Stay at Home Mom - Do I stand a second chance? Becoming Smart at Home Mom

By Namrata Shailendra Singh -


Yes! You do. No, you do not. Perplexed?

 Your second chance is directly proportional to your hunger, your appetite for the second chance. Only if it is your choice, for you know the best.



  • Because SAHM is not a dumb housewife as people tend to perceive. Just because your majority of time is spent in domestic chores and child-centric activities, that does not make you dumb.

  • Possibly, at any point in time, if you want to launch yourself on the career track again, you would be LOST. And mind you, once the kids are grown up, you tend to have TIME on your hand. So many SAHM moms who were previously working women start looking around, wondering, and getting depressed.

  • The world has changed in manifold ways. My father was in a 9-5 job, a stable and lifelong one. My mother was a SAHM, and so were all others around her. Choices were limited, aspirations uncomplicated, and we still had STD booths. Bad things did happen but less televised and served on our plates. It isn't the same anymore.  Automation is changing the face of the economy. You are Applefied, Facebooked, and Amazoned. The environment is no more the same.

So, do you stop your cooking right away and start applying for jobs?

NO.

But what's the harm in being a Smart at home mom?


Stay at home but read the newspaper.
It makes you an aware person. Not only Delhi Times or Times Life but a bit of the entire newspaper. You should know what's happening around you. For those who are weak in spoken and written English, this is where you kick-off.

Stay at home but take care of your grooming.
You cannot look like a rag and expect to feel like a queen. Parlour is an expense, but home remedies are not. Bathe on time, wear clean clothes and get that much-needed trimming of your hair. Apply a bit of gloss, and do not forget the night cream on those cracked toes. Saying that you don't have time for yourself is disrespecting the most important person- YOU.


Stay at home but keep MOVING- Treadmill, Zumba, or a brisk walk, do anything to get your dose of endorphins. These hormones reduce the perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine.

Stay at home but keep NETWORKING.
If you were a working mom before, you had a dozen friends/colleagues/ acquaintances of all types. Possibly, they are on your Facebook. You had bosses, and they held you in high esteem. So, do you keep pinging them now and then for no reason? NO. Be alive in the network. Facebook and Linkedin groups, corporate, school, college alumni groups operate, be part of them. Participate in the discussion. During festival time, drop in your PERSONALIZED wishes to people from your erstwhile workgroup.

Stay at home but keep SUBSCRIBING- I know a friend, a stay-at-home-mom who could beat any man in her social circle with her knowledge specific to her domain and current affairs. Men would be startled, and women would be awestruck. My inquisitiveness made me ask her- 'Are you preparing for some exam?' She chirped, 'C'mon, it's my domain; just because I am a SAHM now doesn't make me forget about it. I like to know what is happening, and that keeps me updated.'
From HR to Finance to Business to Consulting...there are professional networks operating pole to pole. Subscribe to the best and see their newsletter pop in your inbox weekly, fortnightly, and read. Most of the time, they are free, and even if they are not, a meager amount to keep yourself abreast is acceptable.

If you have no time to read, click on YouTube. There were 1,25,000 videos posted when I typed- 'Dave Ulrich' on the future of HR 2017. Now, that's my domain. You know the experts of your domain. Click, play and listen. You don't necessarily need to watch. Play it in the background as you go about your SAHM life.

Stay at home but keep CERTIFICATIONS-If you see an advertisement somewhere of an exciting certification course related to your domain or interest area, register for it even if you won't be getting back to work in the next few months. Be sure to check the credentials of the program and dash in. You have nothing to lose. Online certifications(some free ones are also pretty neat) are another way to go. It shall add to your skill, load your resume and make you updated with the latest information.

Stay at home, but no harm in VOLUNTEERING-Helping out the school with their website or doing a project for a friend; add them to your resume as “pro bono” consulting projects. In this way, you can get credit for all of the unpaid work you have done during your stay-at-home years.

Don't forget the computer- And that doesn't mean Facebook. Hone your computer skills from time to time- MS Word, MS Excel, and other computer skills related to your domain. When you decide to go back, working on the computer shouldn't be an impediment.

 And when you are done with your stay, go back to your career if you choose.


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