Whether you have been home raising your children for years, months, or weeks, the thought of returning to work is very disheartening since a strong bond was formed from the very beginning. Don’t fret, you are not alone. I have been in this boat three times and it was very difficult to go back every single time. The tears that were shed could probably flood a single room. It’s tough but you can do it.
Whether you are a teacher, a nurse, a pharmacist, etc., returning to work will not be easy but after a routine is established it will become more manageable. Here are some effective mom tips that I adopted on parent.com that really seemed to help me in resuming my career after starting a family:
Tips for Resuming your Career
Practice your new routine. It’s important to keep your routine balanced and organized for this to work for you. Consider a few practice runs and back up plans to keep everything running smoothly before you make your trip back to work. Here is a good article about returning to work on areturntowork.co.uk
Rest as much as possible. Being a working mom, (Whether at home or in the workplace), is so very exhausting and can take a lot out of you. Try to set a decent bed time to guarantee you at least a few good hours of sleep.
Make time for yourself. This was a hard one for me to learn and I think any mom currently in a career or at home can struggle with this one since we are always trying to please and take care of our family. Plan to still get together with your friends. Women, even moms need each other as support. Don’t lose those friendships.
Leave personal life at home. Don’t fall to pieces in the presence of your boss. You don’t want your boss to think you can’t handle your career anymore thus possibly losing your job. It’s just important to keep yourself together. Vent when you get home or to a friend.
Just hang in there. I know, this is so cliché and it drove me nuts after hearing it day after day. But honestly, it does help to hear those words as moms definitely need to “hang in there.” It won’t always be this hard. In time, everything will just become second nature.
These tips may be helpful and something you can look forward to adopting but what about overcoming the constant guilt you may be battling due to having to return to work?
I dealt with guilt on a daily basis though I loved my career. According to working moms on About.com, if you are a mom returning to work after raising your family and you find that you are struggling with constant guilt you may need to sit down and make a list of reasons why you need to return to work. Here are a few examples:
* I love my career
*We need the money
* Could I possibly be a miserable stay-at-home mom causing my children unhappiness?
Whatever the reasons only you can decide what is best for you and your family. Writing down your own motivations may also help you reason with yourself what is needed as a family unit along with your career. When you need to, pull out the list to reassure yourself of those decisions.
Avoid contact with individuals that may make you feel guilty for choosing to return to your career. You don’t need someone pounding information in your head to cause you to feel guilty all over again.
If you need to, make it a short work week. I did this and it helped me tremendously. When deciding to return to work, choose the middle of the week or towards the end of the week so that you have the weekend, providing you do not work on weekends. If this is impossible, try taking a day off shortly after returning to work.
One thing that really helped me in returning to my career after being home with my family was realizing that all moms no matter what their situation have constant challenges. You are never alone on this journey. If you would like to connect with other working moms check out this community on workitmom.com.
Your career is obviously very important but being a mother is priceless. It’s hard to find a good balance sometimes with your career and with your family but when you get organized everything will just come together. Be encouraged.
How about you? Do you have any tips to share with moms getting ready to return to their career after starting a family? Maybe you are a mom needing that encouragement right now as you are about to take that giant leap back to work. Whatever your situation we would love to hear from you.
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I am sure many of us have heard of this particular day whether it’s “Bring your son to work day” or “Bring your daughter to work day.” I think I like the idea of “Bring your child to work day” better as it definitely prevents any sibling rivalry or jealousy amongst the bunch.
According to Chiff, bring your child to work day is dated for April 28, 2011. Why take your child to work anyway? This is an excellent question. In all honesty, I think it would be fun to bring my child to work. Okay, I may be stretching things a little bit here right? Well, if you think about it not only do you get to spend time with your child in a completely different setting, but they definitely get to learn something from this experience. This particular experience embeds into their minds that careers are important which will most likely raise their curiosity and dreams of having their own career one day. I know that it worked for me. I remember pretending I was my dad’s secretary when he took me to work. Though I didn’t become a secretary as my profession, it still made me think about what I wanted to be when I grew up (a teacher).
Trivia Facts
What is “Take your child to work day” about?
According to About.com , this day allows parents to bring their child or children to work. It is not a national holiday in America but many companies allow their employees to participate in this particular day. Companies are not required to participate.
When does it usually take place?
Only once a year usually in mid spring (The fourth Thursday in the month of April), Like previously stated, this year’s date lands on April 28, 2011.
When did “Take your child to work day” first take place?
It started in 1993.
Who is the founder or founders of this particular day?
A non-profit organization known as the Ms. Foundation (organization worked to promote women’s issues), sponsored the very first event.
Why was this day started in the first place?
Originally, the day was called “Take your daughter to work day.” The focus of this was to help teenage girls get career experience and exposure encouraging them to achieve their career goals.
What is the official name of this event?
It is now known as “Take your child to work day.” Many like to refer to it as “Take our daughters and sons to work day.”
“Take your Child to Work Day” Statistics
According to About.com over 25 million children participated in this event in the millennium.
Can Work-At-Home home moms participate in this event?
Children are honestly learning from you as a mom everyday. But you can be a professional mentor showing them how important career goals are. Let them share with you what they would like to be when they grow up.
Tips for bringing your child to work
Again, because it’s not a national holiday we can’t assume that every company will participate in this particular event so it is best to check with your employer before bring your child to work. If your boss gives you the okay, here are a few tips from About on how to make this day near perfect.
- Determine how long your child is going to stay at work with you. A full day? Or half a day?
- Be sure to plan your visit ahead of time.
- Be sure to communicate with your child’s school that they will be absent that day to participate in “Take your child to work day.” Many schools are happy to promote this day as it promotes future career development.
- Talk to your child. Let them know what you do exactly at your job, then when you arrive they will be able to see you in action and soak up everything like a sponge.
For a detailed look at these tips check out the official article at About.com.
Bring your child to work day ideas
Chiff has some brief “Bring your child to work day” ideas that you may consider, especially if they are related to your field of work. The ideas sound fun and educational and I may try some of them with my children. Here are some examples:
- Science Projects- For some fun ideas on Science projects for kids go to Discover This.
- Kids Digital Camera Projects- For an article looking at the value of kids’ digital cameras go to Chiff.
- How To’s for teaching kids how to budget- For information on teaching kids how to budget go to the Simple Family Budget Guide.
- A guide on how to turn a hobby into a full time career- Check out Chiff’s hobby article on how to achieve this goal.
For more information on this annual event, go to “Take our daughters and sons to work foundation.” I believe the site isn’t updated for this year but it gives you great ideas how you can actively participate with your son or daughter on this day.
Have you ever taken your child to work? Would you consider taking them to work this year? Please share your experience (if any) with us or let us know if you will be bringing your child to work on “Bring your child to work day.”
Get professional certificates, postgraduate certificates, or training certificates to increase your chances for a raise or promotion.
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Right now, with the economy about as stable as a sneeze, the general mood at work can get downright gloomy. Even though you’re thankful you have a job, sometimes it’s hard not to get that hang dog feeling when you see so many around you delegated to the unemployment line. As weird as it sounds, often those left behind after a company lay off suffer their own kind of depression. Not only do they inherit more work (to pick up the slack) but they’re also saddled with the guilt/relief rollercoaster of emotions that come with dodging a downsizing.
So it’s no surprise that many people today are questioning their career choices. Ironically, the slump in the economy has motivated people to re-examine their work situations to figure out if they’re in the right jobs in the first place. But in doing so you have to be careful to differentiate between:
A) Are you experiencing a temporary bump in the road at work? (Meaning, are things are bad now, but will get better later?) In which case, you just wait it out. Or…
B) Do you really need to jump ship and change careers now, before you waste any more time in a job that’s not right for you?
To determine which camp you fall in, you need to ask yourself some pretty pointed career questions, and be honest with your answers, starting with:
1) Am I Good at What I Do?
In your heart, you know if you do a good job at work. So if you don’t feel your work is up to par lately you have to ask yourself “Why?” Is it because the work is too hard? Too overwhelming? Do you find it boring? Unfulfilling? Are there some tasks you like better than others? If you feel your unpleasant tasks outnumber the fun ones, then you’re definitely in the wrong line of work. Honestly, who wants to spend eight hours a day doing something they’re not that good at?
And if you are good at your job, then the next question you have to ask yourself is…
2) Do I Enjoy the Tasks?
Just because you’re good at your job doesn’t mean you like it. Yes, the money might be great, the benefits stellar, and even the people you work with are a hoot, but if you aren’t enamored with your day-to-day work tasks then it’s going to make for really long days (weeks, months, and years). Granted, you don’t have to love everything you do (there’s always going to be those one or two tasks you could do without) but in the long run if you can’t stomach most of your work day, then it’s time to move on.
Still not sure if your current employment blues are simply temporary effects of an ill economy? Then try this next question on for size…
3) Am I Excited to Go to Work?
Okay, so you’re good at your job and you don’t seem to mind the work itself, but then how come you’re not excited to get up everyday and go to work? If your answer is “Well, nobody likes to go to work,” then think again. Most people like what they do, which is why getting laid off comes as such a devastating blow (that and the loss of income, of course).
If you really have trouble getting motivated to go to work then you have to ask yourself why that is. Outside of the work itself, it could be because you don’t click with co-workers, you hate your boss, or your work environment is less than pleasant, all of which contribute to job burn out. Whatever it is, you need to determine if it’s the career or that particular job that’s getting you down. To help you decide which is it, you might also consider…
4) Am I Overly Tired Each Evening?
Sure, we’re all tired after a hard day’s work, but if you come home so exhausted it’s all you can do to get through dinner before you go to bed, then chances are you’re being emotionally drained at work. Even though your job may not include physical activity, mental stress will zap your energy level faster than plowing a field all day by hand in the hot sun. And the funny thing about mental anguish; it sneaks up on you. Plus, it’s easy to justify it if you actually like your job. But if you can’t find a way to eliminate your stress at work, then you may want to change jobs or careers. No matter how much fun a job is, it’s never worth allowing it to add an overabundance of anxiety to your life.
If you answered Yes to any one of these questions, then a career change might be right for you, even if you still have a job. Most of the time we consider career changes AFTER we’ve been laid off, but really the time to make a shift is when you still have a job. Going back to school part time is a good start; apprenticing, interning, even volunteering are also all good ways to break ground in a new career.
Have you recently switched careers? If so, we want to hear about it. What made you decide to do it? How did you get started? Did you go back to school? Have you been happy with the move? Share your experiences so others can benefit from your newfound wisdom!
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