Kate’s little princess is reaching 2 end of this year. Thoughts of going back to work starts to linger in her head. Insomnia starts slipping in every night for the past 3 months. Restless and without much direction, she starts to hover for a job.

Mrs Lee left her high paid job as an Accountant after she gave birth to her first child. She followed her children to their preschools, well not as a student but a nursery teacher. She then left the preschool job when her youngest child reached Primary 1. Since then, she’s a stay at home mom and today she’s 40. Her eldest child is 14 and the youngest, 12. For the past 2 weeks, she has been busy devising plans to setup a daycare which she hope to occupy a vacant apartment unit next to hers.

Annie is currently taking care of her 8 year old son and 2 year old daughter all by herself. She too left her managerial admin job after her first child was born. Her son is a straight As student. Her husband, a Senior Executive, has been stationed all over the world for work. 3years in Japan, 2years in Australia now he’s in Singapore. Yea, Annie is one tough cookie. She’s got 2! Annie too is contemplating of returning to work.

Sarah, yours truly here, has been meaning to return to work after her contract of being a stay-at-home mom was long overdue. Hoping to continue spending time with her son, she crafted a few home businesses.

One month later….

Kate was offered jobs in numerous occasions. She’s in her early 30s and her resume has only a minor gap of 2years unemployment. Her parents offered her a job back in their own family business. So did her husband, who runs a business. Believing in the virtue of self attainment, she persisted in her plan to work half day in a preschool which she hope to register her daughter in, next year. Vanesse’s little princess is a bright little girl with impressive social skills.

Mrs Lee dropped her plan of opening her own daycare but felt very blessed to have landed on a job in an Account Department of a manufacturing sector which allow her flexible working hours. 3 days a week, 4hours each day. Not a bite off her time with her children really. Before it slipped my mind, both her children are also the top student breed.

Annie offered to chauffeur her 2year old daughter’s friends to school while trying to promote her recent affiliation with an e-business education program.

Amid much dismay of the slow business results, Sarah was offered a job as a Copywriter in a leading advertising firm.

One month later…

Kate dropped her plan of returning to work. Mrs Lee left her job. Annie disengaged all her endeavors of chauffeuring and e-biz. Sarah didn’t take up the job offer as it would require her to work in extensive long hours. She continued thriving in one of her home businesses till 2months later, she finally found a job with flexible clock-in and 5days week, plus a fun boss and fun colleagues. Yet, today Sarah remains a stay-at-home mom trying to nurture her capital deficit home business while hunting for the next stop in which she hopes to grow roots. I’m sure you can read between the lines

Could we be asking the right questions? How determined are moms in leaving their kids? Could it be that the big merry-go-round of returning to work was much attributed to a mere state of flux following each financial awakening in each family? Or could it be that the clock has just strike 12 and it’s time for the return of innocence of self pursuit? Whatever the driving factor is, the compass has surely takes its big 365 turn once we’ve landed with extra member in the family. Providing for the family? Saving for the retirement? Self exploration? I wouldn’t say a dream coz people don’t actually quite know exactly what they wanted until they stumble on it and fell in love with it.

Today, Kate is helping out in her own partnership business for a couple of hours while taking care of her daughter. Mrs Lee is taking care of 2 kids from 9am-6pm on top of her usual morning tuition classes in her own apartment. Annie has joined her daughter’s nursery as a Senior Teacher with a pay only a fraction of her previous income. Contented with her contribution in her work, Annie hope to pursue her career in kids education. Most importantly, she enjoy her work! That’s life isn’t it? Fortunately and unfortunately, Sarah’s home business has turned into a hobby and she’s keeping her finger crossed hoping to enjoy her next job (when she gets one). Gosh, I wonder what it’s like being a noob again. So much for the vanity of age.

How was your journey of returning to work? How many times did you keep trying till you find yourself in the right direction after your compass suddenly takes its complete opposite turn? How determined are you in making things work after having children? Are your plans well informed or are they unrealistically formed in a sheer panic attack? Would you still thrive to differ even when the crowd is amused by your decision? For personal financial matters, when people are laughing at us, that’s when we know we’re in the right track For personal fulfillment, there’s really no right or wrong priority as long as we know ours and live by it

As I’m writing this, my quiet apartment is filled with the surround sound of my son’s voice… playing while talking to himself and to the cars then singing songs which he just learned today in school. If it went complete silent, I know he fell asleep. That’s his routine after school. Feeling comfortable and at home, in our 850sq ft little apartment. Can’t be more thankful than this

If you’re looking to return to work, all the very best to you! Hope you’ll be blessed with one soon! Will tell you when I get one.

Lesson Learned: It requires a string of bad decisions to form a GREAT one. It is then that you know you begin to see light! Without trying, no light shed at all .