Job Or Baby – What is YOUR Priority?

Around 2 years back, this was the big question ahead me. My first baby was due in the next 2 months, and my IT job nature could not compromise with the timings. My just attained ‘Star Performer Award’ was assuring a promising future in the Organization. My husband is an IT professional as well. And like me, he too has very uncertain office timings. Appointing a baby-sitter was an option, but somehow did not appeal us. We had witnessed the child negligence with baby-sitters in the neighbourhood. Still, a moment thought would urge me to go ahead and have a baby-sitter, for the sake of keeping a good job intact. So, here I was, asking myself every second, day and night, what should I compromise with- THE JOB OR THE BABY?? And after continual era of questioning and answering myself, I RESIGNED MY JOB!! This article may prove helpful to the working parents, who are expecting the baby, want to dedicate their time and attention as well, but are swinging on the ‘single-salary’ versus ‘double-salary’ sea-saw.

WILL I HOLD ANY IDENTITY IN MYSELF IF I LEAVE MY ALL-TIME GLORIOUS DECENT JOB? Yes… You are the same. Your identity is the same. Your qualifications and attributions are the same. Just the roles are getting changed. Instead of the office assignment, you now will be having a little life to nurture.

IS THERE ANY USE OF MY EDUCATION IF I SIT AT HOME DOING NOTHING? Yes… The education has given you the much needed stability and confidence to make critical decisions in life. Education does not teaches how to earn money, it rather makes you worth to earn and be self-dependent. Education urges you to decide the priority at various stages. And your top-most priority now is to responsibly own the ‘parenthood’. And believe me, if though the idea might be turning you crazy, there will not be a second of ‘DOING NOTHING’. The moment the baby is born, the mother is born. You will have to double up the energy to finish off the routine chores as well as parallelly look after the baby. Check the nappy and change, keep the room tidy, adjust the room-temperature, wake-up and sleep to accommodate the occasional feedings, along with the daily cooking, cleaning, washing chores. Routine medical check-ups too add up in the list. If a toddler, you will find yourself running around. Planning for the next season, new styles, new toys, next stage baby-food, so many things to think of!! Where is the TIME?

WILL I BE ABLE TO RUN MY FAMILY IN A SINGLE SALARY AND STILL PROVIDE A DECENT LIFE FOR MY KID? Yes… This is the only discriminating margin between ‘Job’ and ‘No Job’ we are talking about. Analyze your financial standing thoroughly. Might be curtailing your restaurant trips work!! Or might be your investments make you secure enough if at all there is an emergency!! Ponder it over again and again and again, till you are clear and satisfied of your own financial background. Financial constraint is the only genuine reason when you will not want to think twice, but continue with the job as always. JUST THINK ABOUT IT- Not many additional expenses when the baby is small. Expenses will be more when his education starts and along with that many demands pile up, the new shoes, the fancy dresses, the mobile toys and many more. You will need money now, but as of now you will be free to join back your good old job again.

Remember, at the end of the day, you are living and earning for your child. DO NOT ignore him at any cost, not a bit.