motherhood and identity

Despite all of my fears about coming out as a mother - I feel much more relaxed about it - I think I was projecting my overall fears about entering such an intense academic environment on my motherhood. It helps that my methods professor is very out and clear about parenting her young children, as well as other student parents that I've met. Most everyone in my class is also very supportive about it - of course, I have that lingering concern that the implicit prejudice(outlined in that sociological study that came out last year about moms facing hiring descrimination) -- that we're not as competent -- will come out indirectly from professors - but, heck, what can I do, except my best? Well, I have already spoken up a bit about more parental rights here - adding to our grad student group's list of demands to our new chair. That role feels better than this wimpy one - I felt this contradiction when I met with my methods prof, and asked her for advice and told her about the K school administrator last year who advised me to be in the closet about parenting. I worried that she'd think I was wanting to be in the closet (which, I suppose now that I think about it I was) - so I e-mailed her that letter I sent to the K school newspaper - that felt much better and helped me with feeling "out" - and it felt great getting positive feedback from her.