As two fiercely competitive professionals, my husband and I, over a period of time discovered the monotony and hollowness in this run for riches and keeping up with the Jones.

Not for a moment did I regret the ‘slow down’. But the extent to which a baby can monopolize your world and immobilize a mother came as a very rude shock. I was not prepared for it at all!!

One confession: I do want to get back to a challenging work environment only because I often fear that as my child grows-up I may loose my competitiveness and not be able to offer him the same ‘momentum’ that a working mother can.

part -2 would be “An experience of a working mom on how she conquers her job and mommyhood.”

clues:
1. Lost hike for taking maternity leave
2. Got feedback from manager that –
a. More hours need to be put in
b. Contribution is low
c. Its recession time, you may lose your job.
3. Changed job profile to a lower not so important to manage timings.
4. Lowered salary as a result of above job profile
5. Previous experience rendered invalid because change of job profile
6. Succumb to threats,guilt from mom-in law, current support system
7. Managing guilt for not being there when sonny boy first walked, first spoke, and all the first, seconds etc
8. Sleeplessness -night because of baby and morning because of work.. Working 24/5 and 12/7.

One question that I always posed to myself few years ago was that my mother who was a housewife made me competent enough to face the world. If I also stay at home and do not face the world , am I doing justice to the job she did ?? I then resolved that I would face the world but still make an extra effort to give whatever I can for my child. Time will tell whether I did justice to my mother, my child or to both….

Today , I am a working women with a 7 year old daughter , am in a typical eight hour job 10-6.30. Am a very senior professional earning a big fat salary and spending quality time with my daughter when the domestic helps take care of mundane jobs in the house.