When I had my first child, I struggled with whether I wanted to go back to work.
I had always expected to return to work soon after having children. However, after my oldest daughter was born with complex medical needs, I knew that a traditional nine-to-five office job wouldn’t work for my family. Then I had three more children, which made returning to a typical full-time job even more difficult.
Still, I always thought that I would return to work once my kids were older. I spent many years in school, and went into a lot of debt, to become an attorney and earn a master’s degree in international affairs. I didn’t want my time and effort to go to waste.
Now, 19 years later, my children range in age from 10 to 19, but I don’t see myself returning to an office. I still need more flexibility than holding a single job can provide.
I never stopped working, but I sought out jobs with flexibility
When I left my full-time job, I still needed to bring in some income. I began searching for part-time, flexible jobs.
At first, I started doing ad hoc work for other attorneys who needed temporary help writing briefs or conducting legal research. I also took on a few clients of my own for small matters I knew I could handle during naptime and after bedtime.
Then, I discovered that I could teach online law-related classes at a university. Teaching turned out to be a perfect fit for my skills and hectic schedule. I added instructing a couple of classes a month to the mix, occasionally teaching in person.
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I also developed a deep love for photographing my own children as a hobby. When friends started requesting that I photograph their families as well, I launched a small photography business. I also began writing about the trials and tribulations of raising my four children, which led to more freelance writing opportunities.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
Balancing multiple jobs isn’t always easy, but it works for my schedule
Since none of the work I do requires a daily, ongoing commitment, I can work more or less as needed depending on what is going on in my life.
When photographing families on weekends no longer suited my schedule, thanks to youth sports and other family obligations, I could easily scale back on photography sessions and take on additional legal work without hurting my bottom line. When I need to work less during the summer, I can focus on the type work I find easier to do until the kids return to school.
If I have additional expenses, such as fees for my son’s travel soccer team, I can pick up additional writing assignments to cover them.
I also enjoy the balance of having academic and legal work that involves deep thinking, with the more creative endeavors of photography and writing. Nevertheless, I still thought I would return to a traditional full-time job once my kids were older and more independent, but I’m coming around to the fact that will likely never be my reality
My kids don’t need me as much, but I’m not going back to a full-time job
Now that my youngest child is in 5th grade and more independent, I thought it might be time to return to a full-time job. However, I now realize that won’t work for my family. Even though I usually work 40 hours (or more) between my various positions, I still need the flexibility that holding multiple jobs provides.
Even with older kids, I still want to be able to volunteer at their schools and attend weekday games. I want to go on adventures with them during their many days off from school. Additionally, I have three teenagers navigating the tumultuous high school years, and being at home with them after school seems more crucial than ever.
If I returned to a traditional job, I would likely have to use my limited days off just to attend parent-teacher conferences and take my children to doctors’ appointments. My quality of life would plummet, and I wouldn’t be able to travel with my children, which is one of my greatest joys.
I also don’t want to add a lengthy commute to my already burdened schedule. After doing some initial job searches, it’s also not clear that I would earn much more than I do now, either. Plus, in today’s unpredictable job market, I feel more secure having multiple sources of income instead of relying on a single employer or skill set.
After a lot of consideration, I plan on continuing to juggle multiple jobs for the foreseeable future. While it’s not always easy, the system works for my family.
