Having young children and holding down a job can be difficult for many new or experienced mothers.
Parenting on Female First
New mothers, in particular, are faced with the tough decision of whether to return back to employment and some admitted that they were ‘reluctant’ to go back to work.
Mums also revealed that their career was ‘restricted’ after having children with 28% revealing they did not go back to their previous employer after birth.
Added concerns of mothers about returning to work were flexibility, which is vital with the very spontaneous nature of parenting, and location, as travelling up to two hours a day is not a feasible option for some parents.
Diddi Dance, a pre-school dance company, who conducted the survey, found that 34% of mothers didn’t want to spend time away from their child/children.
Anne-Marie Martin is a Diddi Dance franchise owner and mother of 2 young children explained the troubles of mothers like herself who she speaks with on a daily basis:
“There are so many factors when thinking about returning to work practically, but also emotionally. Childcare is one of these issues, as it’s not only very expensive, but the waiting lists tend to be quite long. In addition, not all providers are flexible with long or antisocial working hours. Commuting long distances means the time away from your child/ren can build up. It also makes you think about whether you should be leaving them for long periods of time from such young ages. Needs must though and returning to work is sometimes not an option a lot of parents are able to turn down.”
She went on to tell us what possible options there are for mothers that may not have been considered.
“I think a lot of people aren’t aware of franchising as an option. Parents usually return to their previous job, full or part time, and don’t think about exploring other options. Starting a brand new business from scratch can be a very daunting prospect and not everyone has a business idea tucked away! Researching a proven business with plenty of support and advice is a safe way of setting something up that can fit into your lifestyle. Maybe an old passion you had disregarded can now be an option and create a good income too!”