At the age of 43 I decided that it was finally time for ME! I love and adore my children but suddenly realised they weren’t going to be around home much longer as they were turning 19 and 16. What was I going to do with myself then?
I have always written things, going way back to my school days. As I write this I have been published in various parenting magazines, the Next Magazine, I have written and had published two children’s books and have been a regular columnist for an online parenting magazine.
It was an easy decision to go back to school – well WITT actually – and I’m doing a Diploma in Journalism. Most days my brain feels like it is going to explode with all the extra work it is being forced to do! So many years have passed since I was in a classroom.
Here we are a term through the course already and I have managed to get 93% for a local government test and pass a research dossier project with high praise for my detective skills. It makes me realise that I am more than capable and journalism diploma here I come!
When I was looking through my writer’s portfolio I saw that I first had my name in print In June 2004. It was a letter to the editor in a parenting magazine and man was I excited when I saw that. Looking back it just makes me realise how long I have had this dream so I thought I would share it:-
I, too consider myself a career mum. I have two children, a girl, aged seven and a boy, aged four.
With my first child, I returned to work after one year, leaving her in the care of my mother. I got really jealous of the time they spent together and wished it was me. Unfortunately for us, we really needed the money and this seemed to be the best situation all round.
With my second child, I made the decision to stay at home and have motherhood as my career. My opinion is that we have bonded better and understand each other. It certainly hasn’t been a cruisy time, but has been mainly enjoyable.
My daughter has benefited from me being home too, as I have been able to go on school trips and have spent some time in the classroom.
I think going on school trips is really important. It is quite sad to see the children’s faces saying their parents can’t come as they are at work, and wonderful to see my daughter excited because I have made it.
My son started straight into morning kindy at three years old, which meant five mornings 8:30-12:30. I made the most of my free time for about five months and then an opportunity came along that I couldn’t turn down.
I was offered a job for four days a week, start time when I got there and finish time was noon, so I could get my son from kindy. If I had a school trip I worked my day off in place of the day I wanted off. If the children were sick I rang in as soon as possible. The wages weren’t startling but the conditions were perfect.
I am currently looking at doing something in the writing arena, now that my work has helped me purchase a computer. This would enable me to have intellectual work and still be there for my children. I love my children first and foremost and consider my job title is “mother – definitely not “home executive”, as some people try to title me!