Any SAHM's go back to work?

ans1999

I am struggling with making the decision to go back. What factors did you consider. Do you wish you would have kept them home until they went back to school? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

jerseysunrays

I went back to work today! I've worked part time from home since DS  (now 16 months) was born. Before that, I worked full time + part time from home.

Here were my deciding factors: 

 1. I really believe in the mission of the company I am working for. They treat their employees well, there is room to grow, and I LOVE MY JOB. 

2. I needed my life to be compartmentalized a little bit better. As it was before, I was with DS all day, and scrambled to get my work done while he attempted to nap and while he was in bed. I also had to work a lot of weekends (while DH could watch DS). I wanted family time to be family time, work time to be work time, and house cleaning time to be house cleaning time. 

3. I found a daycare center that I really love that pays their teachers a good living wage and is an environment I feel comfortable leaving DS in. His teachers (one has a Masters of Education and the other a Bachelors) are kind, loving, empathic, creative, and open. He gets to go outside twice a day, art time, circle time, etc.

4. We were squeaking by financially, but with me going back to work we will really be able to work harder towards some of our financial goals.  

5. DS is ripe. He's social and ready for adventure. There are a lot of experiences I can give him and things I can teach him, and there are a lot of things he's ready to experience that I can't (such as learning how to be a good member of a group, how to listen to an adult that is not his parent, how to play cooperatively, etc).

 

jettagurl

I will eventually.  I had no intention of being a SAHM entirely, but it's the way it worked out, and I've loved it for the most part.  

I think Jersey had some good points/ideas.  If I were just returning to a job to make some money, then I wouldn't be all eager to go back.  I'd be returning to a career withe a company that is great and co-workers that I enjoy spending the days with.  

Our plan is for me to return PT within the next year (most likely next fall) and FT once DD1 is in K.(3 more years).  Then MH will likely quit his job to be self-employed and I'll work on another degree as well. Eventually I'll quit and work for him.  

I think it's an incredibly personal decision.....IMO you have to love your work enough to not dread sending you kids to DC, and you have to be able to leave work at work and enjoy your family in the off hours so that it truly becomes quality time.

 

Carol*Brady

I plan to next Fall if I can find a job...if not I will try hard the Fall after that (when DD#3 starts preschool).  I am doing it because I don't want to SAH forever & I'll already be out 7yrs at a minimum--and that is longer than I planned/hoped but baby #3 was not really "tried" for.  I have $40K in student loans I really would like to take back over & pay off.  DD#3 will be 2 & I think do OK w/ a nanny or in daycare & it's only a year until she'll start preschool in the same school as her sisters.  DD#1 & #2 can be in school full-time (it's P-8th at their school).  I have a profession I spent a ton of time working towards & I don't want to loose it.  I miss the culture (talk, interaction, creativity, etc) of working.  Our financial goals would come quickly if we are both working (we are doing fine on one income but 2 will be better).    

expectingnothing

I am ASAP, but I also recently became a single parent and I am completely not cut out to be a single SAHM.  We are all driving each other crazy, I am not the mom I want to be to them.  I could make it on the support DH will pay me but I want my own income to feel completely self-sufficient.  And a big factor is my kids need the socialization.  They had always gone PT to their preschool and have not been since May, they need that back in their lives.