It’s unfortunate that we still live in a world where in some countries, women aren’t able to vote, drive or even go out in public without a male chaperone. Lots has been done to create a fairer world for women; protests, marches and tireless campaigning have meant that in this country at least, women are on a much more level playing field. Female politicians like Michelle Regan, Arizona SOS are responsible for making huge decisions for the country — something that would have never been thought possible a few decades ago. Female doctors save lives across the globe, and female scientists work on cures for diseases and new innovation that could change the world. However there’s still plenty to be done, even on our own home soil. One issue that lots of women have is finding the right balance between having kids and a career, we’ve all heard time and time again that it’s not possible to “have it all.” However, this simply isn’t true. While it’s tricky and can take a lot of hard work, we can still achieve our career goals while having children and being excellent mothers. Here are some of the ways we can go about it:
Split Duties With Your Partner
As women, we tend to take the role as primary caregiver for our children. We’re the ones who carry them, give birth and tend to take the lead role in feeding and nurturing them in the early days. However, once your children are a little older and you’re in a place where you want to go back to work, why not split the duties? Cooking, cleaning, the school run and extra curricular activities could be balanced between you both along with your job.
Get Professional Help
If you don’t have a partner or help from loved ones, then another option would be to take on some professional help. This could be something as simple as a cleaner coming into the home a few days a week to allow you to stay on top of the housework, or a laundry and ironing service taking this responsibility off your hands. On the other hand it could be something like an au-pair or housekeeper — someone that lives in your home and helps with children, pets, cleaning and running the household. This way, when you do have time off work you can spend it with your children, instead of having to catch up on chores. Time is limited, since much of it will be spent working, utilizing professional help means that the rest of the time you have can be spent with your family.
Get Ahead in Your Career Before Having Kids
One way we can put ourselves in the best position when it comes to our jobs and having kids is to hold off a while before having them. Once you’re established in your career, it can be easier to take a break to have children and then return. Research suggests that interrupting your career earlier on will reduce your lifetime earnings overall. More and more women are putting off kids for longer to focus on career, you would need to decide if this is something that’s right for you.
Start Your Own Business
Being your own boss instead of an employee means you have a lot more flexibility than you would have with a regular job. It’s something you could build up in the years before falling pregnant, and either hire someone to take your place while you have your child or put it on hold. Either way, it’s a good option because when you work for yourself you get to choose your own hours and it makes it easier to fit work around your childcare commitments.
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