As working people we all suffer from some guilt when we stay away from children, it is more pronounced in us because as women we are the nurturers!  

As we work hard to break the glass ceiling , we condition ourselves to live with guilt but one thing I have learnt is to ‘regret nothing’.  We have to answer tougher question:- Having one child or two and when to have them? We all face this question as the biological clock for us women seem to tick faster.

Should we wait till we get the right roles at work and when is the right time and dammit what is the right time? Whatever we decide, to wait or to take the plunge, one thing is regret nothing and have no guilt afterwards. We have to carve our own destiny. Unfortunately for women, we have to organize our life as a chess game far more efficienly than the men, and with time we get better and more effective.

One thing I have told myself is  to Never regret about working while raising children. Yes it is difficult to juggle home and work and if you have help it is great but otherwise set right expectations with your kids and family and have belief in your abilities. Not having this guilt makes life much easier. If you enjoy what you do and have a purpose you can drill the same sense of achievement in your kids. In today’s world when women are moving from strength to strength, our children will see a facet of life which only  a working woman can bring out beautifully. If you cannot be there for every PT meetings in school, its fine but at the end of the day you can read a book and discuss what you did at work, that will stay deeper and stronger in their conscience.

If you want support from work or at home, firstly, be prepared to let go off the guilt and do not let the ‘woman’ syndrome drag you down. This may mean working harder, juggling better, setting and resetting expectations and importantly  letting go off self-pity.  I have read about some successful women and  what I gather is that if you want to be successful at what you do get yourself a mentor, find your passion, and regret nothing, if you are lucky and can tick these boxes , you can have a fulfilling career. By the way I strongly believe that there is nothing called Luck, you just stay focussed in believing in yourself, persevere on relentlessly, and if one thing doesn’t happen something better will happen! Life is not short if you live for a purpose and that could be anything so where is the time to regret and beat yourself down with guilt.

Finally when things happen for you, Others will say you are Lucky but  you and only you will know the truth!!