Hellobee Boards

I voted yes, though it isn't quite true. My plans are the same...my ability to make meaningful progress on them is completely derailed

Same course, but I'm down to 80% technically.

No, not in the long term. but I've been working part time since lo was born so it's taking me longer to finish my phd than I planned.

@irene: oh that's tough!

It's especially hard when it feels like every other mom is a SAHM. I struggle with this at work and in my personal life. It's hard to have it all!

I landed a major promotion right around when my LO was one. I felt like I gained 5+ years of responsibility (and $$$!) in one bound. And I worked hard for it. I'm still in the same position with some desire to advance, but most days I think I would be happy to stay where I'm at (the company and the position) for a couple more years.

I'm not as ambitious as I was (before motherhood), and I think that's partly because I was relatively inexperienced and had no real good idea of what it took to be so ambitious, and partly because I like the work-life balance I have now.

After DS I switched companies and took a bit of a different role. I didn't do too much to further myself but now that he's 3.5 I'm doing some training/courses so I can move in a new direction in the next couple years with what I'm doing.

plans changed as a result of motherhood, but in a different way. I used to think being a mom is all I wanted, but realized I wanted more than to be simply "mom".

I got a part time job when he was a year old, and shortly after I went back to school for a nursing degree. I finished right before he turned four and it's the best thing I ever did for myself.

A few months into my new job, DH was given word his company was going under and he'd be laid off in three months. He's now unemployed and I don't know where we'd be if I hadn't started working when I did.

I actually dislike my current position, but I have my short and long term goals in place and need to pay my dues in my first position before I start reaching those goals. End goal is to be a midwife and I wouldn't have had that goal if I hadn't become a mother

I feel the pressure to prove myself more at work which is hard coming back from maternity leave and taking time to pump several times a day. Being the breadwinner for the family, feeling the need to prove myself to be able to be promoted, earn more is hard because at the same time I don't want to spend more time in the office. I don't want to work 60 hours a week. It's a challenge.

Being a parent has made me more career focused because the stakes are so much higher now. I don’t just have to be concerned with myself or myself & my husband, but I have to make sure that I remain financially stable to ensure stability in LO’s life. I also don’t want to rely on a spouse for my child’s financial wellbeing because you never know what might happen; layoffs, divorce, accidents, whatnot happen to people every single day so I need to make sure that I’m continually positioning myself strongly in the workforce.

Since having LO I also have become a lot more focused with my time out of necessity - I don't want to work much more than 40 hours a week, but I want to remain competitive. I’ve changed employers and gotten 2 promotions (1 huge promotion) since having kids.

I’m also 35 now so I’m in a very different place than if I was in my early 20’s with kids, and my answer to this question then might have been very different.

I am firmly of the mindset that when you really need a job, it's very difficult to find one that checks off all the boxes. I like to work, I am decent at it and I don't want to ever be in the position of having to either be the sole breadwinner or depend on someone else, so while my husband and I are both able, we work. I also believe that you have to put your time in, that takes time and I don't want all this time to have been for nothing.

Now that our son is in the picture, I do try to have conversations with him about what it means to work, why we do it. It also means that I am much more thoughtful about my time. Very rarely do I have any spare time, so I try to make every minute (within reason) count.

Mine changed completely. I was a very focused career woman working 50-60 hrs per week, earning almost half again what DH does, but became a SAHM when I had LO. I haven't missed working much, and am not sure if I'll go back to my previous industry when I do go back to work. I had transitioned from a technical role to project management, so feel I could apply that to many new opportunities.

I always envisioned that I'd be a stay at home mom, but DH is still in school. Still I think we're finally down to a year and a half left. So that means I've been breadwinner, and will be till DH graduates and gets a job.

This is just my second job and I'm one of the most senior in my department, so I've worked my way into a very niche position with a boss that trusts me to get my work done and largely manage my hours as I see best. So even though I've thought about continuing down the professional track (I'd love to manage, but the only people I'd manage here are people I dislike), I feel like now I'm just biding my time in my niche job till I can quit. Especially with #2 on the way now.

Ifanything, its motivated me to pursue my career even more. I didnt think this would happen, but it did. I never planned on getting a masters, but now i have a 16 month old, am 5 months pregnant, and am 2 classes away from graduating while working full time. I do plan on switchingto part time(2 12 hour shifts a week) for a Couple of years after i have the 2nd baby before I plan on jumping into ,management full time.

Kids haven't changed anything for me.

I always wanted to be a SAHM and was working as an underpaid operations analyst when I became pregnant.
We tried me staying at home for a year but the high cost of the delivery, plus items for a baby made it a huge stretch financially and we were headed underwater.
I got a job at a tech company that is very flexible and family friendly and pays Very well. I make more money than hubby and am more driven than ever!

Very similar to @mfa_lady actually!

I am also super thrilled for the maternity leave policy - 18 weeks fully paid.
I am finally finishing my degree and am halfway through. My goal is to break the 200k barrier by 2018. Hubs laughs at me when I say that, but it sure would help!

It hasn't really affected it at all, it's just a lot harder to get it all done!