Working vs SAHM...

ForeverEverAfter

I'm so torn!! I make more than DH, and being in Canada I get a decent mat leave, so it was a no brainer to go back after DD1. I went back fulltime at 10.5mo. This time, there are more factors to consider, and I would love some outside opinions!

I have a permanent, full time job that I enjoy. The full time schedule sucks and I feel like I live at work. About half of the staff is part time or casual. Casual staff can go from full time hours to no calls for weeks, but usually are seen regularly. 

DH is expecting an upgrade this May that would almost double his income. We need the extra to pay down debt, but it would take pressure off if I couldn't get hours. 

Ive been doing casual childcare during mat leave and love it. It means I can spend time with my kids, bake, sing, paint, garden, etc. I have someone wanting to reserve a fulltime space for Dec 1st start (plus once a week through the fall). If I find one more fulltime it would be the same as my take home after childcare and commuting, plus I could pick up casual shifts.

So what would you do?

A) Keep full time job for security

B ) Go back fulltime in August and use vacation/switches to keep watching kids casually. When I have 2 full time kids confirmed, quit position and go casual. We are both shiftworkers, so my kids don't have daycare spaces-they have a babysitter who is available full time to us (she's retired, but likes my oldest).

C Other?

Sorry for the novel!!

cmommy13

In my opinion you will never regret more time with your kids but you might regret more time at work. So I pick B!

You cant get this time back when they are little. I work per diem and love all the time with my LO

hlb8179

I don't want to tell you what to do, but I will share what I've learned. Since being back at work, I feel that it's really important to love your job if you have the choice about working or not. I don't think I could justify being away from LO if I had a choice and didn't feel like I was happy and fulfilled all those hours at work. 

ForeverEverAfter

Thanks, ladies. I do enjoy my work, but I know how exhausting the full time schedule was with only one LO. I'm trying hard to plan well and manage to do B, but it's terrifying at the same time to leave the safety net of my permanent position.

tlc11934

I vote for C.  Go the part time route but maybe not at the hospital.  Is there something else you could do part time to keep you in the medical field?  Doctor's office with set hours?  I feel it's important to stay in the "game" but understand your desire to spend more time with your kids.  If I could afford to only work part time this is what I would do.  

jen83mn

Whatever will make you happiest!

i was planning to return to work full-time (40 hours) after baby was born (my first). Three weeks before my maternity leave ended (I had 12 weeks off), I was beginning to get really sad that I would be away from LO for 5 days out of the week, 10 hours a day with commuting time. I ended up asking my work if I could go part-time and down to 32 hours a week so I could have one more day home with LO throughout the week ... and they said yes!

I feel like I have the best of both worlds now. I'm able to spend Friday-Sunday with baby, work Monday-Thursday, still get all of my health and other benefits at work, and give the grandmas a little more of a break from watching baby during the week. My husband works a flex schedule so he gets every other Thursday off, so every other week baby is home with us four days in a row.

I cherish our Friday's off together alone and feel like I can do my best at work and as a mom now. Yes, it was a cut in pay, but it was worth it to me to have more time with him. I plan on staying on this schedule until him and his future brother or sister are in school, then will probably go back to full-time ... but maybe not! We'll see!

aharders89

I would choose option C as well if you could maybe do PT or PRN. I'm also an RN and I was supposed to go back in November but we ended up moving states when LO was about 2 months old. It worked out really well because I've gotten to spend so much more time with her while waiting on my endorsement. Financially I don't really have to go back to work, but I want to because we like to have a little more of a cushion. And I also don't want to lose my skills, there's already so much I feel like I've forgotten in the past 5.5 months lol. I go back at the end of March and I'm just going to do 2 nights per week. Which should be manageable and I don't feel like I'll miss so much with LO and DH. 

nicolelynn915

If I had the option I would do an as needed position. That way you could always decide when to work and still keep up yours skills, but also spend time with Lo. I was planning on going back full time, but before my maternity leave came to an end I came back part time. I still can stay in my field, but get time with my Lo and adult conversation. I only work 2-3 days a week which sometimes seems like forever and sometimes goes super fast. I like what I'm doing but miss what I was doing before. I had a change in roles when i went part time but things change when you put your kids first. 

ForeverEverAfter

Thanks for sharing  I really do want more time with my littles. I think I'll talk to my manager about doing some casual shifts during my leave. Then I'll get a feel for the shifts available and pay difference (I'll make more hourly in lieu of benefits) before I make a final decision.