Making Motherhood & Career Work
Did you ever feel that you needed to choose between your kids and your career?
Did you ever think that having kids will make you lose the career you worked so hard for?
Of course, having kids will change your life but it's not like your life isn't going to change. You can't be stuck in one place, nor have the same job or do the same things for the rest of your life. You need to grow. Otherwise, what is the point of living?
If you ask me though -- not only is it possible to have a career and kids, sometimes becoming a mom inspires a whole new chapter of your work life.
This is exactly what happened to me.
Going back to the career vs. motherhood debate, I was often asked why I gave up my corporate job. I was "successful" based on external standards of what success is in the corporate world. When I gave birth to Kara 3 years ago, reality hit me like a ton of bricks! Working full-time while raising a child was tough because of the serious lack of flexibility given to parents in the workplace.
Also, I didn’t really know what to say when people asked, "How do you do it all?’" Maybe rather than asking that, the question should be, "How do you make it work?" Basically, that's what I've been doing -- finding ways to continue doing what I love to do, while raising Kara, and now Andi too.
I was also thinking why do we not expect fathers to stop working once they have children, but we expect mothers to give up their careers? I want my daughter to know that she has the same career opportunities and freedoms that men do. Becoming a mother isn't a show-stopper.
You can make motherhood and career work.
Nowadays, having both parents work is a financial necessity but there are ways for us to be able to work because we want to, not just because we have to. For instance, you need to make sure that you are FINANCIALLY SECURE or you are at least, working your way towards that goal. There’s no rewind button in life. Therefore, it’s best to plan for your financial future as meticulously as possible because once you have children, your expenses will just grow bigger and bigger. Not having a safety net is just irresponsible when you have a family.
I started investing at age 25 (which was rather late actually). I was taught that the best and most effective wealth building strategy is to invest early, regularly, and for a long time. I am nowhere near my financial targets but what's important is, I was able to produce passive income and come up with emergency funds. This came in handy when I became a mom and decided to leave the corporate world and started my own business. It's been quite tough to be honest, especially if you are accustomed to a certain lifestyle and have to make adjustments but my husband and I both invest so we created a buffer for anything unexpected (like in my case, loosing a steady income).
Aside from our stocks with COL Financial, we also got health insurance & investments from AXA Philippines (AXA is the no.1 Insurance brand globally). It's good to prepare for both the expected and unexpected (by the way, if you want some help on financial planning and understand what you need to do to reach your goals, feel free to message me, I have a team of licensed financial advisors who can guide you).
Another step you can take is finding a job or career that gives you what all parents need - FLEXIBILITY. It doesn't mean you should settle for whatever provides this - you can find one that drives your passion, fulfills your potential and gives you purpose. You can also create one. :)
Speaking of CREATING ONE -- I decided to launch a virtual assistant business (www.topva.co) Yay! I am very excited about this as I have partnered with my best friend who has been in the industry for over a decade. Together, our expertise and experience are going to give so much more value to our clients.
Check out our story and profile here: https://www.topva.co/about_us
I've been talking to my BFF about building a business that doesn't just ADD VALUE to international clients, but will also empower people, especially PARENTS as we can offer part time or full time roles for those who want or need to work from home (US or European Hours).
Since this job will be done remotely by our VA Team, it works out great for small businesses and solopreneurs as they don’t have to pay for an office location, supplies, taxes, or healthcare. Here are the services we are currently offering: https://www.topva.co/services
We are currently expanding our client base in US and Europe, and with that we will be scouting for people who would love to join our VA team and have that WORK-LIFE HARMONY (stay tuned as we will be posting job openings in our website).
A FINAL TIP
You can make motherhood and career work -- just take baby steps, and set goals. Don't be shy to ASK FOR HELP -- we cannot do it all nor do we have to do it all, we have to rally our support network (friends and family).
I never could have built both of my companies without the support of my own village! I work now more than I have ever worked before, but I work differently and I am able to see my kids and be there for them. I have never regretted my decision.
Hope you enjoyed reading.
Love,
Mommy K
