Please welcome our first guest writer: Francesca Varney from Wonderchicks who is talking about mums returning to work and what they need to do.

Advice for Mums Returning to Work

If you’ve been out of the work force for an extended period, the thought of going back can seem quite daunting. It can be months between the first thought of going back to work, and actually activating the first steps in a plan to make it happen.

For many women who take a career break to be at home with their children, the very thought of trying to fit work in between school drop off, kinder drop off, grocery shopping, house cleaning; it can seem thoroughly overwhelming. Here are my five tips for mums returning to work that will get you started.

1. Look within yourself

Find something you are passionate about. Ask yourself: What I would do for the rest of my life for eight hours a day, if money wasn’t an issue?

Consider how your values have changed since having your family. Did you love your work, before you had your kids? The answer to this is quite revealing. Knowing your values and your mission is the secret to finding out what you are really passionate about. It can also be a  driver of change; a chance to consider a new (maybe slightly crazy) idea.

2. Rely on your friends

Fiendships are a key to happiness. Friends, both old and new, provide us with distinct benefits. One friend may be a confidante, another  might make you laugh, another may always have a bottle of wine in the fridge. Leaning on friends for emotional support takes the pressure off partners and children to be everything.

Check-in with your friends regularly, not once a month or once a quarter. Friendships are about mutual support and fun. You’ll find your friend will be more inclined to emergency-pick-up your crazy kids from school if you emergency-glass-of-wined her over a small nervous breakdown!

3. Put ‘mother’s guilt’ aside and forget about being perfect

A recent survey in TODAY.COM showed that the biggest stressor in a mother’s life was due to seeking perfection. Of the mothers that were surveyed, 75 per cent said they are most stressed by the pressure they put themselves under. Accept that you need or want to work and that ultimately it will benefit your child.

We all want the best for our children. Be grateful for your happy children, your comfortable home, the great community you live in. This is much more beneficial to your children and it might just create the bit of extra space that you need.

Our children will not suffer from neglect if we take being a mother a little more light-heartedly. It will teach them that we are humans with flaws, and will give them the freedom just to be the child that they are. Seeing you go to work will show your child that there is a world beyond their orbit, and that in itself will go towards producing a well-rounded, considerate person.

4.  Fill the confidence gap

Mothers often experience a dip in self-confidence when it comes to their career and the prospect of returning to work. It is very common, and is due to a combination of issues. Your industry may have changed, your professional network may have changed or you may have lost touch, and you don’t have the same flexibility that you had prior to children. Mothers then question how their skill set could be of any value to any employer.

Rebuilding self-confidence can be a slow process and must come from within yourself. Just by starting the conversation with other mothers in similar situations, can break the isolation. It helps to know that many other women feel the same way.

By initiating these conversations you will make yourself feel better and probably someone else as well. Sharing the experience will strengthen you.

5. Get the ball rolling

Here are a few things you can do now to start thinking in a meaningful way about where you want to go with your career.

Review your career aspirations. Make a list of your skills, include new skills that you have gained through parenting, not just what you had when you finished work.

Create a mind map that covers what you are good at, what you enjoy, what you think you may want to do, and steps you will take to make it happen.

Take a look at Seek. Research suitable job ads and note the skills that employers are looking for. You may be pleasantly surprised. If you need to improve your skills, look at doing a short course.

Consider doing some volunteer or charity work to prepare you for the paid workforce.

If you’ve reached the point where you know you want to return to work but are not sure where to go from here, Wonderchicks run a series of workshops designed specifically for mums returning to work. For further information or details on upcoming workshops on these topics, visit our website http://www.wonderchicks.com.au

We have also just started a Meetup group called “Mums happily returning to work”. If people are interested they can join the group here http://www.meetup.com/Mums-happily-returning-to-work/ and see what events and workshops are coming up. The next workshop is on April 13th on “Reversing the guilt of returning to work”.

Francesca Varney,

Francesca is a mum of two and a consultant supporting mothers to return to work confidently. Her workshops are designed to find a job that gives a woman stimulation and excitement beyond raising children while being able to have a balanced family life. Her mission statement is: Happy mothers make happier children.

Sign up for one of her workshops today on http://www.wonderchicks.com.au and follow her on Facebook at “Wonderchicks”.