“So, what do you do for a living?” Most stay-at-home moms dread this question. The idea of telling people that you stay at home with the kids seems somewhat disturbing, especially if you are a college or university graduate.

We often feel like our response to this question makes us sound uninspired as if opting to value my children over my work is the lazy approach.

When you’re not reading a story to your toddler, you’re changing the dirty diaper or trying to wrestle your toddler out of a shrub. Most of your daily tasks are those that would be termed as recognition–laundry, meal prep, and general housework. But, unlike most stay-at-home moms, you plan to do this on a temporal basis.

So, how do you keep your relevance to your career and workforce so that when you get back you’ll be right on track and won’t need a lot of time to catch up? Here’s how:

1. Enroll in Career Development Courses

Skillshare, for example, offers low-cost classes in a variety of areas ranging from business to design. Even simply educating oneself on a topic that interests you, such as interior design or plant care, demonstrates initiative and provides you with a topic to effectively address as a personal benefit in any future interview.

Go ahead and get those tutorials on makeup like say, how to effectively install classic eyelash extensions that you’ve always wanted to learn. Essentially, these courses can be geared towards boosting your career.

If you want to take it a step further, sites like Coursera and edX offer professional credentials in areas like Business Writing, Financial Services, and Administration that you can engage on with your own schedule while the kids are in bed or with a nanny.

2. Listen to Podcasts

There are lots of options if you grow your morning routine when it comes to podcasts, especially those that are related to your line of work.

Make a headline podcast a part of your morning ritual. Listen to AP Headlines to stay informed, or NPR’s Planet Money to learn about economics.

3. Keep up with the Latest Technologies

It’s unchallenging to become complacent with advancing technologies. Maintain a working knowledge of the applications you utilized in prior jobs and find a method to incorporate them into your daily routine. For instance, use the ever-evolving G Suite to share images and movies with out-of-state relatives. You can also use Google Sheets to monitor expenses and income, as well as Google Drive to organize your content calendar.

Another simple routine for the less tech-acumen is to upgrade your device’s OS, back its files to the cloud, and then manually migrate all of your content when it’s time to purchase a new device. Finding little ways to improve your own technological expertise can go a long way.

4. Organize and Budget Your Household Finances

It’s a good mental practice to keep your mind working with numbers, even if it’s simply basic arithmetic like debits and credits. Taking control of your household’s budget not only offers you a better understanding of your financial situation but also allows you to practice your bargaining abilities. Since you’ve been a devoted client, see whether your cable provider is open to adjusting your rate. Request that your bank waives certain fees. Learn as much about your credit line and charges as possible.

Seize the opportunity to learn more about what you’re paying. What is your mortgage interest rate? Should you refinance your home? What are the benefits of your initiatives now and in the long term?

Create a spreadsheet with formulas to manage costs, bills, reimbursements, and other aspects of your budgeting system. Keep count of your holdings, obligations, and net worth to take it a step further. Businesses do the same thing with their money. Practising this at home will teach you about the factors that firms evaluate when making major financial decisions–all of which will come in handy when it’s time to return to work.

5. Continue to Associate with Others

Your entire life might easily become centred around your children’s hobbies and routines, excluding you. Maintaining connections and contacts with former coworkers and bosses provides much-needed adult interlinkage as well as networking opportunities.

Getting a job is frequently dependent on references and who you know. Hanging with your professional buddies is a terrific method to meet new individuals who may have potential connections and keep up with the current state of your field.

You can at times invite them to your home together with their kids. The trick here is to get as much as possible from this connection. Well, we all know that babies tend to be very stubborn, this is where a gaming room comes in. Get some cool lighting and 3D screen and allow your guests to relax as you converse. Serving drinks will come in handy as well. It might look like a crazy investment but you will most certainly be glad you did.

The Bottom Line

Above all, never underrate the importance of the task you undertake every day. Many of the abilities required to govern a household with children are transferable to the workplace–entrusting, time blocking, and salesmanship, to name a few. When it’s time to return to work, don’t discount the work you’ve done at home. Good luck!