Democracy Dies in Darkness

Carolyn Hax: At dinner, a client’s wife wages asymmetrical mommy warfare

This mom didn’t know how to respond to attacks from a client’s wife on her decision to work outside the home.

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(Illustration by Nick Galifianakis for The Washington Post)
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Adapted from an online discussion.

Dear Carolyn: I am a middle-aged female professional; I work full time and attended a work dinner. I sat beside the wife of one of our clients, and she initially asked if I was married to one of my male colleagues. When I said no, she launched into an attack of me as a working mother and talked about how she quit her job so her kids weren’t brought up by nannies.

What readers are saying

The comments reflect a recurring theme of judgment and criticism faced by women regarding their personal and professional choices, particularly in the context of motherhood. Many commenters share personal anecdotes of being criticized for either working or staying at home,... Show more
This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.
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Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist. The column includes cartoons by "relationship cartoonist" Nick Galifianakis — Carolyn's ex-husband — and appears in dozens of newspapers.
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