Finding Your Best Life

When did you get your first job and how long did you stay there?
* I've worked since I was 15 so I had numerous jobs like bagger at a grocery store, retail sales, etc. My first "real" job was in customer service at a satellite TV company. I worked there for 1.5 years until the company merged with another and closed the office I was in.

Did you work after you had kids?
* Yep. I work part time now at home, rather than full time in the office though.

How did you decided whether or not to work once the babies were born or did you wait until they left home?
* It's really a necessity. I worked full time for a few years after my first son was born. DH is a teacher, so we couldn't really pay the bills on his salary. After a few years of going green and living simply, I was able to quit my full time job and take on something part time so that I could spend more time with the kids.

How have you balanced life and job/career?
* It's hard to balance. At this point in my life, it's more important for me to be home with my kids as much as possible. They're young and this is when I feel they really need me. Working part time helps to pay the bills, keeps me out there in the professional world, and allows me to be home when I need to be.

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When did you get your first job and how long did you stay there? As a sophomore in high school I started working at Arctic Circle. I worked there about 6 months before quitting because it was interfering with school.

Did you work after you had kids? How did you decided whether or not to work once the babies were born or did you wait until they left home? I have not worked since I had my first child. My husband wanted me to stay home with our children and so did I. My husband does not expect me to work after the kids leave home either, but I do intend on restarting my midwifery training at that time.

How have you balanced life and job/career? I look at staying home as my career. I struggle with balancing the "work" side of it and the enjoying my family side of it.

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Karla, are all your children homeschooled until it's time for them to go to college? You are one very brave mama! My nephew asked about homeschooling a couple of years ago, but I don't think I would have the patience to do so.

Methinks that there isn't one "right" formula for the balancing act. Just like perfection, it only lasts for about 10 minutes before it unravels again because the situation and thus the balanced has changed! We only get better as we age because we care less about a lot of things which we gradually deem "not that important" ;-)

I know quite a few people here who cannot work because their spousal visa won't allow them to. A friend of mine could apply for her own visa as one of her clients is ready to sponsor her, but that would mean that she loses certain privileges that went with her husband's type of work visa... It's a delicate situation!

And being transferred every few years doesn't help when one wants a career, either.