Maternity sabbatical - why you have to thank her

Perhaps the most challenging, hard hitting and the introspecting time in a woman’s life is a sabbatical. Taking one for the sake of being home to raise the children, this after a long span of a successful career as a corporate woman or a professional – well, words fall short of this sacrifice. Most women fight it out to balance work life, put children in day care and pacify the guilt within to earn the livelihood. And there are those other women, who give up all of it to bring meaning to motherhood in a true sense. While the former are respected here, the latter have to be respected a little more for one reason – their choice to make a life shift based on priorities that matter.

Men, for one, do not totally get it. While they appreciate the decision made, they fail to understand many things that women forego in the name of maternity sabbatical.

Here are few reasons why men have to ‘really’ thank their women for having made this choice.

Lifestyle changes – One of the major change that happens with a sabbatical is a complete change of lifestyle. A woman who once splurged with her salary on vanity and fine living will now suddenly settle for very less – or none, perhaps. She is constantly posing ten questions to herself while buying something as simple as a lipstick – the choice of shade takes a backseat and the decision to even take it home takes precedence.

Domestic bliss – While you as a man will continue to have a career surge and round the clock 4 blockers, she is left with changing the diapers, shopping for groceries and making those kiddie meals. She who once ruled the board room decisions making company strategies is now rebuilding your home with domestic bliss. This is simply not easy without a huge shift made in terms of mind-set mapping.

Emotional Blackouts – She will constantly have emotional blackouts; and you will not know. She will put on that brave face while battling the turbulent thoughts of returning back in the game to raising the child with care. She will feel left out being cared for – and you will not know that as well. The odds are, you may empathise every now and then, but you still have no idea what she goes through!

Bigger picture – A woman who opts for a maternity sabbatical paints a bigger picture for her family. She shifts those workable corporate goals into effective domestic ones, being there for everyone while doing so. She constantly evolves as a wife and mother while doing so. If men play any sort of ugly games during this period; well, you are in for a huge trouble mate!

Complete motherhood – She may not contribute financially as much, but this woman contributes to motherhood 100 percent in the wake of a sabbatical. There are no guilt trips, no gimmicks – only pure giving.

Modest beginnings – When a woman after a sabbatical tries to get back to work; she accepts the most modest of the beginnings. This is particularly difficult on sophisticated human nature and she does it so beautifully, making your child a priority to her life’s existence.

So, next time before you rant about her being home or stating that you do understand what she has done, realise that giving up everything for the sake of a family is the biggest sacrifice; only capable of doing so by a woman.

You better thank her!!