| ime has come to call a truce in the so-called | | | | life’s unexpected curve balls of divorce, |
| “mommy wars.” | | | | widowhood, spousal unemployment, or disability. |
| Everywhere you look these days there are | | | | Keep an eye on emergency employment options, |
| stories about hard feelings and judgments | | | | and ask yourself, “what would I do if I |
| between stay-at-home moms and employed | | | | needed to get a job tomorrow?” Consider |
| moms. Fortunately, in the real world, I perceive | | | | long-term strategies as well, asking “what |
| much less conflict than the media portrays. | | | | is my ideal life-long career path?” Time at |
| I have several strategies for healing the mommy | | | | home with young children can provide an |
| wars. First and foremost is to decide that | | | | opportunity to plant the seeds for a future career |
| it’s time to work together. Any effort | | | | path. |
| that women spend judging each other is wasted | | | | Here are five practical strategies to help you stay |
| energy that could be used instead to work | | | | at the top of your game and ease your transition |
| together for common goals. | | | | back into the work world after taking time off: |
| If you think about it, there is really no | | | | 1. Maintain and build networks. Keep in touch with |
| “us” versus | | | | old colleagues in your professional persona, and |
| “them,” only “us.” | | | | cultivate relationships in all the groups you belong |
| Nearly eight of 10 American women return to | | | | to. |
| work by the time their first child reaches five | | | | 2. Update marketable skills. Take classes and |
| years of age. Despite the stereotypes you see in | | | | consider going back to school part time to get a |
| the headlines, becoming a stay-at-home mom is | | | | certificate or degree that will help advance your |
| not a one-way trip out of the paid workforce for | | | | career later. |
| most women. | | | | 3. Keep up with new developments. Read relevant |
| Perhaps more importantly, it’s time we | | | | publications and maintain continuing education |
| realize that even when women take very | | | | requirements needed to keep your professional |
| different career paths, most of us experience | | | | licenses current. |
| similar pressures. The search for quality childcare, | | | | 4. Volunteer. Volunteering will keep your intellect |
| family-friendly employment and financial security | | | | sharp and can introduce you to influential people |
| can play out in very different ways. | | | | within your community. In addition to traditional |
| One mom may stay home because her employer | | | | volunteering such as field trip chaperoning or class |
| could not accommodate her request for part-time | | | | clean-up, seek out opportunities that let you use |
| work, while another woman goes back to work | | | | your professional talents and could tie in to future |
| because she secured a job-share. Some women | | | | employment. |
| can afford to stay at home, others can’t. | | | | 5. Build your resume. Writing journal publications or |
| Some women can’t afford to go back to | | | | articles, giving conference talks, making |
| their jobs because the cost of day care is more | | | | presentations to local community organizations, or |
| than their take-home pay. | | | | becoming involved in the local Chamber of |
| We need to work together to increase | | | | Commerce all offer ways to show continued |
| family-friendly career options for all women, | | | | involvement. |
| because very few of us can truly count on being | | | | For all mothers, the day will come when our |
| stay-at-home moms forever, and many of us | | | | youngest child grows up and moves on to pursue |
| would like to resume careers when our children | | | | his or her own dreams. Thanks to our increased |
| get older. | | | | life spans, most of us moms can count on |
| Every woman needs a back-up plan that will | | | | decades of productive living, working, and creating |
| enable her to go back to work when necessary. | | | | during our empty-nest years. |
| This is good planning for our families as well as | | | | It’s more important than ever to take a |
| ourselves. It is difficult to think about, but any of | | | | lifelong view of our careers. Let’s join |
| us could find ourselves in a situation that requires | | | | forces now to lay the groundwork that will |
| us to become the primary breadwinner. In my | | | | maximize our current work options, as well as |
| own life I have seen women close to me suffer | | | | pave the way for the exciting “next |
| serious financial blows when faced with one of | | | | act” in our lives. |