Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting

The new phenomenon that is occurring from our downward economy is for stay-at-home moms to return to the world of work, either because their husband’s have been laid off from their jobs, or they need to supplement their income.  This can create emotional feeliings these moms are not ready to face.  After all, these moms had made a commitment to stay home with their children, usually until they are ready to go to school.  Now, these moms are returning to work before their ready.  They often experience anger, guilt and resentment at having to go to work, even though they know it is what is needed for their family.  These moms also may experience anxiety at the thought of leaving their children with a caretaker, if it’s not dad, or at feeling they will miss out on certain milestones their children will have. 

Some things these moms can do is to acknowledge their feelings, whatever those are.  This should lead to having some deep conversations with their partner regarding the division of household duties and expectations.  It is important for moms to set strict boundaries and routines, such as bath time and bedtime.  This will allow the mom to have “me” time so she can get her tasks done, like paying the bills or doing the laundry, or just to have time alone or to spend with their partner.

These economoms often experience another set of feelings regarding their abilities - being out of the workforce typically causes them to question their abilities and skills and what they can offer to an employer.  I often hear, “Who will hire me?”  Well, a lot of employers, who see transferable skills in these women, such as mature decision-making, organization and project management, multitasking, conflict resolution, and the ability to bring a variety of people together to complete tasks or projects.  These are the “buzz words” that will transfer to a resume and can make employers proceed in the hiring process.

Some other tips to economoms include staying connected through networking, such as by attening association and networking groups or social networking sites, like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter; keeping their skills up by reading trade journals or taking a class - the internet is a wealth of information to learn about the latest industry news; polish up on your image and interviewing skills; know what you want to do -  focus on what career area that interests you - your purpose and passion; and update your resume.  See my interview on WKMG in Orlando - www.clickorlando.com.