The issue of mums and working has sparked controversy and been made more interesting recently with the two very different high profile celebrity cases.

Fiona Phillips, presenter of GMTV, recently quit her high-powered day job on the sofa to spend more time with her family. According to Phillips, it "wasn't possible to have it all." On the other side of the fence, French Justice Minister Rachida Dati came under fire from numerous women's groups for returning to work just five days after giving birth.

So whilst Fiona Phillips may well be right in saying it's hard to juggle family and work, for many mums facing the credit crisis right now, this may not be a luxury they can afford. Women with high profile roles like Rachida Dati, may well come under pressure from people for returning to their jobs more quickly than most. Whereas other working mums, may not be under the same intense work load pressure or be worried about the abundance of men queuing up ready to sneak into their roles, if they take their full maternity leave.

As these two strong women demonstrate, the decision is a personal one that has to be carefully balanced with a sense of many factors including finance, time and available childcare.

Celebrity cases in the media often make us compare situations but it's important to remember, that all of our situations are unique. What works for your friend might not work for you. You have to find something that will work for you and your family and no outside influence is going to help you.

Consider these points:

* Assess your own personal values. What's important to you now may well have changed from five years ago. Prioritise your values in order of importance.
* How do your values compare to those of your partners?
* Look at the options available to you that can help meet your personal values. Be open minded and creative. Consider part-time work, flexi-time, working from home, role swapping with your partner, childcare with family, child care in a nursery etc.
* Write down the pros and cons of each option and how closely they meet your values. What are you willing to compromise on?
* Consider what you need to do in order to meet your values. Such things may include re-training, changing job industries, working in a different location etc.
* Concentrate on what's right for you and not what your friends are doing. You don't always know their full circumstances and what's happening behind closed doors.
* Communicate fully and openly with your partner and come to a decision together.
* Give yourself a timescale to see if your option is working and time to re-adjust.
* Don't be afraid to make changes and admit that something isn't working out.

It seems fitting to end with an interesting point that was recently made by a top psychologist and child specialist Dr Penelope Leach, who after seven years of intensive research has published a new paper on childcare. Her paper suggests that there are clear benefits to stay at home mums but also strong advantages to the growth, independence and development of children that are in good childcare. "What seems clear," she says, "is that women who are satisfied with their work whether that is staying at home or out earning, are much better parents, happier people and healthier than those who are under any kind of compulsion."

To find out more about dealing with changes in your life and for help in creating a life that you love, visit www.horizonsregained.com