After I had my first son, I went back to my full time job. I needed to. We depended on the double income that my husband and I both earned.
Although I was happy to be challenged with a professional career, my heart ached to be home with my son.
I longed to be the Mom that could play games during the day, bake and decorate cookies and read book after book, without the concern of time. I wanted to be the one to teach him numbers and colors and to be there when he took his first wobbly steps. I thought I was looking for the impossible. I wanted to work from home.
I was not alone. I had many friends that felt the same way. They were not ready or able to give up their professional identity but still yearned to spend as much precious time with their children as possible. We all had the same dream. We just had to figure out how to achieve it.
My husband and I sat down and looked at our finances. We decided that I would quit my job when our son was 9 months old. Money would be tight but we could make it without my income. I enjoyed staying at home but continued to search for a way to obtain my dream.
Then one day, I found myself one step closer. Based on a referral from a friend and co-worker, I had the opportunity to freelance. I loved it. I could work from home and still be the Mom that made frosted pumpkin spice cookies on cool fall day. I felt professional and maternal all at the same time. It was just what I was looking for. The downside of my freelance work was that it did not bring in a steady salary and once my second child was born, I could no longer work during the day without interruption.
With two children under the age of two, Motherhood became my top priority. I turned down freelance jobs and put my work on hold. I am grateful for my hardworking and supportive husband who continued to work long hours for our family. Still, I knew there was something more for me. I just had to find it.
As I explored my interests and strengths, I gravitated to my current career. I became a writer. I have many friends that have found their ideal jobs the same way as I did. An interest in sewing can lead to a business of creating and selling unique gifts. A talent and knowledge of Public Relations can be the foundation for owning and operating a PR firm. A love of capturing moments can spark the idea for a profession as a photographer. I know many inventive and determined women. Each of them has something wonderful to offer and the drive to make it possible. I am proud of every single one of them.
We are the Hybrid Moms. Hybridmom.com defines it as “a new generation of Moms who embrace their multiple identities and actively pursue personal and professional goals on terms that still allow for a fulfilling family life.” We work. We raise children. We feed our families. We save money. We develop new products. We comfort. We protect. We love.