Under 30 Parents Round-up: Careers, parenthood & balance

It’s no secret that whether you’re at home on the front line 24/7 or juggling a career with the full-time parent gig, it’s bloody hard and wonderfully rewarding in equal measures. 

When I asked fellow bloggers to send through posts on the subject of balancing careers with parenthood for this month’s round-up, I was pretty much blown away by the response and the sheer number of parents who have written on the subject. To say it’s a hot topic would be an understatement. 

A few main themes shone through as I read through all your posts this month, the first of which was…

Guilt

Whether it’s guilt for returning to work at all, guilt for enjoying the me time work provides or guilt for not making it home on time even one night a week for a bedtime story, guilt is the main thread through so many of the posts I read.

Lisa (Bad Mammy) wrote of her mixed feelings heading back to work after sixteen months off with her son due to chronic back pain. And she’s not alone. The very title of Kym’s blog, for example is, ‘Worries of a Working Mum,’ and I myself (Finding Our Feet) have written about the guilt of not quite finding the right work-family life balance just yet. Emily (Confessions of a Slummy Mummy) has gone so far as giving up her dream of working from home, returning to an office before her boys were all at school and somehow feeling like a lesser mum for it. 

Something for me

But so many of the working parents I read about this month all spoke about how Stay At Home Parent life just wasn’t for them. Whether that was enjoying the me-time work can bring (let’s all be honest shall we, who misses cold tea and wolfing down a sandwich before your toddler swipes it first?) or enjoying using exercising your professional skills once again – something I know I could relate to. 

Not everything’s Rosy…

And while many of the parents who returned to work wanted to, not everyone had a happy story to tell. Unfortunately, I came across a few stories of pregnancy discrimination, or of women who struggled to find a job after having a child.

I myself fell into this category, being made redundant a week before my Mat Leave began and then enduring two years of job hunting, rejection and discrimination. Laura (Max and Mummy) also suffered, shockingly being told she should stay at home “where she belonged”! 

Both Laura and I are now working to ensure that these sorts of stories don’t happen to others. I  launched the #ParentsAtWork series on my blog earlier this year, interviewing men and women with similar experiences to raise awareness and change perceptions, while Laura is working with the Power to the Bump campaign, even speaking in Parliament last month on the subject of pregnancy discrimination. 

If you are suffering stress during your pregnancy – whether caused by issues at work or not – Holly (Little Pickle’s Mom) has some great tips for managing stress during your pregnancy. 

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

But whether you were made redundant, felt your original role didn’t fit with your new lifestyle, or even were simply returning to the job you’ve done for ten years – returning to work after having children is a big change for all involved.

Sarah (Arthur Wears) actually runs and entire series on her blog, interviewing people who have experienced a career change as a result of having children that is well worth checking out. Hannah (Hi Baby Blog) also recently wrote about how having a child, and becoming a parent blogger have affected her career in an unexpected way. And Jess (Babi a Fi) shared an old post looking back at how her career as a Labour Councillor has changed over the years and what she’s learned. 

Sarah (Bump2Baby) wrote about starting a new job after time off with her bubba, attending interviews and finding the right fit when looking for a new job. If you’re in the same boat, check out Bilna’s posts (Monsoon Breeze) on tips for returning to work as a mama and how to keep up with your career while you’re on Mat/Pat Leave. 

Finding the balance

This is a phrase that comes up again and again. Balance. The somewhat illusive golden chalice of career-meets-family life! It seems we’re all trying to find it in our own way. Whether going part-time like Amy (Smallest of Things) or like Gemma, (The Cotswolds Mum Blog) who is swapping working from home in favour of an office so that her time at home is quality time with the family.

What’s your experience of work after kids? Have you found the balance yet? 

Thank you to everyone who submitted posts this month. Whether you’re a veteran blogger or new to the scene, please send your posts through to Amie (@findingourfeet) each month via Twitter and join in the conversation using the hashtag, #ParentsUnder30.

(So far, no blogging under 30 dads have come forward – if you’re out there, give us a shout!)