When contemplating a career change away from full time employment, many women may have difficulty deciding whether to go into freelance contracting, or settle down to raise children full time.
When a full time position comes to an end, and without the
prospect of an immediate return to work, some women may ask
themselves the following question - kids or contracting?
It is, of course, a very personal decision whether to choose kids
over a freelance
career. Many women look back on their lives later, and wish
they'd chosen differently... whichever choice they made. There is
no one perfect solution, and the ultimate decision must consider
both the positive and negative aspects you'll face in
retrospect.
We've been raised, most of us, to believe that motherhood is a
sacred calling - and even the working mum has heard it suggested
that perhaps she would be happier (or, at least, those observing
her life from outside would be happier) if she stayed home with the
children. Many women, indeed, find that it is greatly fulfilling to
devote their lives to family and children.
For the woman who chooses to remain childless for the sake of her
career, there is no doubt that success can be rewarding, and there
are often no or few regrets. What regrets there are, in many
instances, stem primarily from the judgments and disapproval of
others. However, the career woman will frequently look to herself
first and foremost for approval, and is not overly burdened by
societal pressures.
The working mum can also find herself contemplating, time and
again, the benefits of working from home. That
is, combining kids with a freelance job. There, she reasons, she
can raise her children while working on her career - gaining the
best of both worlds. And many such working mums do, in fact, find
it a fulfilling and rewarding way to advance both their home lives
and their positions in the business world.
Again, the decision is not an easy one, and it is intensely
personal. Whichever choice is made affects one's life for many
years to come, and it is ultimately up to the individual which
choice is right for her.