Abstract / Synopsis
I very recently became a math mama. In my desperate search for patterns and structure in those first few weeks, my husband told me, "She's only three weeks old; we can't expect her to be doing calculus homework." I suppose he was right. I am working towards tenure and finding a new balance between teaching and family, all while trying to not lose sight of who I am. My personal challenges range from the logistics of being a nursing mother in a shared office to feelings of being seen as less adequate in my job if I present myself as a mom. In this essay I share my struggles and successes in settling into my new identity as a mathematician and mom and why I feel it is so important for me to have both a career and a family.
DOI
10.5642/jhummath.201802.24
Recommended Citation
Caitlin Krul, "Don't Ask the Baby to do Calculus: Thoughts From an Early-Career Math Mama," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 8 Issue 2 (July 2018), pages 218-222. DOI: 10.5642/jhummath.201802.24. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol8/iss2/24
