Anyone started a new career after being a SAHM and found it rewarding?

[Catz]

I've been reading the other thread, on giving up a career and regretting it, with interest. Can I ask a related question, has anyone switched to a new and fulfilling career after being a SAHM/D?

I'm currently on maternity leave and having the familiar dilemma about whether to go back or not (I will for a few months at least as a trial). I enjoy my job and worked hard to get there but it's very demanding and PT is not an option. If I give this job up for more than a few months then there's no way back - it's very dependent on current knowledge and on what you've recently achieved. I'd love to be at home whilst my child/ren are small but am worried that the price will be a lifetime of menial low-level jobs. How realistic is it to take a chunk of time off then retrain or go into something new and fulfilling? If a crystal ball could tell me that I could do this then I'd give up today!

Thanks

That sounds like fun aoliver. Do you do it from home or do you go to playgroups etc?

Money isn't everything, look at the state of the world economy driven on greed instead of need. Yurt1 I would rather be remember as someone who did something like you are doing than for the size of my bankbook.

Or the size of your island

My best friend is incredibly wealthy (probably wealthier than xenia). She's always been motivated by money (and she's earned it- worked very hard for it). She knows that it's never motivated me and she doesn't appear to be threatened by that. Nothing wrong with being motivated by money, but very unimaginative to assume that everyone would go for it if they could.

good for you aoliver
what did you do before? was it related or completely different?

i am thinking about all this right now for next year (first plan ever in my life) so need to get it right...
prob self employed probably based on arts but am open to options so checking them out
interesting about the woman businesses thing, when i rang learn direct they refused to meet me face to face cause i had a degree..yeh but yeh but i had NO direction..
joined up goverment my ass..

but i agree yurt, xenia our priorities are all different and this job, sahm, has been the hardest most rewarding and would not have missed for the world..

Mind you with all these banks in trouble maybe we will be giving out thift lessons

In fact maybe we could all get grants to become "thirt advicers" and "how to be happy with your reduced lot life coaches"

Advisors even

DR, I found my local Business Advice Centre very helpful, though I think it's more for when you have decided what you want to do.

I know many women and men aren't interested in money but it's a pity so many women give up good careers and earn a pittance for the rest of their lives and their husbands never make that sacrifice.

There will be lots of examples - the lady who set up the White Company did rather well but I don't know if that was post babies.

redadmiral, thanks

xenia, what about the mumsnet people, are they not as you describe..though they will probably deny having made truck loads of dosh

fwiw i agree with you, the difficulty is also fitting proper careers round school times if you wish to be around before and after...

i think the country's employers do themselves and the many talented multi-tasking sahm's by not offering imaginative ways of employ when school rolls round..

Well if it's sold lke Bebo just was then yes it can be lucrative and Friendsreunited was in a sense similar too but most aren't sold and don't succeed. I don't know enough about how advertising revenues work to know what the likely current profits would be and I wouldn't like to speculate but it's obviously an appropriate example. The nurse who had babies and then set up a nursing agency from home which turns over millions did well. There certainly are examples and for many women it's a huge lot easier to return to something lucrative than to be on the minimum wage until they're 65. So if you have a choice I'd try to pick something well paid.

Xenia - last year I earned the same amount in my new job as the old.
Though to be fair my old job was v badly paid..
I'm hoping that this year will be even better.
In any event it's much more fun and I can fit it in around the aliens.