3 ways to avoid going back to your old job after maternity leave

When you leave work for the last time as your maternity leave starts, it feels like you have so much time ahead of you. With your mind filled with birth plans and nappy cakes the idea of going back to work seems a long way off. Soon though it creeps up, time moves forward and before you know it you're sitting at home with a 6 month old with that first day back imminent.

For some mums this is an exciting time, they love their job and are fortunate enough to have flexible and understanding management who will make the work/life balancing act as easy as possible. For others though, this day brings dread. This blog post is for those mums, those of you that want to take control of your own life and not have your family life dictated by your workplace. In this post we will outline 3 ways to avoid going back after maternity leave.

1) Take control of your finances

How much money do you really need every month? You might be used to living a lifestyle based on 2 incomes but is everything on your monthly outgoings absolutely necessary? Maybe the luxuries are important to you, maybe you just can't face life without a 2 week holiday to Florida every year but if you really want to avoid going back to work after maternity then could some reasonable belt tightening make this possible?

Working itself often has quite a bit of cost associated with it, such as travel costs, work clothes, even coffees and lunches. If you now also need to add on childcare, those finances may need a fresh look in any case.

There is of course no right or wrong answer here, it all depends very much on your individual lifestyle, income and benefits you are entitled to but for some mums staying at home before their little ones go to school is important enough that sacrifices can be made. A little rejigging of the budget is all it takes.

2) Turn your passion into a business

Some mums might not want to give up on work itself, they just want more control over where they work and who they work for. They want to earn money but on their terms so they can plan family life around their job. Out of this desire, the mumpreneur phenomenon has exploded. These are mums who have set up business after having a family and the work they do varies greatly.

Common mumpreneur businesses include making and selling handmade gifts, writing, network marketing/direct sales, childminding, marketing, blogging, coaching, tutoring… the list is endless.

Setting up and running a business isn't the easy option and it doesn't work for everyone but those who do make it work go into businesses that allow them to do what they love and utilise their past experience as an employee. Afterall if it's going to be tough ride at times you need to have passion for what you are doing so you want make it work.

3) Consider a franchise

Starting a business then, can a great idea. It can give you freedom you wouldn't get as an employee, allow you to do what you love and most importantly not go back to an inflexible workplace after maternity leave. It can be very lonely though and the logistics of running a business, especially combined with the responsibilities of a family, can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed.

This is where franchises can really provide the perfect solution. When you invest in a franchise you become a business owner. You get all the benefits of being in control,choosing when, where and how much, and you can choose from a huge range of franchises available to make sure you are running a business you love.

The huge benefit though is you are not alone, you become part of a team of other franchisees that can support each other to thrive and grow. You get practical help on everyday business demands like marketing and finances, plus you don't even have to worry about branding or developing the product or service as this is all done for you.

Could the Tots Play Franchise be Right for You?

The Tots Play franchise was set up especially to address the dilemma of work vs family life, and provide a solution that can help you have the best of both. We know that having a baby doesn't mean you stop being you, or having valuable skills to offer, but that your previous work role may no longer fit with your new priorities (yes, having a baby tends to change those quite a bit!).

It provides the opportunity for you to run our programme of popular baby and toddler classes and related services in your local area, setting your own schedule to create a lifestyle that works for you.

Our classes are unique as we aim to provide "every class a child needs in one", with our multi-activity developmental play sessions, giving our customers huge value, and providing you with great earning potential.

See more about our programme HERE.

We have a strongly branded business and provide a great deal of practical and emotional support to all our franchisees embarking on their new adventure with us. It gives us such great pleasure to watch their businesses grow and for them to have the control over their life and the time they spend with their family.

Here are a few of them talking about what life as a Tots Play franchisee is like, and how it works around family life:

If you are currently coming towards the end of your maternity leave and considering your options, then why not get in touch, with no obligation, to see if running your own business as a Tots Play franchisee could be a great solution for you too.

You can learn more about the Tots Play franchise programme HERE.

These precious early days with your baby go fast, with new milestones almost every day, so don't miss the opportunity to make the most of them.

If what you were doing before having your little one no longer works for you or your family then there are other options available to you, as our franchisees are proving each and every day. We would love to be able to offer the same opportunity to you too. Why not take the first step today?

Click HERE to Subscribe to our Blog for regular updates and activity ideas.