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If you’ve taken a career break to have babies and look after your kids, the prospect of going back to work can be daunting, but it can also be really exciting too. If you have been thinking about the prospect of getting back to the grind lately, but you aren’t sure if you are ready, check out these tell-tale signs that working could be the right decision for you and your family.
1. You can afford decent child care
If you want to get back to work unless your children are old enough to take care of themselves, you’re going to need to find them a decent child care solution where they will be happy, healthy, and well looked after. So, before you do anything else, check out local options and make sure you can afford decent child care that you are comfortable with.
2. You frequently find yourself bored
You love your children, and you love spending time with them, but if you often find yourself bored, understimulated, and frankly tired of playing with the same train all day or reading the same book every evening, it could be that you need some more adult stimulation in your life, and getting back to work could be the ideal solution to that.
3. You put too much effort into things that don’t really matter
Sometimes, when women are at home and missing the world of work, they will try to seek similar stimulation by hyper-focusing on projects that don’t really require the level of input they are putting in. So, if you’ve found yourself spending 8 hours rearranging the kids’ closets or spending money on renovating what was a perfectly fine bathroom in the first place, it could be that you are yearning to get back to being a bit more productive, and going back to work or maybe even starting up your own business, would be a more fruitful way of finding the stimulation you seek.
4. You can leave your kids
If you are absolutely fine leaving your kids with friends or family members for an extended period so that you can get things done, it’s a good sign that you are ready to get back to work. Many moms aren’t comfortable leaving their children with anyone else, even a trusted person who they love, for more than a few minutes and this can be a real sticking point. If you’re cool with letting someone else have the kids for a spell, you should be able to get back into work without too much heartache, although those first few days are never going to be easy!
5. You miss it
If you frequently find yourself reminiscing about the office, your workmates (even the ones who annoy you), and the cut and thrust of working life, well that’s a pretty clear sign you’re ready. You’re literally waving a big red flag at yourself that working is what’s right for you right now.
Going back to work can be daunting but if you’re ready, it will be so much easier!
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