Recently, I got offered a short-term position. It’s under two weeks, but there’s a lot of training and a lot of work to be done beforehand, which makes it a bigger time commitment.
When I first got the job, I was super excited. I then got really nervous, and questioned if I should really take the job. How would I manage my household, and another team of people? Could I leave my kids overnight again? Am I really ready to get back into the professional world? Is my “Mommy” brain up to the challenge?
After many discussions in my head, many with my husband, many with my mom, I decided to make a list to make my final decision. I’ve always been a list maker. I think it’s because I’m more of a visual learner, so it helps to see all my options laid out in front of me.
These are the Pros and Cons I came up with:
Pros:
-Extra much needed income for our family
-The chance to use the skills I worked so hard for in school
-The opportunity to interact with adults
-A change in my normal routine
-A chance to prove myself to a new company, which could lead to future opportunities
Cons:
-Being away from and missing my babies (I stay at home with them, so not seeing them a couple days in a row is a pretty big deal for me)
-Making childcare work for all the overnight and extra hours (this means making sure our parents can help us out)
-Missing some events in my kid’s life (Halloween Party, Birthday Party, Trick-or-treating)
-Some things not getting done in the house in the same manner or in the same time period (laundry, shopping, dishes, etc.)
Even though it may not seem like a big deal to some people, I take decisions like this very seriously. We made the decision for me to stay home out of necessity because we really couldn’t afford in home childcare, and we had two very tiny, recovering babies at home who couldn’t go to daycare due to their health. I’ve become attached to seeing them and caring for them everyday, and they have become attached to me too. It’s hard to change an established routine.
But, at the end of the day, the Pros really did outweigh the Cons. This position will be good for my future career, financially for my family, and hopefully not too tough on everyone else. We are so lucky that our parents have stepped into help because it will make the transition easier for the kids.
I also realize how lucky I am that I even get to make a decision like this. Some moms and/or Dads have to work no matter what, and would take whatever job they can find.
For all these reasons, I hope I make my family proud by doing a great job in this position.
First step, out-of-town training….to be continued
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