They say that being a mother is one of the toughest jobs in the world; it helps women discover how strong they are, that they can cope with whatever is thrown at them, and that they are equipped to help bring another human being into the world and help them thrive. What better way to prepare for a career in social work?
In some ways, social work isn’t very different from motherhood. It is about helping those who are most vulnerable in society. When children are born, they are small, weak, and vulnerable and need to be cared for until they can realize their potential. Many social workers go on to become mothers, and many mothers also go on to become social workers. In the course of both, they realize that there are transferable skills.
The first step for anyone who is planning to become a social worker is to get the right educational qualifications. At the very least, you should have a bachelor’s degree and some work experience. It makes it easier to get a job, and when you do, you will have more responsibilities as well as more room for career advancement.
The FSU MSW online degree from Florida State University is a good example of a program that helps prepare you for a career in social work. All material is online, so students have accessible learning resources. This flexible degree can be completed over two to three years, allowing you to learn at your own pace. In addition, you still get to interact with your peers and instructors as if you were in a face-to-face class.
This program requires that students have a bachelor’s degree. It offers a traditional track for those who have a bachelor’s degree from a different discipline. There is also an advanced standing track that is designed for those who already have a bachelor’s in social work and would like to obtain a master’s.
The FSU program covers topics such as the social work profession, human behavior, and the social environment, psychopathology in clinical practice, and social welfare policy. Students also learn about social work within groups and communities, as well as social work practice.
If you are already a mother, whatever you learn during your course will supplement skills that you already possess. Just like you do with your children, as a social worker, you will have to listen to the needs of your clients and find the quickest, easiest, but most long-lasting solutions. As a social worker, you serve as a comforting presence, a person who can be relied on to help whenever help is needed.
If you plan to become a mother, don’t set aside your dream to become a social worker. With the right training, you will be much better at your job because, in a sense, you have undergone double training. You will have the theoretical background that you learn from your degree, while motherhood provides the practical skills that allow you to cope in different situations.
If you are aware of the similarities between motherhood and social work, you can consciously take advantage of the skills you gain in one area and apply them to the other.
Knowing the differences also helps; it’s important to compartmentalize your life so that you don’t bring your work home with you. When you are at home, you can focus on your family, and when you go to work, you can focus on your clients.
What Are the Similarities Between Social Work and Motherhood?
It is important to know that the skills you can transfer from motherhood to social work may vary depending on the specialty of social work you are in.
If you are a family social welfare worker, you will find that dealing with your children helps you prepare for the children that are assigned to you. However, if you choose another field, for example, physical therapy or drug rehabilitation, the skills you have gained as a mother may come in handy but only to a small degree.
Both Jobs Require Big Encouragement
As soon as you become a mother, you become a cheerleader. You are there to encourage your child through every stage of development. You tell them all the time that they can do it, and you watch them achieve one milestone after another.
Social work isn’t very different. Your clients are at a low point in their lives, and whatever assistance you can provide must be accompanied by encouragement.
You will encourage them to do whatever it takes to make their lives better. You will constantly tell them that change is possible so long as they are committed to improving their lives. When they falter, rather than criticize, you will talk to them about the importance of trying again. You will remind them that they are not alone and that there are resources they can use to reach their goals.
Both Jobs Require Active Listening
Once you become a mother, you often become a better listener. Just by looking at their child, mothers can tell what they need and provide it. If the baby cries, for example, many mothers can tell what sort of cry it is.
Mothers have learned the difference between a cry of hunger, a cry for a diaper change, and even a cry for attention. If their baby cries because of pain, they know right away. They learn to read cues that tell them more about any given situation that involves their child.
Social work isn’t very different. You may not be as bonded to your clients as you are to your child, but you learn to be a good listener. When your clients talk, you pay attention so that you can understand what they are really saying. In some cases, they may not tell you the truth about their situation, but because you can read cues, you know how to get them to open up and tell you exactly what is happening to them and what sort of help would be best.
Both Jobs Require Patience
New mothers become more patient than they have ever been. They know that they cannot rush their child, and they cannot afford to despair when things aren’t going their way. They keep trying until they can help move their child from one milestone to another.
Mothers are patient when children go off the rails. Whether we are talking about a two-year-old throwing a tantrum or an angst-filled teenager, they know that they have to give them room to grow and develop at their own pace and forge their path.
In social work, you are dealing with strangers, but the same skills you gain raising your children apply. You cannot rush your clients to get the results that you want. You provide assistance and the resources, offer encouragement, and then let them move at their own pace. Your clients may even be resistant to the help and advice that you offer, but you cannot afford to give up. You keep going until you achieve whatever milestones you have put in place.
Social Workers and Moms Give Unconditionally
As a mom, unconditional giving is something you do automatically. You do many things for your children without expecting anything back. Social workers are the same. It is impossible to quantify the work these professionals do; they do whatever is needed to help their clients improve their lives.
If a social worker visits an elderly person and finds that they don’t have food, they may go out and get groceries or fix something to eat, for example. If they visit a young family and realize that the mother knows little about good nutrition, they take some time to explain about nutritious meals and how they are prepared.
These are just two examples of how social workers go out of their way; there are many more. They do not ask for extra pay for all this work; they do it because it is their job to help their clients and because they are committed to what they do and have a genuine interest in seeing an improvement in clients’ lives.
Both Are Excellent at Multitasking
To make sure that things are going as they should in the home, mothers become adept at multitasking. They can be cleaning up, cooking a meal, doing laundry, supervising homework, and playing at the same time. They learn how to pay attention to each member of the family, noting what challenges they are facing and coming up with solutions on the fly.
This is an important skill for social workers to master. They have a long list of clients and must pay attention to each one, ensuring each client is making progress and meeting their goals.
A typical social worker’s day involves visiting several clients, making sure that they are following the program that has been set out for them, listening to them to learn what challenges they face that stop them from achieving their goals and pointing them toward the right resources.
After that, social workers must fill out long reports that are filed away for future reference. The abundance of tasks to manage can be challenging for those who don’t know how to multitask. Mothers have already developed this skill by dealing with their own families, and they can easily transfer what they know to their social work job.
Both Understand the Value of Self-Care
Mothers know that if they do not take care of themselves, they soon burn out and cannot take care of their children. They know when to get help, whether it is in the form of a nanny, friends, or relatives to help them from time to time. As someone else watches the kids for a little while, mothers can take that time to rest and recuperate. They may catch up on much-needed sleep, go for a run, enjoy a bath, or go out with friends for a few hours.
If you’re a mother, you’ll also recognize the importance of taking care of your health by eating the right foods and getting exercise. You’ll find a way to provide good nutrition not just for their families but for yourself as well. You’ll also take a few minutes each day to get a little exercise.
Social workers who want to succeed in their jobs should do the same. They must prioritize their mental and physical health, making sure that they eat well, get some exercise and take some time off to relax. They go out with friends and family and set aside some time for fun and hobbies so that when they get back to work, they are energized and can do even more for their clients.
Both Jobs Require Advocacy
Moms are advocates for their children. They speak out on their behalf, support them in their causes and make sure that they have whatever resources they need to grow up happy and healthy.
It is no different for social workers. One of their roles is to advocate for their clients, making sure that they are represented and heard by the relevant authorities. They speak to state and city officials to ensure that those under their care have access to resources, and they work with policymakers so that their clients are included.
If, for example, a social worker notices that there is a high rate of alcoholism or drug addiction among their clients, they can engage the relevant resources to make sure that there are adequate rehab facilities within the community and that they are properly staffed and supplied.
Some social workers eventually transition into policymaking because they realize that it is one of the fastest ways to effect lasting change. Rather than visiting clients, they instead work with the state and federal governments as well as private organizations to implement change that benefits everyone within the community. To become a policymaker, you will need to have the right qualifications, usually a master’s degree. An FSU MSW online degree, for example, equips you with the skills that you need to pursue policy work.
Both Moms and Social Workers Encourage Independence and Life Skills
The goal of every mom is to bring their child up in such a way that by the time they are young adults, they are independent, can take care of themselves, and have coping skills. Mothers teach them how to relate to the outside world, how to form healthy relationships with others, and how to manage their own lives for success.
Social workers do the same with their clients. The goal for each client is to rid themselves of whatever constraints they face and become independent and self-supporting. If a social worker can do that, they have done their job.
Does This Mean That Those Who Aren’t Mothers Do Not Make Good Social Workers?
Not at all. Thousands of great social workers do not have families of their own. They bring everything to the job, helping their clients re-integrate back into society and become fully functioning members of their communities.
You shouldn’t strive to become a mother just so that you can become a better social worker. If you would like to raise a family, it should be for the right reasons, not because you hope that it will equip you with the skills to become a good social worker.
Great social workers are keen on developing the skills that they need to succeed at their jobs, whether they are mothers or not. They take the right university courses, pursue continuing education and seek advice from other, more experienced members of the profession.
For success in this field, some of the skills social workers should seek to develop include:
Open-Mindedness
Social workers must learn how to deal with every situation and every client without judging them. If they are not able to do this, it can negatively impact how effective their assistance could be.
Good Listening Skills
Each person on social welfare is unique, and the only way the social worker can learn more about what problems they face is by listening to them and asking the right questions.
Organization
For social workers to do their job well, they must be highly organized. They must plan each day efficiently and stay on top of filing reports and keeping detailed records.
Professionalism
This is one of the most important skills you should master as a social worker. You must act professionally at all times and avoid forming the type of relationship with clients that can interfere with your work. If you notice an unhealthy attachment by a client, you should talk to your superiors about having a different social worker assigned to them.
The Ability to Detach
Some of the things you will see in the course of your work will be heart-wrenching, but you must learn to leave it all behind once you leave the office for the day, or it will affect your mental and emotional health.
An Unstoppable Combo: Mothers and Social Workers
Mothers and social workers aren’t very different from one another; they are helpers, they are cheerleaders, and they are advocates. You don’t need to be a mother to be a good social worker, but it will certainly help you strengthen some of the skills that help make good social workers.
