Tips on Returning to Work For Stay-At-Home Moms

So you became a mom, had kids, and devoted your life to their formative years. Now, you are considering getting out there and working on improving yourself and setting career goals. Stay-at-home moms returning to work may deal with mom guilt, skeptics in the family and the workforce, and the balancing act that follows finally landing the job you want.

Understanding It Will Take Time

Patience is honed when women become moms. Leverage on patience when returning back to the workforce. Career Coach and Development Manager Brie Reynolds advises that returning to work can take a lot of time. Thus, it is important to set realistic expectations and understand that the process can take weeks, and even months, Flexjobs. It is important not to lose that fire within during the lengthy process. 

Do not be discouraged. Though a 2018 study showed that parents leaving the workforce to take care of their families were half less likely to get interviewed than people who were unemployed for reasons besides having kids.

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Keep Abreast with Current Strategies for Landing a Job

Read up, expand your network, and reach out to people who can help you better understand how you can land the job you desire. Will you need to begin a LinkedIn profile, professionalize your social media accounts; how and where you will obtain job requirements, the key people to help you get a job—all these along with brushing up on your resume, cover letter, interviewing skills, and confidence are essential to landing that job.

Dealing with Family Matters while Transitioning to Working Mom

Accept the fact that you will be away from your kids, your spouse, your friends, your pets, your home for a certain period every working day. Take the time to develop a strategy to juggling your responsibilities as a mom while you aim to boost your career.

An integral part to the success of such a transition is having responsible kids and spouse. When your family understand your goals, are trained well, and given the time to adapt, they can better cooperate and support those mom goals.

ALSO READ: Positive Effects of Working Moms to Other Family Members

Consider Your Options

Consider transitioning slowly instead of going all-out right away. For instance, the pandemic has opened up a lot of opportunities to work from home. Starting with temporary, part-time or freelance work can also help the entire family adjust to mom not being there 24/7 on-demand to meet the needs of the family.

The First Phases will be a Matter of Trial and Error

To prevent frustrations that will only add to your mom guilt, consider the first few weeks and months of getting back into the workforce as a test run period. During this time, moms may need to make several changes to childcare, routines, and schedules. There may be frequent family meetings before you can find a setup that works. Also keep in mind that even the most ideal setup will need to be changed as the family grows and needs change.

ALSO READ: Life Balance: 8 Testimonials from Working Moms on How to Achieve It

The Cost of Returning to Work

Your budget will inevitably be affected by your new job fromrom the job-hunting period to getting those necessary requirements, clothes, makeup, and transportation cojob. There will also be childcare and other essentials as well as conveniences like laundry and clean-up services. Verywell Family advises to consider the amount of money you will bring in versus the costs of having that job.

Your Support Group

Finally, it is time to build a support group of other working moms. This is not the time to settle with naysayers and skeptics. Moms can listen to advice and concerns but ultimately decide for their family and personal success.

Big City Moms revealed the biggest shock of returning to the workforce after years of caring for the family. The moms will have the hard end of the adjustment and transition face. Though moms have a lot of fears and concerns entering into the workforce after some period, moms can be confident that they will come up with the best plan that will help the family get through the transition. 

It is relieving to know from moms who have successfully transitioned from stay-at-home moms to working moms that the least to suffer from such a transition would be the kids. Moms would know when there are kids are ready for mom to be away for some time during the day.

Children who are raised to be secure in the knowledge that mom will be there for them no matter what will best contribute to the success of a working mom.