Mom To Mom

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?

The pros and cons of going back to work

-Jill Coury

For some time now I have been considering going back to work. I am a housewife, and the mother of a six-, four- and three-year-old. As you can imagine, they keep me pretty busy, which is why most people give me that "deer-caught-in-headlights" look when I mention reentering the work force.

For the last two years I have allowed many things to detour me from pursuing my personal goals. Mostly, it was my insecurity of being judged as a part-time mom and bailing on my most important responsibility: my family.

Recently, my good friend Nicole encouraged me to start thinking about work again. She has spent countless hours listening to me whine about a career loss, while I've listened to stories about her exciting life with a bit of envy (not that I would trade my life with anyone...I love it). When Nicole offered me the chance to write, I couldn't pass up the opportunity, and soon I found myself sitting in my office while my fingers typed away. For the first time in a long time, I felt mental clarity and even had a true sense of accomplishment.

Over the course of the last few months, I've pondered the pros and cons of going back to work. Here is my list. Let me know how it adds up for you...

Pros

Personal independence

A sense of accomplishment

Extra income

Personal security

Cons

Time away from the children during their formative years

Extra pressure on both parents to accomplish more in less time

Who stays home when the kids are sick?

Long hours away (add in commute and any travel time if required)

Expenses incurred from going back to work: meals out, house cleaners, gardeners, dry-cleaning, babysitters or daycare

Which leads me to my last, and probably most important point: Daycare and nannies do not come cheap, nor are they a good replacement for the actual parent. Is it still possible to provide our children with quality time, even though it is less and there are more pressures and time constraints?

I am fairly certain each of the above items should NOT be rated equally, because every family will have different situations to consider, and the decision to go back to work is one that should be weighed thoughtfully. If all else fails, be your own boss and open a lemonade stand.

Going back to work? What's holding you back, if not?

Jill Coury is a married mother of three who lives the suburban dream: carpools, volunteer work and loads of dirty laundry! Visit her at www.jillcoury.com.