Emma Grede has declared that women are held to “an impossible standard” while responding to backlash she faced for calling herself a “three-hour mum” on the weekends.
During an interview with The Wall Street Journal published earlier this month, the 43-year-old businesswoman said she’s a “max three-hour mum,” meaning she’s only with her four kids from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on each day of the weekend. She spends the rest of those two days focusing on activities for herself.
The remarks about her parenting choices were met with immense backlash online, which Grede addressed during a Tuesday appearance on Today. When the show’s co-host Sheinelle Jones asked if she was “caught off guard” by the criticism, Grede said she wasn’t.
“I just think that headline would never be written about a man,” the Skims founding partner explained, referring to the title of the WSJ piece, “The Kardashian Whisperer Who Says Three Hours With Her Kids Is Enough.”
“I think that’s what happens to women is that we’re held to such an impossible standard both as parents but also as businesswomen,” she continued. “What I’m trying to do is be really honest about what it takes and be really honest about the things I don’t do. Because everybody says, ‘How do you do it all, ‘Emma? How do you wake up at five and run the companies?’
“I’m like, let’s give a list of all the things I don’t do. Because you know what’s helpful? That’s what’s helpful to women.”
Grede clarified what she meant by her “max three-hour mum” comment, noting that after going to work Monday through Friday each week, she’s exhausted by the weekend.
“Anyone who has children, you know that you don’t spend eight hours on a Saturday and Sunday [with them]. You have errands to run, you have things to do,” she added.
She said that part of “being a parent” is giving her kids some freedom to do things on their own. “We’re teaching our kids to be independent and, god forbid, how to actually entertain themselves,” Grede concluded.
Grede and her husband, Jens Grede, who got married in 2012, have an 11-year-old son, Grey, a nine-year-old daughter, Lola, and four-year-old twins, Lake and Rafferty.
The entrepreneur is raising her kids while juggling a busy career. She’s involved in multiple business ventures with the Kardashian family, including being the co-founder of Khloe Kardashian’s denim brand, Good American, and founding partner of Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand, Skims.
In her interview with WSJ, she said that on the weekends, she’s busy doing activities that “fill my cup.” With that in mind, she avoids reading school emails or engaging in activities that she believes are “overparenting.”
“Cutting sandwiches into star shapes? That was never it for me,” Grede said, explaining that her family’s team of nannies, cleaners, chef and chief of staff keep things running smoothly at home.
Instead, she wants to use her time with her children to create “high-impact, core memories,” such as fishing trips and vacations to New York.
She said that by establishing these parenting rules, she’s been able to manage a big family and successful career, like she’s always wanted. She’s also encouraged other women to write down their dreams and financial goals, while identifying things they wouldn’t ever sacrifice.
“I hold a vision for myself,” she added. “And I’m uncompromising.”
