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Why This Venture Capitalist Has Zero Tolerance for Mom-Shaming
Elizabeth Weil is an ultra-marathon runner, a venture capitalist, and a mother. She has 1-year-old twins and a toddler. Her husband Kevin is also a competitive ultra-marathoner and The Head of Product at Instagram. Below, Elizabeth answers the question, “How does she do it?” Apparently, it takes ruthless time management, a healthy dose of parenting…
Here’s What You Need To Know:
- Elizabeth Weil is an ultra-marathon runner, a venture capitalist, and a mother.
- She recommends putting your family before work, leaving embarrassment at the door, and practicing self care.
- Ignore the mom-shamers and focus on what works best for you and your little one.
- What matters most is that your kiddo is alive, clothed, fed, happy, and loved.
Shut Down the Shamers
When you are a new mom, everyone is a critic. Moms constantly feel the pressure to “have it all”, but is that even truly possible? As the saying goes, nobody is perfect, so why do we expect moms to be?
Social media paints pictures of perfect parents and idealistic family lives – but we all know there is an enormous stack of dirty laundry cropped out of that aesthetic photo. Whether it is breastfeeding, screen time, outfits, pacifiers, or tantrums, hecklers always have something to say.
Motherhood is already challenging enough without peer pressure. Below are a few ways Elizabeth recommends dealing with it all.
- Family First
“Becoming a mom made me care less about my job. Worst-case scenario now: I get fired and spend more time with my kids. I would get to feel less guilty about being a working mom. It would also let me do higher-capacity, more impactful work, with people I enjoy.”
- Be Embarrassment Free
“There is no embarrassment with motherhood. I have peed in public, exposed my nipples to strangers while breastfeeding, ordered ridiculous things off of menus, and countless other things that would have bothered me in a prior life…but do no longer!”
- Love Is All You Need
“We are all doing our best. So why be shamed? Are the kiddos alive, clothed, fed, happy, and loved? If yes, then I WIN.”
Elizabeth explained that it’s important to pat yourself on the back for the little things. “Getting everyone up in the morning, feeding them, getting lots and lots of smiles and hugs, providing new experiences, laughing a lot, getting everyone fed and to bed, jumping on the couches, and eating the occasional sprinkle donut for dinner.”
- Prioritize Self-Care
As a new momma, it can be hard to squeeze in me time, but it is essential in order to avoid burnout. Taking care of yourself keeps you healthy, improves your moods, and gives you more energy – all things you need to best take care of your baby.
Things Elizabeth does to unwind? “A morning run/swim, a late afternoon tequila-soda and/or chardonnay, a night off with sushi-takeout, or rent a hotel room.”
How do you keep a good work/life balance?
Elizabeth has a full-time job, but also has the flexibility to work whenever and wherever she is most productive. She makes sure to stay free between 5pm-8pm so she can have fun and meaningful time with her children.
As far as work trips go, she says they “no longer include “down” time, a haircut, or buffer-hours between meetings. Get me there, cram it in, and get me home.”
Helpful Mom Hacks
Elizabeth says she foregoes bath time at night and instead does it in the morning. “Post-dinner rituals are long, tired, and tough enough. Why add the bath in then?”
She also likes to print out the countless baby photos on her phone. “I’m always scared of never having any physical photos. Every other month I order 100 free prints from Snapfish and pay shipping.” She disclosed that they never leave the package, but she feels better knowing they are there.
Summary
Elizabeth’s ideas are simply what works for her. Always do what’s best for you and your family. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
What matters most is that you love your little one and are doing your best. The mere fact you are reading this shows how much you care.
