What's next? Aiming for a career.

Again, I just want to say I'm loving this series as I'm in a similar stage of life. I also want to get in on this comment thread so I can see if others comment, because I'd love to read some answers to your questions at the end.

I've struggled mightily with moving from what I felt is/was my true life calling--motherhood and homemaking--to the empty nest stage where now I have to work (for financial reasons as well as the fact I need something to do because "sitting around" won't cut it for my self-esteem or marriage relationship). I feel like I've gone through all 5 stages of grief about it--for my kids growing up but also for myself having to change focus from what I really loved.

Unlike you, I don't want a career and I'm now fairly content/in the acceptance stage of just calling what I do as a copyeditor a "job." I really don't care about a career at all, but you do have me thinking about the term "vocation"--which used to mean something to me. I'm going to do some thinking about what that means in my life now.

Thank you for this series that speaks to those of us in this life stage--even if we all choose different paths.

I'm sorting some of these same things through myself. Our youngest transitioned from homeschooling to middle school this past fall, and my 16 year role as home educator ended, for the most part. I am thinking and praying about what the future holds. I was trained as a pharmacist, but have not kept up with that and would have to put a tremendous amount of work into catching up with it, for a job that I really didn't enjoy in the past. My first step forward is addressing some sin issues in my life, such as lack of self-discipline, and dealing with purging and decluttering our home (including all the homeschool materials).

I love this series and I think there are so many women on a similar path. I still have several years with homeschooling my kids, but am starting to see what it might look like to use my unique gifts and strengths in a vocation. I am a nurse by trade and I always thought I would go back to school and get my Bachelors or Masters in nursing. (I have an associates). Around four years ago I took a health coaching course because I felt like I had a little brain power coming back to me and wanted to see if I would be able to start take online college courses. I didn't expect to see a new passion arise, but it did. I loved the idea of health and life coaching and it felt like a perfect fit. I started a blog, but only managed to blog a few times a year. But it was this last Spring that I felt like God saying it was time to start working on this business. The backstory is I need a lot of margin in my life, I have four kids ages 8-13 who I homeschool, and am not a gal who wants to spend my days hustling, staying up late, etc to get work done. So I know that my growth will look different than someone else, but right now my main value is homeschooling my kids and there is only so much energy available. ;)I am learning what it looks like to own being an entrepreneur and allowing myself to even call myself that! It's so far out of my comfort zone. But I'm thankful for the space to grow slow.

I'm so curious to see as my kids get older what this will unfold to look like.

For so many of us raising our families and homeschooling were such a strong part of our value set and calling it can be scary and confusing to step into something else and own it. But I believe we all have a unique skillset and gifting and it's an honor to make our mark on the world in a new way.

Renee, I appreciate all of the personal growth and learning that you share about your journey with this new transition. I can't wait to see where you end up. You have such a beautiful heart and lovely giftings.

That is so interesting. I think you should turn this into another Patreon course: Finding your path after the childrearing years (including career, supporting each other as a couple in this endeavor, financial reality, finding your purpose again, etc.). We are nearing this and I'm really looking forward to follow along.

When my youngest of 4 was in 3rd grade I started working part-time at my kids' elementary school as an aide. Four years ago, when he was a junior in high school, I began (at age 48) to work toward my teaching license with a masters (an option in my state of the US). We both graduated at the same time. When he went off to college I went off to a full-time teaching position in a 2nd grade classroom. I'm not going to say it doesn't have it's challenges--I really miss part-time work--but it does help pay the bills with two still in college. While I love being at home, the empty nest can get lonely with a husband who travels often with his work, so knowing I have a classroom to plan for gives me a purpose. An added bonus is my daughter started teaching a year before I did, so when we talk (she's in another state), I relate perfectly with her work stress!

Good wishes to you, Renee, as you forge your new path.

Oh. Where do I begin with this one?! Do I have a midlife career change? DO I EVER! From analytic geographer to at home parent/homeschool mom to yarn shop owner (now single parenting and still homeschooling the teenagers) at 51...it's been a whirlwind. How did I do it? It was a bit accidental and mostly taking advantage of opportunities that seemingly popped up out of nowhere, trusting and hoping that I could. I had to. There was not a lot of thinking about whether I could do it or not. I just considered my circumstances and needs and those of my kids and jumped in. I believe it's been good for all of us although it's not without significant challenges. I am still learning about myself as I go, but what I love the most is that I feel like it's REALLY been good for my boys to see me do this - to take a really tough challenge and make it work. It's crazy hard sometimes. But overall I am enjoying it. Is this what I expected to be doing? Not at all! I'm just trusting that this is the way it's supposed to be. I will say, as an introvert I thought my biggest hurdle running the shop would be all the interaction with customers, and indeed that's hard sometimes. (My best friend's only hesitation when asked her opinion of whether or not I should do it was "I just wonder if it will be too people-y for you") As it turns out, if you have to work in public, knitters are a nice bunch overall, and I've survived. It's really tiring though!

Amanda, can't wait to talk to you more about this in our Patreon interview :)

Oh Renee - this post is so full of energy and potential and confidence. It makes for such good reading and I am excited to see where you go. Almost 10 years ago we moved from my hometown of Brisbane to Melbourne for my husband’s work - almost 2000km away. I had no family there. Our son started high school. My work - which had been part time in education at a girls’ Boarding School ( I was an English tutor and boarding mistress over 20 years) was left behind. I was heartbroken and homesick. By the end of that first year we visited an aunt living in a very small country town on the far south coast. It was beautiful and we could both imagine living there on a small farm putting our years of dreams of living a more self sustaining life raising vegetables and animals as one of our heroes Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall. But we had to have a way of supporting ourselves there. I wanted work that was meaningful and would contribute to my community and be satisfying and rewarding. There was a new hospital being built in the region so I decided nursing would be the perfect choice. I went back to university and studied for 4 years and received my degree - it was very hard work - a heavy academic load with months of prac - and I was parenting my teen who was working his way through enormous changes himself as well as studying at high school. I was successful in getting a great grad year at one of the state’s most prestigious quartenary hospitals to finish my training. Then it was time to move again. We bought our land. Noah graduated highschool, Julian transitioned to working from home and I started work at the newly opened regional hospital as a paediatric registered nurse. It has been an amazing 10 years. I have learnt an enormous amount about what’s important to me - being able to contribute financially to my family has been a huge boost to my self confidence, working part time means I am able to build our home at the farm and still support my son practically and emotionally, and giving back to my community is incredibly rewarding; and nursing has allowed me to discover what my strengths are - turns out that despite my introverted personality I am able to establish lovely therapeutic rapport with children and their families, and teenagers with mental health issues are my thing. And I adore the intellectual challenge that comes with constant learning and skill building. Going back to university was really daunting - four years of full time study with little income, tuition fees , constant juggling of home and study and prac - but I cannot recommend it highly enough to any mums out there who dream of starting afresh - it goes by so quickly and lead me to so much growth and blossoming of who I am. I am not finished yet by any means. Now I am preparing to undertake my masters in adolescent mental health and I am dreaming of helping establish best practice mental health inpatient services for our region. There is so much to look forward to!

I'm really enjoying all the comments. Renee, as your Mom I'm proud of you and have loved reading this series. As an arm's length participant in your adult life, it's been a gift to watch, listen, pray, cheer, cry and believe in, and for you. I treasure the conversations we've shared about 'a lot of stuff' and from my vantage point of relationship (and age) I am so excited for where you're headed - with all the unknowns, which I believe in one way or another we forge our way through. In my quest to keep learning and discovering who I am, I continue to have the challenge (in my 60's!) to ask "yikes, is what I'm bringing to the world now, in this season of my life, making a difference?!” I'm choosing to think it's okay if I never stop asking - and just keep moving! Love you...keep up the great work.