Monday, January 24, 2005

Mojo Grannie is the glue that holds everything together

If anyone ever wonders how I keep everything going, the answer is that my own mother, aka Mojo Grannie, is the glue that holds this whole operation together. As I have made the transition from stay-at-home Mom to author and entrepreneur, I have depended on Mojo Grannie more than ever to fill in the gaps in taking care of our child when my husband is working or traveling.

Between sickness and days off, it's amazing to see how much childcare we still need, even though our daughter is in kindergarten. I'd be in a really awkward situation if I didn't have Grannie, because I'd need a ton of babysitting but wouldn't have enough hours to offer to fully employ someone.

I'm interested to hear how other parents fill this need if they don't have family nearby who are willing and able to help out. One of my favorite creative solutions is to pair up an employed Mom and stay-at-home Mom who are already friends and create a long-term babysitting arrangement between them. The kids get to be friends, the woman who is at home gets extra income, and the employed woman has the peace of mind of feeling comfortable with her child's caregiver.

Sunday, January 16, 2005

"Is this the job for me?"

I've been thinking a lot about how stay-at-home Moms can stay prepared to re-enter the workforce. If a job opportunity comes up, how do we know whether to take it? It helps a lot to think about this ahead of time.

Each of us needs to develop a strategy that helps us plan beyond our stay-at-home years. Think about two things: "What job could I apply for right now if I suddenly needed to earn an income?" and "What is my dream job several years down the road?" Keep your qualifications current to help you land the emergency job as necessary, and start finding incremental ways to move toward your dream job (through classes, volunteering, or networking).

I know we're all busy at home, but the "stay at home" years can be a great time for exploration, or even a chance to start a degree program part time. Almost all of us will rejoin the workforce sooner or later, and we'll have much better options awaiting us if we plan ahead!