Article: It will be helpful for both you and your wife if you have a plan for how to juggle your new schedule. Think carefully about your wife's responsibilities and limitations when deciding how many hours she can reasonably commit to working each week.  If you have children, think about when your wife will need to be home to care for them. If she needs to be able to pick them up from school everyday, a full-time schedule may not work.  If your wife is recovering from an illness, be sure to consider how many hours she will be able to work without further damaging her health. Don't push her to do more than her body can handle.  Keep in mind that there are other options besides full-time and part-time employment. Depending on your wife's skills and your family's financial situation, she may be able to find work-at-home opportunities or even start her own business. The last thing you want is for your wife to go back to a job or industry she hates, so be sure to discuss whether or not she was happy at her last job. Your wife will be much more willing to return to work if she can do a job that she genuinely enjoys.  If she enjoyed her last job, encourage her to contact her previous employer to find out if there are any job openings that would be right for her. If this is not an option, brainstorm other job opportunities that would offer similar rewards and challenges. If she did not enjoy her last job, talk about what it was that she didn't like. It's important to understand if she didn't like the specific company she was working for or if she didn't like the kind of work she was doing. If she didn't like the kind of work she was doing, she may need to pursue something completely different. If your wife has been out of work for an extended period of time, going back to the same kind of work that she used to do might not be the right fit for her anymore. Sit down with your wife and discuss what has changed for her since she last worked.  She may have discovered a new passion during her time away from the workforce. If this is the case, brainstorm different job opportunities that would allow her to pursue this passion. Your wife may also have different priorities now than she once did. For example, she may not be interested in returning to a job that requires constant travel if she wants to be able to spend more time with the family. If this is the case, brainstorm job opportunities that would utilize her skills, but would not require travel. If your wife needs help deciding what she wants to do, encourage her to see a career counselor. If your financial situation is urgent, your wife may not have the luxury of being able to wait around for the perfect job. If this is the case for your family, sit down with your wife and talk about the possibility of her taking a temporary job to help pay the bills. Make sure she understands that you want her to continue looking for her dream job while she is working at her temporary job. Be supportive if she dislikes what she is doing and help her seek out opportunities for a job that will be more fulfilling.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Figure out a viable schedule. Discuss the pros and cons of her last job. Consider how her interests and skills have changed. Decide if a temporary job is necessary.