It was the happiest day of my life, my baby was born. But with that little miracle, the balance of my life was turned upside down. I was stuck between the responsibilities of motherhood and the busy pace of business life.
My company claimed to be family-friendly. But the reality was different. When my child was sick, I had a hard time getting time off. “Can you work from home?” they would say. How could I cope with the computer with my baby in my arms? I asked for flexible working hours and was refused. “Everyone has to follow the same rules,” they said.
Stress, fatigue, lack of sleep… It all piled on top of each other. I couldn’t focus on my work and I couldn’t devote enough time to my child. In the end, I had to make a decision. Quitting my job was the hardest decision for me. But it was the right decision for my child.
After a while, I started looking for a job again, but it was impossible to find a job with the same conditions and the same salary. “You took a break,” they would say, ”You’ve left the sector.” But I had just become a mother.
Now I work for a lower salary, in more difficult conditions, but at least I can spend more time with my child. I wish my workplace had been a little more understanding back then. Maybe things would have turned out differently.