BlogHer - working - Comments

As much as I love my job I'm

WilliamTaylor — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:15:36 -0600

As much as I love my job I'm still getting the week off this christmas up to New year because its the only time of the year that I can spend time with my family and relatives.

Bill from Austin Divorce Help

What about this year?

Elana Centor — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:41:16 -0600

Now that you are on your own, are you taking a break, getting organized, or treating it as work as usual?

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

Freelance changes things

BarbD — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:34:09 -0600

I spent 33 years in corporate America, taking advantage of an early retirement program to leave earlier this year and strike out on my own.

My attitudes about work have been evolving ever since. There's a lot of freedom (and new responsibilities, and lessons in self-discipline) in becoming your own employer. It becomes about getting the work done -- not being there whether there's work to do or not. I get to determine my own time off.

Prior to being self-employed, I used to occasionally work during what was at my company, the lost two weeks of the year. It was a good time to get things organized while there was a lull.

But more often, it was time I saved up so I could have a good, long break from the regular routine. It was hard within my corporate culture (and perhaps, in American business culture in general) to take longer than a week off work. The only guilt-free period was those last two weeks of the year...

Work At Home Mom

sarahmom — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:15:14 -0600

I am a stay home mom but I am also contributing to our family financially. I knew staying at home with my kids was the best decision but I also knew that I needed to help us financially....I have been able to do both and it's wonderful!

I would love to share this opportunity with anyone who is interested. Take a look at my website (www.themomteam.com/sarahneno) or email me (sarah.neno@gmail.com) and let me know the best time to call you.

Best wishes and Happy Holidays!

Sarah

Follow your heart and your needs

reginatgg — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:05:07 -0500

I always imagined myself as a working mom, until I got pregnant and realized I wanted to stay home. My husband was not supportive of this. To him, the sacrifice he would need to make was not worth the benefits. I have to say, it would have been a very difficult life and we were not accustomed to watching every penny. My daughter is now 18 months and I have been lucky to find a job that allows me flexibility so that I am not away from her full-time, but I am away from her a lot.

Some days, I take the day off and stay home with her and I think I spend just as much "quality" time with her when I do go to work. A lot of the other time she is napping or eating or I am dragging her around town to run errands. For me, personnaly, not having to worry aobut being able to feed her or pay the rent is worth it.

Everyone has to make their own choice, and the choice is not permanent. Try working part time and see how it goes!

Gina

http://momwifeworkerbee.blogspot.com/

A Grown Woman Can Do Anything She Damn Well Pleases!

Lovebabz — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:14:14 -0500

Sister,

The beauty in this discussion is that we are having the discussion. You have options that a great many women in the world do not have. You have the ability to make intelligent decisions based on information only you posses.

I can't stand that whole mommie war shit. Women have to make decisions according to their needs and desires and wishes and whatever else we need to throw in.

Guilt does nothing but keep you trapped..stuck. There are women in the world who strap their babies on their back and go to work. There are women in the world who stay home and make all the kids clothing. And there are those of us somewhere in the middle trying to juggle, hustle and wrangle our lives to make a better way for our families...some of us are doing that work in heels!

Make your decision in confidence knowing that some woman has paved the way, paid a price for you to raise your kids how you want to. Live strong!

Love,

Babz

I agree of the importance of

samanda — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:05:39 -0500

I agree of the importance of it, and I definitely agree that one-income can work if you sacrifice, but when the one income your family is living on is barely above minimum wage, then it causes difficulty. We live frugally already, and it's just not enough. We don't have any extras, we don't accrue unnecessary debt...but we are still running short. I know I couldn't go back full-time, because you are right, I wouldn't be focused on my job, I'd be focused on my baby, but I'm hoping that if I go part-time I can take comfort in the fact that she is socializing with other babies, and I am bringing in some extra income, but not at the expense of 40 hours a week away from my child.

Thank you for your encouraging note. :)

Whatever you decide is the right choice

Gena Haskett — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:56:44 -0500

If you know you wouldn't be happy leaving you child right now why would you do it? There are blogs/websites that support SAHMs with tips on managing with one income.

I wish I could stamp out the nonsense that says you have to go to work to be a modern woman. I gotta tell you there is nothing worse than being with a co-worker who is miserable and her mind is 3/4 on her children and resentful at being at work.

Stay home! Be a 21st Century mom. Be the best mom you want to be at this time in your life. It isn't about your husband or what society tells you. It what you really want to do that is in the best interests of your family.

That is what choice means. Go back to employment when you are really ready and you feel your child is safe and secure.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

Sometimes there are no choices

rebellious thinker — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:34:19 -0500

In the 17 years since I have been a mother, I have been at home full-time, worked full-time, worked part-time, and went to graduate school. But you know, if I look at it, in each of those configurations there are really only a couple of hours a day when you are really "on" with your child. And while I certainly understand your desire to be at home, you should know that you will be no less a mother just because you spend less time with your child. And you will give no less of your heart and your learning to your child. Not every second of every day is filled with quality time; yes, it is time, but there may be trade-offs here that will work for you and your family.

When I was in my snippy working days, I used to see mothers at the mall with their children in their strollers and wonder how this could be explained as quality time with their children?

Laura, www.RebelliousThoughtsofaWoman.com

Just blogged about this...

drmcr — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:48:01 -0500

My experience is that the level of humanity in my workplace is related directly to the way I choose to establish boundaries for myself and the choices I've made on who I work with (or for, earlier in my career). For example, when I was getting my postdoc set up, I had a great fellowship offer from a prestigious immunology lab to work there for 2 years. In the final interview, however, the PI, a single male, said to me, "Well, please tell me you're not going to do something stupid to srew up your career like have kids, okay?". Needless to say, I did not tell him that, and although it was a tough call, I said no to the fellowship, even though I lost the opportunity to work with a guy who'd had 4 Science papers in the prior year. The decision was, frankly a no-brainer, but given my expecations for my scientific career, it was a watershed moment for me.

I recently blogged about this issue of balance in two posts on my own blog. Please check them out and lets start a larger conversation about this issue- it still affects me to this day!!

http://professorandparent.blogspot.com/2008/07/thinking-gray-about-boundaries.html

http://professorandparent.blogspot.com/2008/06/myth-of-balance.html

Mary Coussons-Read, Ph.D.

http://professorandparent.blogspot.com/

http://www.powerfulmindcoaching.com/