Interesting article, Siobhan - I also had to walk away from a demanding professional role to be a carer. And I know there will be some men affected but it’s predominantly women, and here we have another element in the gender pay gap, don’t we.
On the plus side, I think my pared back working and being my own boss actually suit 50-something me better, and now my caring responsibilities are less, I find myself quite happy with the new balance in life! It took me a good while to manage the guilt though - another thing us gen X midlife women are very good at!
I feel honored to be included in Siobhan’s post today as she describes the challenges caregiver types experience when they want to work and/or need to earn a living.
It seems Siobhan in the UK and I in the USA share the experience of having once upon a time been professionally employed women who, due to the needs of our families, find ourselves unable to return to full-time work ... that is, in her words, “at least not without sacrificing my sanity or my own immediate family’s needs.”
I’m with you, Siobhan. It's a tough topic to talk about and even harder to solve, but you’ve inspired me to write a related post, maybe for next week. Take care.
Thank you Sarah and yes it is indeed tough to talk about but we need to I feel. I don’t think I conveyed properly how much of an honour it also is to care for my mother who has sacrificed so much for me and others over the years. I’ve talked about that in other posts.
Looking forward to reading your post that I’ve inspired!
Carer Twin! I've been working on said post and just now saw your comment. Check out one of the last sentences I wrote: "I am thankful for the opportunity to be living my Sandwich Season. It’s an honor to have helped my mom and to get to continue helping my dad, and it’s a joy to see Max evolve and grow. But the other truth is ..." And so on. I hear you.
Interesting article, Siobhan - I also had to walk away from a demanding professional role to be a carer. And I know there will be some men affected but it’s predominantly women, and here we have another element in the gender pay gap, don’t we.
On the plus side, I think my pared back working and being my own boss actually suit 50-something me better, and now my caring responsibilities are less, I find myself quite happy with the new balance in life! It took me a good while to manage the guilt though - another thing us gen X midlife women are very good at!
I feel honored to be included in Siobhan’s post today as she describes the challenges caregiver types experience when they want to work and/or need to earn a living.
It seems Siobhan in the UK and I in the USA share the experience of having once upon a time been professionally employed women who, due to the needs of our families, find ourselves unable to return to full-time work ... that is, in her words, “at least not without sacrificing my sanity or my own immediate family’s needs.”
I’m with you, Siobhan. It's a tough topic to talk about and even harder to solve, but you’ve inspired me to write a related post, maybe for next week. Take care.
Thank you Sarah and yes it is indeed tough to talk about but we need to I feel. I don’t think I conveyed properly how much of an honour it also is to care for my mother who has sacrificed so much for me and others over the years. I’ve talked about that in other posts.
Looking forward to reading your post that I’ve inspired!
Carer Twin! I've been working on said post and just now saw your comment. Check out one of the last sentences I wrote: "I am thankful for the opportunity to be living my Sandwich Season. It’s an honor to have helped my mom and to get to continue helping my dad, and it’s a joy to see Max evolve and grow. But the other truth is ..." And so on. I hear you.
Thank you for sharing this, Siobhan - an excellent review of the issues faced by unpaid carers in the UK.
Connecting you with @Ollie redfern