Life…yes it’s true that it won’t be the same as it was before you started a family, but that doesn’t have to be a negative thing!
Mums who work can sometimes be filled with guilt: you either need to work to keep a roof over your family’s head, or you need that stimulation that the work environment gives you. But then as your child grows, you may get guilt pangs along the way when you miss out on things – first words, first steps, first school nativity play etc, because of work commitments.
But there is so much that you don’t miss out on: the love and bond you share with your child, knowing that the time you do spend with your child is precious and that you cherish it even more.
The other saying is that life is what you make it, and really it is! A working mum has a million and one things to juggle to keep everything ticking over nicely, and what makes it a success is careful planning and a good childcare support system.
But if you’re not at this stage in your life yet, here are some things to bear in mind:
1. Don’t let anyone but you and the needs of your family dictate to you whether you should be working or not.
2. Don’t be negative all the time – so you may work and send your child to nursery, but if you were at home full-time, miserable, struggling to make ends meet, bored, would you be giving your child as much stimulation and social interaction as your child gets at nursery?
3. It takes real guts to leave your child in someone else’s care and go out to work.