How To Focus on Your Career When You Have Kids

Many people make the presumption that having kids can bring an end to your career, and can limit your career advancement in the future. However, this is not true in the modern world, where there are many opportunities that you can take to ensure that you have a fulfilling future in your job role. Considering this, there are issues when it comes to balancing family and work, and this article will help you to know how to focus on your career when you have kids.

·       Add More Qualifications to Your CV

Parenthood is a great time to take a break from your career and utilize this spare time to rejuvenate your CV with some extra qualifications. Many people find it difficult to do degrees or go on training course while they are employed, but parenthood can give you the opportunity to spend time focusing on your personal growth so that you can advance your career as soon as you return to work. This is even easier in the digital age as you can now go on digital courses that are fulfilled completely online, allowing you to see to both the needs of your academia and your child. For instance, Laurier provides a good degree for law enforcement which can help you to expand on your previous knowledge and build on your prior qualifications to usurp any competition for roles. With these extra qualifications, you can then make sure that your CV stands out among others and that you have extra assets to offer the company, allowing you to get promoted at a much quicker rate.

·       Find Appropriate Childcare

It is also important that you find the childcare that suits you and your family in order to return to your career. There are many options in terms of childcare and these can help you to focus on your career by knowing that your child is safe at all times. Many companies and businesses have childcare centers and creches within their offices and buildings to cater towards new parents, ensuring that you can take your child to work and that can be looked after for free so that you have the freedom to concentrate on your career. If you choose to employ external childcare, you should ensure that you find the right creche for your child by visiting multiple companies in working hours, reading reviews, finding recommendations and asking to view the relevant documentation such as the employee’s qualifications to look after your child. You should also speak to your partner about balancing each other’s careers and what compromises you can establish to ensure that you can both return to work. 

·       Adjust Your Career Path

You should also make changes to your career path if you believe that the career that you once had is now not viable with a child. Not only this, but if you have previously been unhappy within your role, now is the best time to adjust that career path. The break from work may have given you an extra perspective about what you want from the world of work and how you want to achieve these goals. You can do this by seeking to get more qualifications, attending training courses, and finding professional experience such as work experience within the career that you are now interested in in the beginning. This will help you to better care for the needs of your family by ensuring that you are happy within your job and the role that you have taken on within this. 

·       Change Your Role

You should also look to change your role within the company that you work for in order to allow you to focus on your work without worrying about the welfare of your child. This is especially important in the days after you return to work, when you may want to take it easy and return to work on a gradual basis that stays in line with the nature of your recovery, especially if your child’s birth was complex. This can help you to perform a role that is more suited to your skills and your stage in life, and may also help you to cut down on responsibility, work demands or in changing your working hours. If you are struggling with any aspect of this, you should speak to a career coach who can help you to establish the best solution in terms of your individual career path and your individual goals for your career. 


When looking to change your role, you may also want to consider roles that change the location of your job. For instance, working from home or working remotely can be extremely helpful when you have just had a baby as they can help you to focus both on your career and your baby, while ensuring that you do not have to worry about childcare or any other problems that may arise in that department. 

·       Change Your Working Hours

In the same vein, you may also want to consider changing your working hours. As children grow up and start to go to school, this can put a particular strain on parents who have to arrange their life around school times. If this will be a problem for you and your partner, you should speak to your manager about reducing or changing your work hours to find a solution that is suitable for both you and your boss. For instance, you may be able to work at weekends or work more days a week as a way of making up for your needs. Not only this, but you may consider cutting your hours down to spend more time with your child. If this is the case, you may consider asking to work from home or to take work home with you as a way of being able to perform the same amount of duties as the rest of the workforce.

·       Set Goals

In order to focus on your career when you have kids, you should also start to set goals which can help you to excel in your position and balance your family life with that of work in an efficient manner. Setting goals should be focused on your career advancement and the learning of new skills and personal growth, and you should consider making these time limited in order to ensure that you can meet these goals. You may also want to consider discussing your goals with your employer, who can then help you to meet these and conduct quarterly meetings to discuss your progress with these. 

·       Start a Business

Starting a business can be a great option when considering how to focus on your career as a new parent as running your own business allows you to control all aspects of your business for yourself. This ensures that you can work the hours that you want and ensure that you can build your work commitments around that of your child. If you are struggling to consider a business that might be profitable, you should consider turning your hobbies into a business. Creative arts such as painting and crafts can be very successful in terms of business and can make a profit at craft fairs and through social media. Not only this, but this will limit your need for a storage space as you can sell these on online marketplaces that allow you to start a business securely. By focusing on your career in this way, this enables you to break free from the constraints of working under someone while also allowing you to indulge in your business dream.

·       Go Freelance

Going freelance is another excellent way to focus on your career once you have kids as this gives you the opportunity to be your own manager, working when you want and where you want. Although freelance work is often a much larger commitment that you would think, being able to go freelance will allow you to pick the kids up from school and contribute to their lives while focusing on your career and working remotely. Freelance careers are mostly based online and included creative arts, design and digital design, writing, marketing, and consulting, among others. You can find freelance work by looking on freelance job listing websites such as Freelancer, where potential employers can contact you for work and you can find employers that are looking for temporary work or the fulfillment of specific projects.

When considering how to focus on your career after the birth of your child or children, there are a number of factors that you need to take into account such as childcare, your hours, and the level of commitment. However, returning to work after you have a child can not only be easy but can help to rejuvenate your career path by instilling energy into your career. By changing your role, increasing your qualifications and finding appropriate childcare, you will be able to both excel in your career and ensure that you feel no guilt over the care of your children while you concentrate on your own career. 

UPDATE! Times are changing! Check out this Guide to Affordable Child Care when Re-entering the Workforce