“Nothing terrifies me more than returning to the workplace.
A workplace where, likely, but hopefully not, work and clients will have to come first, and family, well, if you have and are ‘into’ those, must come second.
A workplace I hope to God won’t make me guilty if ever my kids are sick, or if I receive a call requiring me to drop everything and get to them.
A workplace full of coworkers ready to judge and openly critique my every decision, move, and output, or what they perceive as a lack thereof.
A workplace which will stress me out and offer little to no time to adequately cope with the stress it is causing.
A workplace which will require my commitment, when I’m already over-committed.
For the past seven years, ever since my father passed, I’ve been out of that kind of workplace. And for all of those seven years, I’ve been raising one, two, and now three babies into the stellar 9, 6, and 4-year-olds they are today.
I’ve complained about the work of a parent, too, no doubt, but at the end of each long day, I don’t have to worry about being shamed, getting fired, or explaining my priorities to anyone.
When I return to work, as expected in the fall of 2021, so long as COVID has hightailed its biscuit out of here and our lives, I’m going to find a job, which not only accepts, but respects its place in my life as fifth fiddle to the humans I’m blessed enough to share mine with.
Maybe that job is out there, but perhaps it isn’t. All I know is this mama is hell-bent on finding or crafting myself a *non-sales* paying-job which respects and honors my role in this world as a wife and mother first, and an employee second.
Or working for a company who values balance and freedom for their employees, is forwarding thinking, and incorporates work-life integration.
I never want to feel torn between leading a successful and fulfilling life at work and one at home.
Here’s a call to action, for places of business and employers to make what you might see as a risky investment in hiring a woman who has kids to fill any open positions, and to do so with confidence and without qualms.
I can guarantee you for however long she’s with you, so long as she has your respect, understanding, and support, you’ll get yourself a human who is hella patient, open-minded, creative, persistent, intelligent, talented, and hardworking—almost, but not quite, to a fault.
Women who are mothers make the best d*mn employees, because we know how to relate to people, and we know how to problem-solve.
Now, why don’t you relate to this mama and help solve my problem by being a company who stands with, up, and for women like me?
Hire me and commit to promoting flexibility, family, health, and a sense of purpose, and I’ll be d*mn proud to work for and alongside you.
But not quite yet. Soon, world. Soon. And remember—you expect me to be a diligent employee, but me, I expect you to be a decent human.
Here’s hoping we can meet each other’s expectations.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Nicole Merritt of Jthreenme, where the post originally appeared. You can follow her on Facebook, her website, or podcast. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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