It’s a dream come true for every woman to be able to take care of her family and her career/job at the same time. However, often women find that they have to juggle between those two. So, in the end, they have to decide whether they want to sacrifice family or career / job.
Keeping Both Family and Career /Job
Some pointers here for those who want to keep both family and career:
• Are you working in a family oriented company?
If you are, then congratulations, you might be able to do so. But as far as I know such company does not exist. All I hear is most employees’ career will be jeopardized if too much leave taken for the purpose of family issues, going home sharp because you need to cook, pickup your children from day care ,etc. The working environment is different nowadays; it is vicious for those who have family commitments.
• Are you working for a career or just to make ends meet?
Sometimes a job which does not promise any prospect is not really a career. Most of the time it’s just for the money, money to pay bills and to save for future either for retirement or children’s education. If you think that the money you bring home will help to supplement’s family daily needs then you have to calculate how much you are really bringing home. The calculation have to take into account tax, transportation, fuel expenses, work clothes, lunches with colleagues, company trip expenses and other outings involving your work. If the money that you bring home is not much, then it may not be worth to sacrifice your family over your job.
A Stay at Home Mom
I believe that before one decided to be a stay at home mom, the most crucial thing is to discuss with their spouse whether they are supportive of the decision to stay at home and look after the family. If the other spouse is not supportive then there is no point to be a stay at home mom. It takes two people to have a family, without one there is no family.
Pros of being a stay at home mom
• watch your babies touch their 1st milestone
• play with them
• read to them
• talk to them
• more time for husband and children
• If time is well organized, you will have time to explore you hobby. It might turn to a business and earn some side income for the family.
• research on the best methods of parenting, provide family in their best environment
• cook for the family
• no more unhealthy outside food
• save on work clothes and transport fees
• Able to organize time to suit the needs of the family. No more stay back in the office
Cons of being a stay at home mom
• have to watch spending very closely
• use a lot of effort to come up with cheap and nutritional menus
• Unable to spend on luxuries such as clothes, makeup, shoes or fashion accessories. I love fashion, so to sacrifice on these items are tough for me but I know in time I’ll get use to it or even better I’ll find ways to do it cheaply. Maybe I should do my own clothes or bags because I’ve been cutting my own hair as well as my baby’s.
• I have to think thrice before buying things that aren’t in the top priority
• Not able to socialize because they need time and money. I can’t go out and have fun with my friends because baby needs a lot of attention and I don’t feel secure putting my baby under somebody else’s care.
• It’s a 24/7 job without pay. The only rest time is when my baby sleeps.
• At times when your family comes first you will start to loose your ‘self’.
• Stay at home can be lonely at times in terms of not getting understanding from other family members or friends
• Your future retirement expenses depend entirely on your husband
• Bias perception from the society. It is still the society perception that a stay at home mom is a “frog that lives underneath a coconut shell”.
To conclude, although we give up career or stop working because of family, along the way we have to figure out that in the meantime of staying at home we have to pry ourselves to look for ways to have financial independence. If the issue of financial independence for stay at home mom is resolved then all else will be a breeze.
No comments:
Post a Comment