Get back to work for all the right reasons, says Sunita V Chelam

Your bundle of joy has started growing and doing the cutest things possible. Your little munchkin is at the adorable stage when you want to spend every waking moment together. And then the unpleasant realisation dawns that your maternity leave is almost over. Ergo, your time is running out and you’ll soon be spending much less time together than you’d like.

Your heart wants you to call it quits and raise your baby. Your mind recognises that a rewarding job and soaring career prospects are assets you’ve built over long and arduous years in the corporate world. You rationalise that you shouldn’t give it all up in a rush. So what happens is that you’re torn between the desire to be a full-time mom and the pain of giving up a wonderful job.

Whether to stay at home and raise a family or return to your job is a tough choice most working women have to make. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a novice or a veteran—the indecision is still at large. But you ultimately need to choose what works best for you and your family. Here’s some advice that might help defog your dilemma.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All
It may be a good idea to be a stay-at-home mom, but only if you think so — not because someone’s laying the guilt on you. Don’t get wheedled into doing something that doesn’t feel right. Ashwini Padalkar, Management Consultant and owner of E&W Human Resource Service, says, “The first thing you have to decide is whether you need to go back to work for the money or because you enjoy your work.” Just ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly:
Am I really ready to leave my career behind?
Will I be genuinely happy if I stay at home to raise my family?
Will I have misgivings if I quit? If you answer ‘no’ to even one question, don’t be so quick to throw in the towel.
Another test is to observe how you feel during your maternity leave. Do you feel totally happy and at ease being a stay-at-home mom, or do you often long for your workplace?

Check Your Finances
Sometimes, family finances take the decision out of your hands. If your current lifestyle requires two incomes to keep things moving, you’ll probably want to go back to work. Padalkar says, “Going back to work is a good idea — a lot of times women who give up their jobs experience feelings of isolation and of being left behind when they come in contact with others who have careers. Before going back to work, get a few things sorted out: First, determine the resources you have at hand. Resources refer to the support a working mom has at home for her baby.

Your resources could be your parents or in-laws, a maid, or a crèche (there should ideally be a combination of two resources). Based on the available support, you can work out how many hours you can spare everyday.”

But if you’re determined to be a stay-at-home mom, do some serious thinking: Are you and your family really happy with the status quo? Are you (both) willing to cut back on superfluous trimmings? Will living on a single income be difficult? Are you ready to abandon (or postpone) the decision to buy that swell swank sedan you had set your heart on in exchange for domestic bliss?

Post serious consideration, if you and your partner choose ‘family’ over ‘frills’, then congratulations! Now you need to tighten up your purse strings and whisk a new financial plan into shape.

Be A Work-At-Home Diva
Whoever said, “You can’t have the cake and eat it too”, didn’t know what they were talking about. If you crave the dual benefits of family life and financial productivity, you can actually have it. You can keep your feet in both worlds by working part-time, taking up a temporary job, or starting a home-based business.

Padalkar says, “My advice to working women is to plan your life before starting a family. If you’re very serious about starting a family (or wanting to spend more time with your family), start identifying flexible work opportunities much earlier. Don’t wait for too long before re-entering the corporate world as your confidence level starts diminishing (you start seeing the signs after about a year). Keep in touch with the industry by working part-time, or by starting your own little business.”

However, as per the universal theory of dynamics, your family needs may change. And you may have to re-examine your financial situation and alter it to suit the circumstances. Finally, don’t keep second-guessing life — your instincts will tell you how to deal with it.

GOT COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? E-MAIL US AT femina@timesgroup.com WITH ‘Strategies — Are You A Corporate Mummy?’ IN THE SUBJECT LINE