Equilibrium and Stress: Balancing One Marriage, a “Two-Body Problem,” and Three Children

Abstract

“Having it all” is a phrase often used by working mothers to mean they have a career and a family – and have never had to sacrifice one for the other. I’ve come to learn that chasing this elusive state of ‘having it all,’ is pure folly and creates unrealistic pressures and stress for women and their families. Le Chatelier's Principle explains how a system at equilibrium responds to stress. As one-half of a two-chemist marriage that has faced the challenge of simultaneously solving the two-body problem (and done so successfully 4 times!), our system (which includes three children) is constantly “under stress.” This chapter discusses creative solutions and workplace policies that have benefited us as we sought to “remove the stress” and achieve a balance between our professional and personal lives, particularly as parents.