This is a collaborative post
We all acknowledge motherhood as a blessing. But we can also view it as a curse. An odd misconception has long hovered over the notion of parenthood. A notion that in order to be a good mother you have to only be a mother. Nobody ever says this out loud, of course. It’s implicit, a subtext that limits women and inhibits their dreams and aspirations. For generations women have assumed that we can’t possibly have it all. That we must choose between parental fulfilment and fulfilment in our jobs, our careers, our hobbies and our other pursuits.
But that simply isn’t true.
If you’re a new Mum you may well feel adrift in a roiling ocean of turmoil and change. Your lifestyle, your body, your mind, all of it is in a state of flux. You may be coming to terms with your changing body and wondering how long it will take to resemble your pre-baby self. You may be dealing with postpartum depression. You may, in fact, feel as though you are at your least formidable… But believe me, babe…
Right now, you’re the best you’ve ever been!
You’ve just done the most miraculous thing in the world… You’ve created a life! You’ve created a tiny person who loves you completely and will always love you no matter what cross words pass between you, and no matter how far apart you might be. Your body and mind have adapted to enormous change with aplomb.
Many new Mums can mourn their old lives and the simplicity that they represented. And while this is understandable, you need to come to terms with the fact that you will never be the same again… And that’s a good thing!
Parenthood is a challenge… But not a limitation
There’s no denying that parenthood is a challenge. It would be misleading and irresponsible to say otherwise. But it’s a mistake to assume that challenges are limitations. Challenges can be overcome. They are only restrictions if we allow them to be.
Challenges are scary, but they’re also great. They make us into the best versions of ourselves. Without a little adversity in our lives we can become complacent, yet it’s at times when we are challenged that we can surprise ourselves. We can become stronger, cleverer, more resilient and more dynamic than we ever thought possible.
In so many ways parenthood is not the end… It’s just the beginning.
Who says you have to go back to work when your maternity leave is up?
Many Mums enjoying their maternity leave, view the return to their old job with mounting dread as it looms ever closer. It’s common to feel as though you’ve forgotten how to do your job or that your colleagues will take you less seriously because of your nascent motherhood. Nonetheless, unless you really enjoyed and felt empowered by your job… Who says you have to go back to it?
Your maternity leave is a great opportunity to gain new skills, educate yourself and rethink your career, whether that comes from a change in job, a change in career or even a move from the career ladder to the path of entrepreneurship.
By studying an MBA online in the United Kingdom you can learn about the world of business and glean the skills you need to develop a business of your very own. Alternatively, you can develop an idea for a side hustle which you manage alongside your parental commitments and your day job (especially if you’re returning to work on a part time basis). As your customer base grows this can snowball into a full time career opportunity.
Parenthood makes you a master of multitasking and a virtuoso of time management. These are important skills for entrepreneurship or for seeking new opportunities in the world of work.
Being a parent is expensive… But it could see your finances improve
Another common misconception is that parenthood will necessarily decimate your household finances. There’s no denying that raising a child in 21st century Britain is an expensive prospect. There are so many expenses to be taken into consideration from baby clothing to prams and car seats to setting a little something aside for their future.
However, parenthood encourages us to be more disciplined in many ways. For many new families this also extends to their household budgeting. By exerting more scrutiny and control over your finances than you did in your pre-baby days you may find that you’re able to save more and escape debt despite your new baby costs.
The world is a big place, share it with your kids
If you were long ago bitten by the travel bug you could be forgiven for thinking that parenthood will curtail your globetrotting. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Provided you’re able to master the art of saving, there’s no reason why you can’t begin sharing the world with your little ones from a very young age.
Travel is a fantastic education for young minds. The earlier you can expose them to new cultures, languages, sights, sounds and scents,and of course people the better. Travel helps kids to grow up more rounded, understanding and tolerant of change and difference.
Image by PxHere
You get to fall in love with the stuff you enjoy all over again
One of the most wonderful things about being a Mum is that you get to experience the things you fell in love with as a child all over again. You can read them the books your Mum read to you when you were little. You can enjoy all the Disney films that made you laugh, cry and cheer in your childhood. Through your kids you can rediscover that long-dormant part of your childhood self and inject a few sparkly drops of wonderment into your life.
And don’t even get me started on the Christmases! Parenthood gives you an opportunity to see the world through your child’s eyes and quite simply this makes the world, so quotidian and mundane, seem magical again.
So, every time you feel worried or anxious about your new career in motherhood remember. This is just the beginning of a wonderful new adventure!
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