Whether you are a new mother or a mother who feels stuck between going back to work or being a full time stay at home mom, you may wonder how women do it at all. You may wonder how so many women in the world find time to make money and raise their children in the way that they want to. The answer to your question is that, yes, it is possible. It is also very challenging.
Although it is very challenging, it is also a very rewarding lifestyle to have. Being a working mum requires a lot of you. However, it also gives you the chance to achieve both the dream of raising kids and the dream of pursuing your own career or goals. Here are some things to help you make the decision and to see if being a working mom is for you.
Are you healthy enough physically and mentally to return to work?
The stress of having a new child can be very taxing on the body both physically and mentally. If you have ever struggled with drug or alcohol abuse, you may feel tempted to use it to cope during your stressful transition into motherhood. However, before fully returning to work you need to make sure you have worked past your addiction and are healthy both physically and mentally. HotelCaliforniaBellevue.com can help you with this.
Are you already established in a career?
If you, like many women with children, are already established in a career path, you may find it easier to return to work. There is an added amount of stress for those who are not already in their career or who don’t have a job to go back to work after having a child. If you are not, you must first consider what you want to do when you go back to work. Take time to carefully assess your abilities and how much time what you need to do what your work will require of you. Finding a job is all about budgeting your time wisely. You can put your children in daycare during the day and still be home in the afternoons or evenings to care for them.
Are you breastfeeding?
If you are breastfeeding, returning to work may seem like an impossible task. However, today, it is much easier to do so since employers are more aware of what is needed for their staff. All jobs must provide breastfeeding rooms so that you can safely pump your milk and store it in a refrigerator. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers covered under FLSA must provide a private space for lactation that is not a bathroom. Most employers will also give you a few minutes here and there to pump as long as you are not taking advantage of the breaks. Many jobs also allow maternity leave so that you can stay at home immediately following giving birth. These benefits are wonderful. However, not all jobs offer them. So it is important to search for jobs that do offer these things and ask for them upfront.
What are your opinions about daycare?
Daycare can be very expensive. On average, daycare costs $1,230 per month for an infant to be looked after. In many cases, this cost is more than families can afford. If you do not make more money than that in a month, is it worth it to go back to work? If it is, you have to ask yourself why? Everyone’s answer will be different, but if daycare costs will be more of a burden than a help, it may not be in your family’s best interest.
Another thing to consider about daycare is that you have to find a place that you trust. Children are very impressionable and, if you are not careful, those who watch your child every day will teach them things that you may not agree with. For that reason, it is important to thoroughly vet the place that you plan to hire.
The days of choosing between having kids and having a career are over. That doesn’t mean, however, that the decision to go back to work is an easy one. Take the time to run the numbers and thoroughly vet your childcare options before you decide one way or the other.
