Thoughts on Being a Working Mother

When Hubby and I got together, we knew we wanted more children, so we talked about how we'd make that work. We decided together that, while they were small, one of us needed to be at home with them. Since Hubby's earning potential is much higher than mine, the choice was easy. I love being a mother, and I have really relished being at home with them. So, now that Tertius is approaching school age, my thoughts turned to what happens when all four kids are in school full-time. And that scared me a bit. Well, maybe more than a bit :)

You see, I have pretty well no marketable skills for the workforce. Hubby would disagree, but I've been out of the work force since 2008, and not doing the type of work I'd want to be doing since 2005. And I had no formal training for that (basically, I had related practical experience and lucked into the job I had, which now requires a 2 year university program). That means that if I want to continue in that line of work, I'd need to go back to school for 2 years, then do 300+ hours of volunteering, then get an established person in that field to sign off on an endorsement. So I figured I'd best start thinking about it now. In my heart, I have no grand career aspirations; all I've ever wanted is to be a wife and mother. So, going back to work was not a prospect I particularly relished.

Then I brought it up with hubby. And he surprised me.

Turns out, he never assumed that I would just automatically rejoin the workforce once the kids were in school. He said that if it was what I wanted, then he's behind me, but if I want to be at home, that's okay with him, too. I really don't see myself in some low-to-moderately paying job for the rest of my employable years. I have a home-based business that's not really doing much right now (and I'm totally okay with that), but I have found that creating is what really brings me joy. So, I'm beginning work on entering a crafting niche market - geek crafts. I'm working out prototypes, and I'm creating, which puts a smile on my face :) This could enable me to stay home, bring in some income, AND do something I really love. Already, I've taken two knitting commissions and have another in the wings, so it looks like things are off to a good start.

And now, back to creating!