HomeMom on the Run
Member Since: September 10, 2007 Last Signed In: July 21, 2008 Blog Views: 2406 Send To A Friend Sign Guestbook Add as a Friend
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Jibbity Job
I have an announcement to make.
I have not worked out of my home since 2001. I have not had an interview since 1999. I worked with Big Man (he owned his own business) until he went to work for a company in 2004. I have been primarily a stay-at-home mom for the past 5 years. The time has come for me to find a job. It's bittersweet, actually. On one hand, I'm very excited to get back into the workforce and put my under-utilized brain to work. On the other hand, I have been with my children all the time, from day one. That's going to be hard to give up. I've found an excellent dayhome for Lee - he goes there part-time at present, and he can go full-time. Bee's situation is a bit more difficult - he has school in the mornings, and then he will have ABA in the afternoons. We will have to find someone to pick him up and take him home and stay with him until either one of us adults gets home. Or, I would work my schedule out so that I could pick him up from school and drop him off at home, have someone waiting for us at that time to stay with him, and then hot-foot it back to work. It's going to be an adjustment for all of us. Me relinquishing more of my parenting responsibilities; Lee getting used to being at the dayhome for longer periods of time; Bee getting used to spending a lot of time with new people. Big Man getting used to neither one of us being there to raise our kids during the day. So, you working moms: how do you do it? Seriously, how do you do it? Especially when your kids are preschool/kindergarten age. I'm kinda overwhelmed right now, and I'm trying to get un-overwhelmed before I find a job, instead of scrambling to work things out after I've accepted a position. Of course, this is all predicated on me actually being offered employment. I don't know how a 4-year gap in employment is looked at by potential employers. I'm terrified of the whole interview process. I feel like I'm starting all over again. It'll all work out though. It has to. 4 comments from 4 users
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posted by
Melody
on Mar 5, 2008 at 09:01 AM
posted by
creatress
on Mar 5, 2008 at 12:08 PM
DANG! Don't you know how to walk into a room, drop a bomb and run off!!!! When is this happening? Where? Real Estate? WOW! I'm going to grill you Thursday. If you're happy, then I'm happy.
posted by
hotmami
on Mar 6, 2008 at 02:30 PM
First thing - deep breath! Let's tick one item off the list at a time: For school age children who only need to picked up from school and watched until Mom comes home around 5:30 or 6:00 - post a listing on the local college boards, CSUS, UCDavis - I nannied all through college and it was a wonderful, enriching experience for me, the child and the mom! Treat it like a job interview and get references!! Next, for the baby, you are already ahead of the game since he is in a home care environment that he is already used to! (That's really half the battle). Finally, your job - find something you are passionate about, even with little or no experience - you can list all of your skills aquired as a stay-at-home mom: multitasker, responsible, good with budgets and time constraints, works well under pressure...you get the picture. If you are interested in a flexible career with good income potential, I can give you the name of the recruiter for my Agency - he looks for diverse candidates seeking a job/lifestyle change, and we have a great environment with mostly parents! Also, I have a couple of leads from wealth managers who are looking for executive assistants if you are interested. Or try local temp agencies which offer training in addition to job leads. I stayed at home with my daughter for 8 months before heading back to work. The best advice I can give you is to create a daily schedule and stick to it, start with part-time hours and work up to full-time (if you want), be candid and honest with your boss or manager - let them know what is on your plate and how you plan to organize your family and work schedule. MOST IMPORTANTLY - make time for yourself! Don't get lost in fulfilling everyone else's wants and needs - you can't forget about your most important resource - yourself! Good luck and let us all know how it goes! posted by
lenadawkins
on Mar 6, 2008 at 08:51 PM
great advise, HotmamiI always have the same questions. I have been doing part time for a while and its the best to start with and just add hours. My trouble is to decide either concentrate on my own business or find more jobs. I am single mom and it makes it more difficult since their dad lives overseas. Good luck
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Oh Geez. You have more to worry about than most moms returning to work. One thing that helps me even approach the idea of going back to work is the time that I've put in with my daughter. The years that you've spent at home with your children will make the world of difference in the long run. You were there for the most formative bonding years with your boys. Some woman can't even get that much time. I used to work at a preschool/daycare and there were six-week old babies in there because the moms had to supplement their husband's income. They had no choices.
I know you're thankful for the time you got to be a SAHM. You obviously are crazy about your kids and believe me, they won't forget that, even if they have to spend time with an external caregiver. You're doing what you have to right now for your family and that's what's important.
Melody