Returning to Fulfilling Part-Time Work

Welcome to Episode 17 of Love in Focus: Building Community with an Only Child! Today, I'm sharing my journey of returning to the workplace, working part-time in a job I absolutely adore. Discover how embracing a job that aligns with my talents and passions has transformed my perspective on work. With Olivia, my 6-year-old, growing more independent by the day, it's become a rewarding balancing act. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:02

Hi, my name is Foa, and welcome to The Love and Focus, the podcast for Minds where we explore, discover, build community with our own each other. Let's get going. Okay. You know what I mean. Let's start with the program.

SPEAKER_00: 0:23

Oh my goodness. So now I am working part-time. Yep. I've entered back into the workforce. Now wanted to share about what that is like. I really enjoy what I do for 20 hours, which is part-time. I start so what what does my schedule look like? Um take Olivia to school, go and help with the barn chores, then I go to work. And what I've always try to do, and I always say try, when I get a when I'm working um outside of the house outside of the home, my job I've always noticed, I always pick a place to work the location that is close to my house. Like the closer the better. I mean, I've even um I remember when I was in living in New Zealand, wasn't married, didn't have a husband. Okay, yeah, of course, because that's what not married is, but my job was literally next door to my house. So all I had to do was walk out of my house and go to my work. That was really sweet. So the closer it is to my place, I just tend to really enjoy it, and I guess because I know for me, I'm like, yes, you know, even though I can't see family if I'm working, I just know that they're next door, and that's really awesome for me. Now, for some other people, you might be like, No, I don't want to live next door to work, they could call me anytime. Well, I was really blessed because the workplace um that when it was next door, they had really healthy boundaries, and they didn't do that, they weren't calling me or knocking on my window, can you come and work? They were really good, they just left me alone. So, this job is um my new part-time job, it's about a 10 minute drive, and what I like about it is that I really enjoy what I do, and it's um and some people I've spoken to some mums with an only child, those who go back into the workforce, they say they like the connection because when they were with their child, they wanted some adult interaction, um, they wanted some social connection, um, making new friends, they miss that kind of conversation, you know what I mean. I'll talk about that later. But for me at this stage, it's not so much the interaction with other adults, even though I do like it. I you know, I do enjoy it. I think it's for me, I really enjoy the um what I'm doing. So because I love to connect people together, I love to serve, I love to um I think someone said it's frontline. I really enjoy what I do, and because it's 10 minutes away from home, um I get my 20 hours, I come home, and Olivia now she's a certain age that she can get her own food, like if she was hungry, she can go in the refrigerator, get a snack, you know, she can get her own water, you know, turn on the tap, she get herself dressed. So because she's more independent and she doesn't need mummy so much, I mean, yes, I gotta cook dinner, I'm still cleaning up around the house more than I want to, and um doing the laundry, you know, that part I feel like when if I was um if she was a lot younger, but because you know I didn't work when she was a baby, you know, all those years, I don't know what that's like, so I can't really talk about that. But at this stage when she's a lot more independent, other than I gotta drive her places to her activities and um pick up her friends and take them all around, you know, where they want to go and that. Um I I really enjoy and because the part-time suits me, the hours, I mean I'm still, you know, I'm still taking her to school. Then I go and do banchures. You're thinking banchures? Oh, yes, we have we um we have uh Bellara, can't remember if I mentioned it, it's half Arabian, half Welsh pony. So Livia's been riding, she loves horses. I think I talked about this uh when she was two and a half years old. We found a wonderful trainer, and so um, and then we end up so I took her to this place. Long story short, many years later, we end up purchasing the horse that she was taking lessons from, and so that's how I end up doing bar chores. We belong to a co-op, I'll talk about that later, and a lot of things I'll talk about later. But this episode, I wanted to talk about when you enter back into the workforce, what is that like as a mom of an only child? I wanted to tell you if you are able to find something that you really enjoy. Now, I used to think I heard um there's be certain people, and I'm so certain because I didn't always hear this, you know, they would say, Man, I just love what I do and I'm getting paid for it. And I used to think, Wow, because I don't know about you, but I've worked many jobs, and it wasn't my favorite job or dream jobs, it was a job that paid the bill, and so this is what I'm saying. When I would hear people every now and then I'll come across someone and they'll say, Man, I just really I'm really, really blessed because the job that I'm doing, it just brings so much joy, and I cannot believe that I'm getting paid for it. Well, uh I feel like the job that I'm actually doing this season is that type of job. And um I was saying to my husband, I really enjoy this, and I'm so happy too, I'm getting paid for it. But I look forward to it. So going back into the workforce and doing something that is because it doesn't have to do with anything with connecting, like making friends. Yes, I enjoy making friends, but it's not that because I missed the interaction. I hope you can hear my heart because I wanted to say um that if you can find something you know what you enjoy and you know what your gifts and talents are. I mean it took me a while, but and then you can find something along those lines that uses that uses that use what you have and you enjoy doing it, and you find something that um that fits within your time. I mean it is when as I'm saying this, I'm like, oh my goodness, it ticks a lot of boxes of things that if I'd come up with um if I was going back into the workforce, this is what I ideally I would love to do. And I found that. And I I shouldn't really say found that, is that because an opportunity came up and I'm so blessed, I thank God that I got it. I mean, I'm saying I thank God that I got it because it took me a while. I mean, the process of getting this um job took me a while, and I love it that it's only 20 hours because I cannot work anymore of because it's just my schedule, you know, at home and because I still also want to pick up Olivia. Now each one when you go back into the workforce, you might um because I spoke to another mum and she said, you know, it really does, you gotta have a lot of support, um, depending on what you do, because um she's so thankful for the people in her family that supports her. And we didn't really get into it what that support looked like, I think because of time and how we were talking, and um, but for me, um I do have my husband's grandparents and my in-laws, and they are major um support for us. So yeah, um, if I needed someone to pick up Olivia from school, I could call them. And I know that's not always available for those who are listening. Who's like, well, no, because you know, I moved to a new location, and so if I go to work right now, um either my child stays there a little bit longer at school for after school program, or uh, you know, I have a nate, I just can't go, and I get that. So at this stage, at this new season, for those who are now entering back in the workforce and you do have support and you're able to fit some hours into that schedule where you can go be in the workforce. Now I hope that you and I pray that you find something that you do enjoy because when you come back home, uh you know, you still things are still the same as in oh, and I guess in some ways because Olivia has she asked me to play with her, apparently not as much this week, and I think because um she's got some things going on, like her swimming and her hip hop classes, and so but she plays hard. I mean, trust me, when we get home, she's gonna sneak in a little playtime. She's gonna come she's gonna say, Okay mum, let me play, uh let's do this and that, and I'm like, sure. And I'm like, oh my goodness, I I just gotta cook dinner first and then we can play. So I don't know, will that change of a certain age where she says, I don't want to play, I just wanna, you know, talk to my friends. I I don't know. I'll let you know when we get there. So I just wanted to encourage you that when you do go back to the workforce and if you still haven't found that job like me yet, that you really enjoy looking forward to, um, and maybe you do because you're just the the people there, or it's both, you know, you like you absolutely love what you do, and it's the people there, either way, as long as you enjoy it, um and it's and it fulfills that space that you're wanting, that's awesome. And if you haven't yet, you're like, look, I'm just doing this job because it's got to pay the bills, um, you know what, I'm just still gonna give you a big hug too. And so I pray that as you are listening to this podcast, that um you remember that you are the best mom for your child. You truly are, and as you are if you're listening to this and you're riding on a bus and you just had to drop off your little your child to a sitter, and your child was crying, you know, and you're like, Oh my goodness, it's just not worth it. Or you are dropping your child off to a sitter, you know, someone to babysit your child for a few hours. I just want to put let you know that you are the best mom, it's gonna be okay, and um, you're just doing the best you can with the time that's given, or if you're at home and you're listening to this, you're like, I and you tell yourself, oh no, I gotta go back into the workforce. I decided to go back into the workforce because Olivia, um, she's at school, and I just wanted to do something um just for a few hours uh to learn, to use um an area that I love doing using my gifts and talents, and so I wanted to learn more about it uh from others and also to put it in practice as I'm learning. I wanted to evolve, and so that's why I thought um, hey, I'll just go into the workforce and uh just expand my knowledge more in the area that I enjoy doing, uh, and just to learn because I always say, well, if it doesn't work out, I put on my w my two weeks notice, so and I can say that because I don't think my boss is listening. So I wanted to let you know that um and because uh uh why am I laughing? Just want to let you know that you are the best mom for your child, you are a wonderful woman, you are an awesome friend. Now remember, if you want a friend, you gotta be a friend and start being a friend to yourself, be kind, be encouraging, and it's okay to say no, like hey, I don't want to do this and this because I'm tired. I kind of say that quite a bit. Sometimes, depending on what day it is, my sentence will end off with, I'm tired, like I love you, but I'm tired. I'm doing the dishes, and I'm tired some days, some days are better, some days are good. Uh so and it's okay to say to everybody, you're welcome, meaning um, you're the best mum, you're an awesome person, you know, you're doing like you're doing the best you can with the time that's given, and I tell that to people. So, my heart is that you hear this this hug and love through this podcast. And for those who are in the workplace and you've been there for many years, and you have an only child, um, just letting you know, I just started, it's my third week, and so far I'm enjoying it. But um, yeah, I'll next episode talk about it more. Who knows? Maybe next week I'll be crying or laughing more. But I just want to say thank you for listening to my podcast. This is for, and you've been listening to Love and Focus, Building Community with an Only Child, and um, thank you for liking and subscribing, and you keep coming back to this podcast. I really appreciate it. I appreciate the mums with an only child. You are rocking it. I'm serious, be kind to yourself, and thank you so much for building love and focus one episode at a time. Take care, do something good, buy something yummy for yourself if you can. And if you gotta buy a bigger cake or cookie because you're halfing up with your child, go ahead. Um, and I will meet in the nep episode next week. Bye.