Ask a working mother what it takes to successfully juggle a career, a marriage, and raising an infant and you’ll receive a different answer from each person you ask. All will agree, however, that mastering time management skills and being able to go without sleep are absolute musts.
Mothers and fathers alike must juggle childcare along with their other responsibilities. There are a variety of options available to parents in regards to day care for a child. Having friends, parents, or other relatives babysit is sometimes a viable option. For others, independent day care centers or day care programs sponsored by an employer better fit into the family’s lifestyle. A more expensive option is hiring an in-home nanny to care for a newborn while the mother is at work.
If you work for a medium or large company, and your employer offers an in-house day care program, don’t assume you’ll be able to take advantage of it. Some company-sponsored day care programs are at capacity and have a waiting list. Even if you sign your child up for the program when you first become pregnant, it could take years before your child is admitted into a company-sponsored day care program. As early as possible, investigate what your options are and determine what fits into your budget, lifestyle, and schedule.
Women who want to stay home with their children yet don’t want to give up working entirely have more options than ever before. A growing number of companies offer family-friendly services that allow for telecommuting (working from home part-time and from an office part-time) and/or job sharing (where two people work together to fulfill the responsibilities of one full-time job).
Another option is for a mother to give up her traditional job and use her expertise to launch a home-based business. Creating and managing an online-based business from home using a computer is also a viable option for mothers with computer skills.
Having a career and being a mother are both extremely rewarding experiences for most women. Every mother needs to be creative and find an ongoing source of energy within herself that will allow her to achieve success in whatever personal and employment situation she is in.