Jared Diamond on Why Societies Collapse

We’ve just launched a web-series called “Dr. Elham”. You’ll see the episodes posted on our sister site's homepage - www.elham.tv and in it's own special section - http://www.elham.tv/content/dr-elham

Each week for the next eight weeks we will be releasing another episode until our first season of nine is complete.

When I was pregnant, I was told to exercise, to eat right, to walk, to breath and to try and give birth naturally. I had a myriad discussions around breastfeeding, the length of breastfeeding and the pros and cons of vaccinations. But nobody actually told me about what it would take to raise my child.

“Who cares what anyone says” is what I recently told a friend of mine who was suffering from a classic case of peer pressure. In the academic circles she’s in, raising kids is seen as a task for day-cares or willing fathers. Despite wanting to stay home with her child and halve the time she spends on her PHD thesis, she felt judged by women who had chosen their career over their kids. One particular friend had put one toddler in 12 hour day-care and the other (the younger kid) with the father for a year, while she left town and focused on her work. My friend was torn between her desire to succeed and follow her ambition and her desire to be a good mom and be with her kid.