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Home › Articles › Career Matters › Trading the Fast Track for the Mommy Track

Trading the Fast Track for the Mommy Track

Is It Right for You?

By Gail Johnson

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Changing Times
Catherine Mollner, licensed psychologist at the MidWest Center for Personal and Family Development in St. Paul, Minn., says women who leave their careers to stay at home must make many adjustments before they find reward and fulfillment in their new role. Since they no longer receive promotions, raises and performance reviews, they must find a new way to recognize themselves as doing something valuable. "Stay-at-home mothers have to figure out a different way to get their sense of worth and affirmation," Mollner says. "The best way to do this is to connect to other adults and receive peer support through mothers groups."

Connelly was desperate for adult contact with women in the same situation and joined the New York City chapter of F.E.M.A.L.E., or Formerly Employed Mothers At the Leading Edge, when her daughter was an infant. F.E.M.A.L.E. is an international not-for-profit organization supporting women who have altered their career paths in order to care for their children at home. "From the first meeting I jumped right in and volunteered to start a Web site for them and be their membership person."

In addition to mothers groups, Connelly looked for friends who had interests outside of their children. "That's the biggest problem," she says, "Most people just want to talk about their kids all day. The people I have become really good friends with have a wide range of interests."

Judelson also found support by connecting with other mothers, but she says her biggest support came from a source that had nothing to do with motherhood: taking a college course in Shakespeare. "I enjoyed those three hours a week much more than commiserating with other mothers," Judelson says. "I loved sitting at a desk and being part of a discussion about something other than my everyday life."


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Fast Track or Mommy Track? by zyarfan h on 02/19/2010 06:59PM

she's doing what is right. MOMMY TRACK!! do add me in facebook: darkinlightj.pretender@yahoo.com

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