Should I Have A Career First Or Start A Family?

In the past where one-income families were the norm and the man was the sole breadwinner, the question is moot. The woman’s role is to take care of matters at the home which includes raising the children with minimal involvement from her husband. However, in these modern times, it’s a common dilemma between choosing to further your career or starting a family.

Let’s take a look at the various options available:

Family First, Career Later

Let’s say you decide to have your child before establishing your career. It could be right after graduating from college or university, or when you are still a fresh hire at the first company who employed you. And if you take a couple of years off to take care of your child full-time, the odds of getting a well-paying job when you are ready to join the workforce are stacked higher against you. First, you would have to explain the gap between graduation and getting your first job. You will also have a glaring lack of experience and have to quickly catch up to the latest skills and trends needed to thrive in the industry of your choice.

Second, with only one income to depend on during the first few years of taking care of your child, your financial situation may not be that great, depending on how much your partner is earning. You may find yourself having to make do with just the bare necessities, and that can be exhausting and de-motivating. The bright side of this situation is, you won’t miss out on your child’s crucial growing up years and wonderful moments like her first words, her first step and many others. And of course, nothing compares to having a child grow in her own mother’s watchful and loving care than in the care of others.

 

Career First, Family Later

 

If you decide to get your career going first then you can afford to throw yourself into building it without worrying about matters on the home front. With no dependents to speak of, you can take bold risks such as working for fledgeling startups, which are notorious for long hours with little pay, in hopes that the stocks that you are paid in will rise up in value if it gets listed on the stock exchange. If you are in the profession of medicine, law or audit and the like, you can definitely put in the long hours required for the job and show that you are a reliable member of the team, which will propel you up the career ladder faster than you can ever imagine. The danger is before you know it, you find yourself in your mid- to late 30s, with a great and satisfying career — but also with a lower chance of conceiving a child of your own, compared to a woman in her 20s.

So, what’s a woman to do? Can’t she have her cake and eat it, too?

Having It Both Ways

 

 

She most definitely can. If a woman has a supportive partner and employer, there is no reason why she can’t have a baby and a good career, too. Many mothers have done it, including ours, we turned out pretty good, all things considered. Some had the assistance of their mothers and home helpers. Others gave themselves until their early 30s to establish their careers before starting their families. Some requested for telecommuting options during the initial years of the baby. A lot of others utilise daycare services, and some were fortunate enough to have such services offered at their workplaces. You could choose a job with a good maternity leave package before having your child. This way, you will have a stable income and time to care for your child after delivery and have a career to go back to once you have found a good daycare option.

Give Yourself The Best Option

The point is, there are options if you are willing to look and work for it. And when something as important as having a baby is in the picture, you’ll make room for it in your life. In all the scenarios mentioned above, certain sacrifices need to be made. After all, a family and career are worthwhile investments in their own right, both of which need the commitment to make them flourish.

In any case, having a nifty tool like Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test by your side will help you know exactly when you are most fertile so that you can ensure the best possible outcome if and when you are ready to conceive. It does this by helping you zone in on the best two days to conceive by measuring the change in Luteinising Hormone (LH) levels in your body.

We wish you the best of luck in your next step, whatever it may be.