I was tired of asking my boss for permission to take my kids to doctors. So I became my own boss.
A mother describes her transition from a traditional corporate role to self-employment to better manage the medical needs of her child. She highlights the limitations of part-time work in providing the flexibility required for complex caregiving responsibilities.
Why it matters
It underscores the systemic challenges working parents face when balancing career ambitions with the demands of children with chronic health conditions.
The author quit her full-time job and started her own business so she could take care of her medically complex child. Courtesy of the author My youngest son's medical needs turned caregiving into a full-time job. Even part-time and remote work didn't give my family the flexibility they needed. I started my own business so I could control when and how I worked. For most of my 20s, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what my career would look like. I graduated from college with a political science degree, lots of ambition, and very sincere plans to "change the world." Instead, I ended up working in a small office where I spent a lot less time changing the world and a lot more time looking at Excel. I liked working, but I never needed my career to be the biggest thing in my life.
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