Just the other day one of my friends said, "I'm still wondering what I'll be when I grow up," when referring to this change of season where she is now a mom to three school-aged children. Another mom friend is thinking about moving out of her teaching profession (after a decade) and into a different occupation altogether.
What is this all about? Does becoming a mother really do this to you?
The short answer is yes.
Your priorities change (along with your body and perhaps shoe size.) And if you are like many of my friends, you didn't put your lucrative career on hold to child rear, just to pick it up again when you were good and ready. You probably kissed it goodbye, embraced motherhood and could never imagine a day when you weren't hauling a child on your hip or cutting up someone else's meat.
And then they grow and go to school...now what?!
Oh a lot of searching, researching, reading, praying...
This new career path would have to offer me what I needed the most: to keep my priorities, my priorities. My top 3? Faith, marriage and family. Here are the questions I asked myself about my next job choices:
- If the kids are sick, can I stay home without losing pay?
- If the kids have a concert/field trip/class event, can I be there?
- If Husband has a meeting/trip, can my schedule be adjusted to comply with his?
- How much do we actually need me to make?
- What kind of benefits do I need?
- Can I be disciplined enough to: be my own boss; work from home; juggle multiple client deadlines?
I took the plunge and I'm into all sorts of crazy right now (but it's good crazy!) and will share more as my work evolves.
But the bottom line is this career of mine has given me a great deal of flexibility, something that you can't always put a price tag on.
What season of motherhood are you in right now? How have you redefined your life/career/choices?
But the bottom line is this career of mine has given me a great deal of flexibility, something that you can't always put a price tag on.
What season of motherhood are you in right now? How have you redefined your life/career/choices?
5 comments:
Hi, another WI mommy blogger here and your newest follower! I'm a full time stay at home mom to two young children. In my former life I was an event planner, that was a blast. It's been just over 2 years since I've given that up- it's a major change but I'm loving this equally (if not more most days).
Samantha http://musingsofmotherhoodwi.blogspot.com/
Hey Suzanne! About 20 years ago, I left my job as a speech-language pathologist and I've never looked back...until now. My oldest daughter is in college and my other one is a freshman in high school. I'm beginning to think about what I want to do with the rest of my life...and I still don't have any real answers. So, I'm just taking things a step at a time and waiting for God to lead me. Hey...I'm now following you on Pinterest! Would sure love for you to do the same! :)
I'm in the (mostly) empty-nest season. One son married, one son in college...but he comes home on weekends and breaks!
I work part-time, but I'm really going through a rough time with my job right now. I wish we could afford for me to be at home. I've worked all my life, and I would really enjoy not having to do that! :-)
I'm having my first baby in June and I am soooo blessed to have a friend from church needing a nanny for her five boys! Her husband finally found a job after a year of unemployment and there I was looking for a different job with more security and no hourlong commute, like I have now. I am super excited about having my new baby with me all the time. And my husband's elementary school will go on summer break just at my duedate!
Sometimes blessings are so obvious, I'm like: why doesn't everyone in the whole world see this? :)
With my first baby on the way in less than a month, and an extended maternity leave about to begin, I wonder how I will ever be content in a conventional "job" again if I can't have the exact flexibility you described! Up until I got pregnant, I never imagined myself being so willing to rethink my career plan. Motherhood changes everything -- for the better, without a doubt!
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