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Nursing!!

I'm enjoying being a pediatrician, but i still have long hours.

Well I'm hoping to go into nursing - and partly because of how flexible the schedule can be! It's a great income with great benefits as well as really fulfilling.

Teaching has benefits in terms of schedule, but pay isn't always great - I have a huge respect for teachers because I know they have to really love what they do to put up with being underpaid for a position that takes a TON of patience, discipline and talent.

@gingerk: I think it can be my husband is a teacher but he teaches for a college so he teaches a couple evening classes a week. In some ways his job is nice but it would be nicer if he worked normal school hours instead. It sure would make child care easier because I work late!

@gingerk: I think teaching is a great one. My husband is a professor, but we have a lot of friends who are teachers from elementary through college level.

It's so nice to have a parent home whenever there is a snow day, all school holidays, and part of the summer (contrary to popular belief, teachers don't get all summer off!). Thanks to my husband's flexible schedule he was able to come to all my pregnancy appointments, and when LO is sick and has to come home from daycare or needs to go to the doctor, we really trade off pretty equally, as we both are not tied to a desk 8-5.

It makes scheduling vacations as a family easier too, since we can plan around my husband's schedule and then only rangle with one person using up vacation time.

If I was thinking about going back to school, I would probably look into teaching!

My job works pretty well for me. I work 8-4 with every weekend off. If I have errands to run or need to take time off due to my LO being sick or whatnot, I just let them know. I can usually either take sick/personal time or just make up the time another day.

However, I'm a pharmacy technician and that's not a typical schedule for my field. I work in long-term care, but most retail and hospital pharmacy tech jobs have crazy hours. I worked in a retail pharmacy before this, and my schedule was just all over the place.

I agree with @MamaCate:

Plenty of white collar, corporate jobs these days offer flexibility and strive to provide their employees with a healthy work/life balance in a variety of fields. I think Google really set the bar with doing away with the traditional 8-5 clock in and clock out mindset.

Both my husband and I have flexible, WFH schedules and are home no later than 5:30 pm M-F. We're both salaried and have management that believes that as long as you get your job done and done well, then they're not going to be looking over your shoulder watching your every move. We get plenty of PTO, and if I need to take off for a couple hours to go to the doctor it isn't a big deal and they don't track it.

My SIL is a nurse and she really hates her job, but she might be an anomaly. Along the lines of nursing, going the physician's assistant route might be another option. I wonder why people always mention nursing, but never mention PA's since they're very similar.

Honestly, I think of you are working in the corporate world, you have to put your time in to gain flexibility. The only reason I can do what I do is because I have a proven track record and I deliver. I have 15 years experience and I know my stuff. I didn't 10 years ago, but that is because I was still working my way around and learning.

I personally could never be a nurse( can't really handle procedures and stuff) and I couldn't be a teacher ( not a lot of patience) but I respect those career choices for others immensely!!

I am also a graphic designer/art director.... After spending years in advertising I recently switched to an in-house agency as a designer - and I love it! The hours are MUCH better and we are more in control of deadlines. A lot less stress, and other people to help out if you are slammed.

@MamaCate: same with me. I love the flexibility that I have

I'm in online marketing, and work an 8-5 job. It works because i know my set hours and leave on the dot at 5 and never have to work weekends. Very much a typical "office" job.

@irene: I'm currently a SAHM, but looking into other options even if just part time.

Teaching. my mom was a teacher and was always home with us when we got home from school. Sure, she had work to do when she got home but we weren't latch key kids.

I think *my* perfect job for a working mom would be doing what I do now, just part time so I could be with her for more hours out of the day.

@irene: yes true! I don't get in 8 hours but I am able to usually work 4 hours (15 mins here and there) and then a few hours after kids are in bed!

@irene: I think that freelancing (taking in your own clients rather than working full time for a client on an ongoing basis) will always have that kind of workflow. I used to freelance for a bit but I much prefer the clock in / clock out stability and structure of the corporate world. And like you, I cannot work from home! When I do have to stay home with a sick kid, my work is very aware that I can only check in when the kid is sleeping. Or in the evening when Wagon Sr. gets home. They are very understanding.

@irene: yeah, that's the tradeoff. The projects are not as sexy. I lucked out by working for a really cool place. And I lucked out by being able to work 8-4. Traffic is horrible and it usually takes more than an hour to make a 20 minute drive. Daycare is right next to our home which is outside the city. But that's the tradeoff.

@Mrs. High Heels: a PA is a bit more schooling (masters as opposed to a bachelors). So it requires more time. However a CNP and PA are nearly identical and if all goes well and I do become a nurse and love it, I plan to eventually become a CNP. The bonus to that is that it requires nursing experience- so you go into it knowing your stuff ( a PA doesn't). But you still function as a primary care provider just like a doctor does, with just a few limitations. It also helps break up the schooling aspect. I can become a nurse in 3-4 years right now, work as a nurse for several years and once all my kid(s) are in school full time, go back to school for a masters in nursing to become a CNP.

I think any career that has flexibility is ideal for a working mom.

Your LO will get sick and have to stay home from school no matter what job you have. The difference is how easy is it for you and SO to handle it when LO is home from school.

When LO is sick, DH and I do a lot of juggling. Sometimes one of us will take a sick day. Sometimes we can't. So we work from home if possible, juggling who's working and who's taking care of LO. That also means we may be online earlier and working later than we normally would. We also are fortunate to have family near by that we can also use in a pinch.