Husband laid off? Seems like bills are being paid by the skin of your teeth? Many stay-at-home moms are re-considering their plan to stay home and raise their children, in efforts to support overwhelming financial strain that may have come about due to spouse’s layoff, downsizing etc.
Let’s face it. Things are not how they use to be. Everyone has a plan for when things get difficult, but a lot of us could not have imagined it would get this bad. For stay-at-home moms, many have come to the realization that they may have to give up being there for the children in the morning to get them dressed for school, being there after school to help them with homework, bring them to soccer practice and depending on the type of job, may be missing out on tucking the little ones in. For most, it is a difficult decision and sacrifice that couples have to really sit and talk about. There are many things to take into consideration such as:
- Who will be taking the kids to school?
- Where can they stay after school?
- Do you even have a babysitter?
- Can they carpool with a friend to soccer practice?
- Is the extra income really needed and if so, do we need full-time income or part-time just to make ends meet?
- I haven’t worked in years, what type of position would I be qualified in?
And millions of other questions may scramble through your head as you think about heading back to the workforce.
The good news is, instead of diving in head first and applying to hundreds of jobs, the key is to be competitive. What better way to be competitive than to go back to school and earn a degree? Since 2009, president Obama has urged moms to go back to school. What is now commonly referred to as the ‘Obama moms return to school program’, Stay-at-home moms now have access to grants and scholarships up to $10,000! In these tough economic times, more moms are choosing to go back to school and begin a career to help with the overflow of bills.
Not sure what to go to school for? Ask yourself a few questions:
- What comes naturally to me? (Besides taking care of the kids!)
- What’s easy for me but hard for others?
- What subjects really intrigued me when I was in school?
There are many resources out there that can help you decide what to study and where. Sites such as 866MyMajor.com have an excellent source of school information, schedules and financial aid information to make the search easier. There are online courses you can choose from, so you can still be home with the children or campus based schools (to get away for a few hours!) whatever the choice may be, don’t be ashamed to take charge of the household and continue to provide a secure home for your children-away from home. Now is the time for moms to take advantage of the opportunities given by the government and fulfill their goals of not only being the best mom any kid can have, but also an asset to a great company with a higher education under her belt.
Melanie Norwood is an education specialist for 866MyMajor. 866mymajor has been a resource to millions of students nationwide. We provide information on programs, schools and financial aid information that meets your hectic lifestyle. We have been a tool for people from all walks of life helping them to continue their education and pursue their dream careers.
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