heavily guarded. A few months ago, Adi Ignatius, the executive editor who heads up the effort, sent out e-mails to us staffers asking us who we thought might make good candidates. A bunch of notables, past POYs and past TIME cover subjects were polled for their own nominees. You all responded with thousands of candidates on TIME.com (the obsession with South Korean pop star Rain continues).

The editors talked among themselves and came up with a list. There was a meeting about a month ago open to the staff where the choices were debated. The Burmese monks! Musharraf! Steve Jobs! A lot of names were bandied about, some of whom landed in the issue among the runners-up.

A small team were dispatched to report on the finalists; only a handful knew for certain the identity of the winner. But at a staff holiday lunch the other day, a bunch of us accurately guessed Putin by sussing out who was missing from the office, who had taken sudden trips to Russia and whose name caused the art director to choke on his pasta.

Anyway. Check out TIME.com's truly brilliant package, why dontcha, to learn more about this year's POY, Vladimir Putin, in this incisive article by Adi (who is a longtime Russia hand, late of the Wall Street Journal). Still wondering, Why Putin? Read our managing editor Rick Stengel's explanation.

Bitter about the oversight of the obvious choice, Al Gore? Read Bono's obituary, I mean, appreciation. Pining for a more whimsical, warmer choice? Read Nancy Gibb's beautiful piece on J.K. Rowling.

And now (taiko roll, please) for WiP's own Working Person of the Year: in this, our inaugural year, we select Laura Bennett. Who? She's the red-headed lady who was a finalist in the last Project Runway season. I watched that show like an addict, and was always tickled by her bluntness and dazzled by her gorgeous designs. But what bowled me over was the news that she was the mother of five—and was pregnant with her sixth.

WiP's Working Mom of the Year: Laura Bennett! / Bravo TV

I interviewed Bennett recently for this story I wrote for the magazine about a weird phenomenon being reported in some fancy towns: affluent couples seem to be having a lot of kids. Bennett and her husband Peter Shelton are raising their five young boys in a loft in Manhattan (she has a daughter from a previous marriage who's 19 and doesn't live with them). Five boys! In Manhattan! And she works!

Bennett described her day: a baby sitter arrives early to help manage the morning scrum. They get the oldest ones to school. She and Shelton head off to their offices. Bennett, a former architect, is launching a brand new and high-profile career in clothing design; she's got a new line coming out on QVC in January. She works in a studio in the garmet district, scuttling around making designs and buying materials. Once she called me back on her cell phone from a button shop.

Then, at 3, she and two sitters disperse to pick up the kids and shuttle them to their various activities. Her husband Shelton often pitches in. One sitter leaves around 4; the other stays till the bitter end, when all five boys are tucked in like soldiers side by side in a room Bennett describes as a barracks.

Then I presume she collapses. I would. With a bottle of Scotch.

What I wanted to know was how in hell she does it. I can barely manage the juggle, and I only have one little bugger to deal with. "I think people can manage a lot more than they think they can," she said, after some thought. "If you think about it, almost all the work you do in a given day is done within a five-hour span, anyway. I'd bet you that I get as much done between 10 and 3 as anyone does between 9 and 5. I just have to plan better."

That means cutting out the junk. "I try really hard not to accept appointments outside of that span," she says. But when she has to be, she's flexible. If she has to take a meeting and miss a kiddie concert, so be it. "A lot of mothers are frantic because they don't want to miss a thing. I get to do things six times. And let me tell you, those musical revues can get a little old."

Many of us working parents get caught up thinking, If only I didn't have to hold a job; If only we didn't need the money. But here's a person who really gets a rise out of what she does, who doesn't want motherhood to be her only defining role—who in fact feels her career enriches her parenting. "Work for me is the savior," she says. "People are so stunned when I say I have six kids that they don't even factor in the fact that I work. But for me, it absolutely keeps me sane. Besides, I like my kids better when I haven't seen them in a few hours."

Here's to us working parents everywhere. May the fun outweigh the work. Happy holidays, all. WiP will go on holiday during TIME's dark week and through the beginning of next year. See you in the Year of the Mouse.

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Reader Comments (12)

LaDawn:

I am gutted you didn't pick me!

Agree with Bennett. Working saves me and makes me a better mum.

I remember once taking the afternoon off when my first child was just over 1 yr old. I had been invited to a play date with a group of mums I met at a ante natal parenting course. I was the only mum down on the ground playing with the babies. The rest of the mums were chatting to each other.

They were getting their adult fix which I get all day long at the office and I was getting my baby fix which I only get on the weekends.

But 6 kids? What about over population?

Posted by LaDawn | December 20, 2007 12:48 PM

Mabel:

Are you people serious?? What planet are you living on?

She has 2 or 3 different babysitters to work with, to help her get them all picked up and distributed and collected again, to get her kids ready for school and ready for bed...and you think she's doing something outstanding???

Five will get you ten she also has a cook and a cleaning lady, a car service to take her down to the garment district and back...and a husband who makes in the high six-figures to boot. Not to mention a beach house in the Hamptons and probably a vacation every winter to either Vail or the islands.

So what's so extraordinary or remarkable or even laudable about this woman's so-called achievements???

Given that kind of support, income and opportunity, we could all do some pretty remarkable things.

I'd like to see her survive one day with 5 kids,a husband who makes $40,000/year, no help and a full time job of her own compensated at minimum wage. If she designed pretty clothes in those circumstances, then I'd be impressed.

Posted by Mabel | December 20, 2007 4:26 PM

Cynthia:

I'm going to have to agree with Mabel. There were five of us, my mom had two jobs and my dad barely made over 50,000 a year. After a breakdown, three more jobs, and a heart attack, my mechanical engineer brother now takes care of her. We all turned out great, but she had A LOT of things stacked against her.

I vote for my mom.

Posted by Cynthia | December 20, 2007 5:41 PM

Yadgyu:

Laura looks old and chubby.

Posted by Yadgyu | December 20, 2007 7:54 PM

stjamesb:

I believe aside from the outside help, this is key to Ms. Bennett's coping: "Besides, I like my kids better when I haven't seen them in a few hours".
Running around all days long with the rugrats will make anyone go bonker.
I've done both, working mom and stay-at-home mom without a phalanx of helpers, aside from my husband. Either way, it is not easy.

Sorry, Lisa, you shouldn't go there because it is hard from people on either camps to see the other side's point of view.

Posted by stjamesb | December 20, 2007 10:03 PM

Yadgyu:

Working mom vs. stay-at-home mom vs. having no kids is not important. Why do women act as if they are so much more important than men because they can reproduce kids? Women cannot fertilize their own eggs. I am tired of hearing women bicker about how hard or easy they have it based on if they have kids or not, or work or stay at home.

Your life isn't that important, ladies. You are not someone to be celebrated. The "mommy wars" is the most ridiculous argument made in modern society. Just focus on raising your own family and leave others alone. Stop parading your lifestyle around like it is something to be cherished.

Posted by Yadgyu | December 20, 2007 11:07 PM

Recruitnik:

I am surprised at this negative feedback! Did you read this article at all?

There is no doubt that Laura Bennett is very fortunate to be one of the few that can do what she loves and make a substantial income doing it. Good for her! Most people spend there entire lives driving and yearning for that very thing. Do you really feel that it is fair to chastise someone for being financially fortunate to be able to take advantage of paid assistance? As for having a liter of kids, that her family’s personal choice and clearly she is not making it a financial burden on anyone. If anything, she has provided jobs.

Don’t get me wrong, I would be the first to criticize someone who misses quality time with their children. That is not what this is about.

If it was financially feasible for you, would you to allot yourself the same luxury’s of assistance? Housekeepers? Nannies? Sure you would! Should you be criticized for it?

There is no doubt that having deep pockets can make it easier that’s for sure. I do sincerely feel you with all of my heart and soul the rough roads of many working mom’s and dad's. I am sure mom’s listed above and many more like them deserve a trophy and a break. You jealousy is understandable and justified. Just try to see past it, look at it from a unbiased point of view and re-read this article for its true point.

My understanding of this article is that Lisa's point was to tell you about an interesting mom and applaud all working parents. Working mommy's and daddy's pat yourself on the back. You do it all.

Be Thankful & Happy Holidays,

Nik
http://recruitnik.net

Posted by Recruitnik | December 21, 2007 11:34 AM

Mama Sue:

I was bothered most by the comment about doing everything six times, and that musical reviews get old. Well, they do, if you're an adult. But for the kid who is in that musical review it's the first time, and for him it's important. I've always had to work, but my husband and I tried very hard to make sure that one of us could be there for those school exhibitions which mean so much to the kids. It's not about me.

Posted by Mama Sue | December 21, 2007 1:13 PM

workonline:

I view this award as a recognition to all dedicated, life fighting and hard working women, it's what Ms Bennett might represents what count. 6 children, eh? and they point out to latinos for having too many! Go figure...

Posted by workonline | December 21, 2007 1:26 PM

ji liping:

I like Putin and Castro.
see more at:
http://www.sciencetimes.com.cn/blog/Eindex.aspx?userid=4341

Posted by ji liping | December 24, 2007 10:03 AM

Mitch McDad:

So weird. I was literally forced to watch the finale of that show tonight with my girls. They all love Project Runway and my wife had it on the DVR. They must have replayed the old season.

Anyway, I was blown away that Laura did what she did considering the brood she has at home. Now, she did rat out Jeffery on some form of design cheating--I wasn't paying enough attention to know exactly what it was--so in that regard I thought it was apropos that Jeff won. But great choice for your POY.

Happy Holidays!

~Mitch

Posted by Mitch McDad | December 27, 2007 2:30 AM

Anjan sarma:

Wonderful.

Thanks Lisa.

Best wishes for 2008. Hope, we will get more wonderful writtings from you in the next year.

Anjan Sarma

Posted by Anjan sarma | December 29, 2007 4:47 AM

About Work In Progress

Nina Subin

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen is a staff writer for TIME. She blogs about work. Why? Because TV was taken. Think of her as the grumpy colleague ranting by the water cooler.
More about the Author

Email her here:
lisa_cullen at timemagazine.com