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> women have to give up as much personal life as men do Women have to give up more than men. Guys can spend their 20s, 30s, and even 40s working nights and we

• k__ 12y ago
  > The window of opportunity for women is a lot narrower. Really? A friend of mine is 24 and her parents got here when they were in their sixties.
  • jw2013 12y ago
    You can always talk about edge cases, which do not reflect the reality for vast majority of women. At least the window to give a birth to a child for a average woman is a lot smaller than a average man.
    • k__ 12y ago
      It is smaller, but it's not like all women have to get their children before 30...
      • differentView 12y ago
        A male CEO of any age can have biological children with someone of prime fertility age. A female CEO doesn't have the same luxury.
  • barry-cotter 12y ago
    Your friend must be a test tube baby because all women have gone through menopause by 50.
    • k__ 12y ago
      It was rather strange, yes. I mean her parents are now over 80 and were already alcoholics before they got her. Maybe good genetics or something.
  • gertef 12y ago
    If your point was to say that biological fertilization+pregnancy+motherhood is not the only opportunity for a woman to have a family, you made your point too obliquely for this audience.
    • k__ 12y ago
      Probably. Most of HN users have different opinions than me or simply don't understand what I'm trying to say. Also I'm not a good writer lol
• TazeTSchnitzel 12y ago
  Indeed, especially since fertility deteriorates quickly.
  • mikevm 12y ago
    Not only for women... http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v14/n11/full/nm1108-1170a.html http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v14/n11/full/nm1108-1170a.h... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/23/health/fathers-age-is-linked-to-risk-of-autism-and-schizophrenia.html http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/23/health/fathers-age-is-link... http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/health/mental-illness-risk-higher-for-children-of-older-parents-study-finds.html http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/health/mental-illness-risk...
    • TazeTSchnitzel 12y ago
      Huh, I never figured. I guess that's a reason to spermbank. Though really, people should just have kids young in the first place. :/
      • pavel_lishin 12y ago
        I disagree - I would have made a terrible father if I had kids in my 20s. I mean, I might still make a terrible father, but I'm trying to imagine 23 year old me raising a child and it's terrifying.
        • danieltillett 12y ago
          Don’t worry too much about being a bad father - as long as you are there at least some of the time and don’t beat them and their mother then they will almost certainly turn out OK. My experience with my own children is the effect you can have on them is very limited - this is both liberating and depressing.
          • mikevm 12y ago
            You are largely correct: http://www.amazon.com/The-Nurture-Assumption-Children-Revised/dp/1439101655 http://www.amazon.com/The-Nurture-Assumption-Children-Revise...
• ssmoot 12y ago
  > Women have to give up more than men. I don't think the couple weeks most women might consider the minimum during maternity leave is significant. It seems pretty even IMO. Waiting until your 40's, 50's or 60's for a man doesn't come without it's own trade-offs. Most men who "someday want a family", entrepreneurs or not, are probably going to want to start a family before 40 I'd guess. I don't think gender probably plays a very big role in the "when" decision.
  • jchrisa 12y ago
    I hope people are taking more than a couple of weeks. I know this is America and all, but 2 weeks?!? If I was a (male) CEO I'd definitely take more time than that, at least to set an example that people shouldn't feel like they can't take time.
    • ssmoot 12y ago
      You'd hope. That's all I could take off (paid) for my daughter's birth though. I had a little more time for my son's (first born). Leaving out details, but I'll say my wife's time/compensation package was _far_ better than mine. If anything her career has accelerated sharply since our first born. Which is positive of course. But it certainly seems counter to the "prevailing wisdom" on HN.
      • smtddr 12y ago
        >>If anything her career has accelerated sharply since our first born. Which is positive of course. But it certainly seems counter to the "prevailing wisdom" on HN. Earlier you said: >>I cook the vast majority of breakfasts/dinners/meal-planning. Do almost all the dishes. Do 75% of the day-care pick-ups/drop-offs. Most of the late-at-the-office-hours are hers. I think your situation is not the norm. Not saying it's right or wrong, but it's not the norm. btw, I'm married with a 3yr.old daughter and a son on the way. In case this context is needed.
  • jahewson 12y ago
    Your homework for today is to go ask your mother if having and raising a child is equivalent to taking two weeks off work.
• belorn 12y ago
  > Guys can spend their 20s, 30s, and even 40s working nights and weekends to build the foundations of a successful company, with the goal of starting a family after they've 'made it'. That sounds as a sexist stereotype. Do you have statistics that this actually represent the norm for CEO's?
  • pavel_lishin 12y ago
    Biology plays a factor - bearing children becomes more dangerous for both mother and child after the late 30s.
    • belorn 12y ago
      Yes, but not everyone want or decide to have children. Simply claiming that because men can wait after they've 'made it', doesn't mean that every man on every continent will do it. That what I asked for, statistics that prove that men actually do it: wait until they've 'made it' to form families. Or is "Biology" proof enough, and anyone who ask for evidence that stereotypes actually is the norm is simply being disruptive to the discussion?
  • ryen 12y ago
    He's referring to the fact that women can't re-produce after a certain age. Also, the risk for complications at later-ages is a factor.