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This
is a reprint of an article I first published in my
newsletter in honor of my daughter's graduation from
high school.
We've
known since the day our Danielle was born seventeen and a half
years ago, that someday she would leave home for college.
But in spite of the passing years and the
"day-is-drawing-near" milestones along the way, my
husband and I still found ourselves in a state of denial as we watched our "little girl"
receive her high school diploma this
past Friday night.
Adding
insult to injury, Danielle wasn't the only graduation in our
house on Friday. Our younger daughter Juliana graduated
the same day from middle school -- yet another reminder that our
days as 24/7 hands-on parents are quickly coming to an end.
Indeed,
graduation is one of those markers in time, when you sit back,
reflect and take stock. Not surprisingly, I've recently found
myself spending a lot of time thinking about my role as a parent
and wondering:
"If I had a chance to do it all over again,
what would I do differently?"
Like
all parents, I've made my share of both smart and less-than-brilliant
decisions along the parenting road. But of all the
choices I've made, one of my wisest was the move I made nine
years ago to become a home-based working mom.
I
won't tell you the entrepreneurial road has always been easy or
profitable. When I started my business, my husband was traveling
pretty near full-time and with
two small children at home, I rarely worked more than fifteen
hours a week. I'm not sure I even netted a thousand dollars my
first year (okay, I am sure that I didn't, but I'm trying
to forget).
And
yet, in spite of the fact that it took me more years than I
expected to begin earning a reasonable income stream, I always
considered my business a success. I loved what I was doing, I
was constantly learning, and I believed in the value of my
mission -- empowering women to find better ways to mesh
meaningful careers with family.
That
said, there were definitely moments when I got very frustrated
with my inability to grow the business. As much as I loved my
children, I felt hampered by my parenting obligations.
There were days when I would fantasize about a time when the kids
would be more self-sufficient, leaving me with blocks of time to
work blessedly uninterrupted.
Of
course, over the years, the children did grow more independent. And,
as the children got older, my ability to balance work and family got
significantly easier. I now have frequent blocks of
uninterrupted work-time. In fact, I actually welcome the
interruptions from the kids these days. It helps break up
my routine to get the daily update when they return from school,
and in an ironic twist, they now get irritated with me when I
start chatting with them when they have homework to complete.
As
I said before, working at home hasn't always been easy. But
if I had a chance to do it again, I wouldn't hesitate a second
to go down the same road again.
For
me, being a home-based entrepreneur was--and is--definitely the
right choice. Working from home gave me flexibility when I
needed it most, and now as I face the looming empty-nest
syndrome, my business keeps me busy, happy and provides me the
funds to help pay those (gulp) college bills.
When
I made the choice to be a work-from-home Mom, I never thought
this time would fly so quickly. But it did for me...and it will
for you too.
Someday,
probably a lot sooner then you expect, you'll find yourself
asking, "Where did the time go?" Whether your child is
now two or ten or a pre-teen, in a seeming "blink of an eye" you
will be watching them walk down the aisle at their graduation.
When
that moment comes, will you be happy about the work-life choices
you've made?
If
the answer is no, commit to making a change today. If you're a
stay-at-home mom worried about facing the empty nest syndrome,
think about going to a workshop geared for sequencing Moms. If
you've always wanted to work from home, spend the next few
months researching new business ideas. If you're fed up with
work, take the time to figure out next steps, polish up the
resume and get that job search into gear.
Don't
wait for a "better time". Take charge of building the
future you've always dreamed of starting today and make this the year you
schedule your own personal work-life commencement.
I
guarantee you won't regret it.
Copyright Nancy
Collamer 2008
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