I was recently interviewed on Giada Vettorato’s “Conscious Adolescence” podcast in an episode titled “To return or not to return to work when you have pre-teen children,” where I shared reflections and experiences on the delicate balance between motherhood and professional career.
During our conversation, I addressed the dilemma that many mothers experience: “I’ll return to work when…” – when the children are older, when I have more time, when I have confidence in myself again. Yet, as Giada points out in the introduction, that moment seems to never arrive.
We explored the pre-adolescent phase of children and how this influences mothers’ professional choices. I shared my personal experience as a mother of four children and a professional who has navigated these complex waters, transitioning from a managerial career in Brussels to my current coaching activity and co-founding La Luna del Grano.
A central point of the interview was the theme of female professional identity and how it evolves during and after motherhood. I proposed concrete strategies to face returning to the workplace, emphasizing the importance of overcoming fears and self-criticism that often block us.
As I often say in my podcast “Career Moms: Back to Work,” motherhood is not the end of a career, but can be the beginning of a new professional phase that is more authentic and aligned with one’s values.
I invite you to listen to the entire episode of the “Conscious Adolescence” podcast to discover all the insights on parenting pre-teens and returning to work.