Now that school is well under way across the country, let's provide some tips for stay-at-home parents who want to go back to work part- or full-time now that their kids are back in school.
Decide What You Want to Do
While it might seem like a no-brainer, figuring out what you want to do can be a major stumbling block for many moms who are considering on-ramping back into the workforce. After all, if you don’t know what you want to do, how can you even begin to think about a job search? One easy way to get started: ask yourself what you would like to do if time, salary, and tk were not an option. What type of work would make your heart sing? One (or more) ideas will automatically pop into your head. Once you have an idea of what you would like to do, then start translating them into real jobs.
Stick to Your Schedule
You might think that going back to work means finding a full-time office job, but it doesn’t. There are many flexible jobs out there that you can do from the comfort of your home office—or your kitchen table, to start! So go over your family’s schedule (and in particular, your children’s schedules!) to decide how you’re going to fit work in with the demands of your family. You might realize that a part-time work-from-home job might be a good start.
Figure out Your (Financial) Needs
Maybe you want to go back to work because you’re a little bored at home. Or you might need to work to help pay for the bills in your house. (Or it might be a little of both.) But before you overdo it, go over your family’s budget and determine how much of a salary you need from your flexible job. Knowing how much money you want and/or need to make can help you during your job search, since you’ll already know what your number is.
Get Your Family on Board
If you’ve been a stay-at-home mom for as long as you can remember, it can be a big transition going back to work. And this is particularly so for your family, who might be used to you being home all the time—and available to pitch in whenever. That’s why you’ll need to sit down and talk with your family about the upcoming changes that will occur when you get your new job. It might mean that the kids have to pack their own lunches, or that your hubby will have to grab his dry cleaning on the way home from work. But explaining to them the importance of you working as it affects your family financially (and you emotionally) can help them better understand, accept, and support you during this new stage in your life.
Find Your Flex Job!
Let’s say that you really just don’t want to work in an office (can’t say that we blame you!). Finding a flexible job in which you can work from home can help you still be Room Mom and contribute to your family’s financial bottom line, too. If you’re still unsure what you’d like to do in terms of work, you might want to consider a flexible job. Some of the most popular career fields for flexible jobs where you’ll find the most opportunities for remote work are in these field: medical and health, administrative, sales, computer & IT, writing, nonprofit, education, accounting & finance.
There’s no better time to go back to work than when your kids go back to school. While your kids get a great education, you’ll be learning what it’s like to be a work-at-home mom, and that’s a great thing, indeed.
