Does Raising Children Dead End Your Dreams?

Torn between doing what you love and being a good mom, let me share my experience of how I kept my dreams alive while raising my kids. Before becoming a mom, I thought I’d have to give up my personal desires but, to my surprise and delight, my children were a catalyst for my dreaming new dreams…even better dreams for my career and life goals.

You see I liked what I was doing—working on marketing projects for a high tech company—but I didn’t like the structure of a 9 to 5 schedule. I worked hard to make myself a valuable employee who could work independently, make deadlines, and add value to the team. After having my son—my first—I asked to come back as a part-timer (not typical back then) and my managers didn’t blink an eye and said, “Yes!” Part time turned into freelance, so I had the freedom to work on projects of my choosing as well as work for other companies, too. I never would have been that bold if I hadn’t been a mom! It’s kind of crazy but because my children became my focus and attention, I was free to take a risk, define what I wanted, ask for it, and turn it into a rewarding career.

My children were (and still are) masters at pretend play. Creative thought just oozes out of them. I really forgot that important part of me and they became my muses as I rediscovered my creativity. Together we explored art galleries, museums, books, and performances. I crafted, quilted, and wrote while waiting in doctors’ offices or dance lessons or karate… And in the process, I found my passion for creative expression and dreamt of “being” the creative talent instead of just hiring and project managing the talent. Thanks to them, once again, I began focusing on the more creative aspects of marketing—branding, image building, promotional concepts and campaigns—and I also started writing columns and articles for magazines. So the time I devoted to being “mom” and helping my children with their passions, benefited my career in a big way!

Now, for the first time, my family and career are more synergistic than ever as I embark on a project that I’ve been yearning to do for such a long time.  Motherhood continues to open my eyes to new possibilities and the knowledge that there is no end to the dreams I can dream…and achieve.