We Can Do It!

You know how in airplanes the flight attendants instruct you on how to handle the oxygen mask situation when flying with children? The famous “Put the Oxygen mask on yourself first  before helping your child”?

Being a mother of 2 little boys, each time I hear it, it upsets me. What do you mean I should place the mask on myself first? My children are everything to me and I’m ready to sacrifice my own life to save my babies, I would give them the mask first. Any good parent would…  

Right?

It seems selfish to think about your needs first before fulfilling the needs of your child. But you can’t help your family if you are incapacitated yourself.  

I always believed that “The Best Mom” is a Happy Mom. After having my kids, I quickly learned that the best way of raising a happy family is by “putting an Oxygen mask on myself first”. Therefore, the day I’ve decided to have kids, I also decided to be fulfilled, to continue my self-development and keep growing my professional career.

Doing an MBA was always my dream. But it seems that it was never the right moment, time or money wise. Living in Warsaw, as working-mother of two, I felt a bit stuck in my professional life.  I started questioning myself about my happiness, goals, and dreams. And that’s how I decided to move to Paris and join the IÉSEG.

Let’s be honest – being a mom, having a busy working husband and moving to a completely new country – THAT was challenging. But life is full of challenges and it is all depends on how you are handling it. I want to be considered a change-maker; a person who inspires others, who is proving that the impossible is, in fact possible. So here I am: A happy and proud mom of 2, already in my 2^nd semester and all is going well. All exams passed (no re-take!), I’ve never missed a single deadline and always participated in group work.

Don’t get me wrong, an MBA is time and energy consuming. All those projects, group works, exams – it’s difficult for a single person already, so you can only imagine how demanding it is for PARENTS. 

This year, our class is comprised of 25 people, 5 of us being parents, mostly moms. Each family embodies a different structure and conditions of living and studying in Paris. If you are not sure about joining IÉSEG because you are a parent, read my next post, I’ll give a voice to other mothers and fathers. It will surely inspire and empower you.

I never said it is going to be easy. On the contrary-  an MBA program means a lot of juggling the responsibilities of school and family, but many parents do it every day, and why shouldn’t you be one of them? When the work load gets crazy and tough, remind yourself that it is temporary, and think about the day when you will bring that diploma home and the great feeling of achievement that will come with it.

What will be my Return On Investment? Only the future will tell but I can already promise you- I do not regret the memorable experience and hard work. Neither does my family.

So… ready to put an Oxygen mask on yourself first?

posted by @bpalfray