Once you become a mother, your priorities change. Your little one instantly occupies the number one priority spot. As for your career, it goes somewhere in the middle.
For career women, it is never an easy decision to start a family. Once you have children, you may need to put your career in the back seat. Most people need to wait for a few months or years even before they start rebuilding their careers. This is usually one of the reasons why many successful career women decided to remain childless. But is it really impossible to chase after your career goals once you become a mom?
Statistics show that women face the unique challenges of career and motherhood. More women have no children compared to men. This is since, in most occasions, women in the prime of their careers had to choose between taking the responsibilities of becoming a mother or push through with building their career.
The good news is, even if you now have a little one to take care of, you can use this opportunity to reevaluate your career goals or even find a renewed passion. With a bit of sacrifice, you can start making childcare and career-building work. Here’s how.
Use the transition to take a closer look at your passion
Many people are not even sure about the things they are passionate about before starting their careers. Some managed to snag a high-paying job and after enjoying the position and excelling in their role, they started to think they’ve found a career they can focus on. But after giving birth, motherhood can push women to do the things they’ve always wanted to do.
Some managed to start writing a blog or book while others finally learned how to cook decent and tasty meals. Others found their passion for helping other moms cope with parenthood while some learned they are quite good at changing other people’s lives for the better. As your little one grows older, they become less dependent, giving you more time to pursue a passion you never thought you have. Luckily, some people’s passion does not require working outside and leaving your kids home alone.
For instance, you always had a knack for helping other people become better versions of themselves. You love inspiring other mothers to take self-care seriously even after having a baby. You are the supportive type who is excellent at convincing people to improve their lifestyle. If you are inspired to create a real positive change in other people’s lives, then you might want to consider taking up a health coach training course. You can study online without leaving your kids and pursue a fulfilling career even if you are now a fulltime mom of young kids.
Leverage the skills you learned from motherhood
After being a mom, you will learn many life skills the hard way. You will learn how to manage your time wisely, communicate without uttering a word, and learn empathy through your children. You will learn how to be put healthy boundaries and cope and react with stress the healthy way. It is now easier for you to manage tasks, organize things, and lead miniature versions of your spouse and yourself. You will also learn how to be more patient, positive, and open your mind to new ideas.
Motherhood can teach you all these things and more. Armed with essential life skills, you can use this to your advantage once you start stepping out of the house and back into your career game. It will give you more reasons to chase after your goals without taking childcare for granted.
Accept that sometimes you need help
Moms of little kids chasing after their career know that they will need to make sacrifices to make work and childcare work. More often than not, you will another person to support your decision and give you peace of mind. This can be your spouse who can take care of the kids after they got off from work. It can be your parents willing to look after the kids while you’re away on a business trip. It can also be a professional baby sitter you can trust your kid’s life with.
Childcare is inevitable for working parents. Stop feeling guilty about needing some help and for missing out precious time with your kids. Just make sure you spend quality time with them after work. Make sure to stay engaged when you are with your kids. There is a thin line between simply being there physically for your kids and engaging with them during family date nights.
No mother will honestly say motherhood is easy. But many can confidently say it is a fulfilling role. There is a chance for you to make childcare and career-building work. It will take many sacrifices, sleepless nights, stressful days, etc. But it is never impossible to build a successful career after you become a mom.
