saying goodbye to work

ljanette85

I am so excited for this baby and to be a mostly sahm ( I will have to work pt)... but I feel really odd letting go of my jobs. I have always had many interests and a few jobs at once, lots of variety in my life! I feel that it is all going to come to a halt for a while and its a little sad. Being able to avoid daycare and stay home with my baby is my number one priority, Im just adjusting to these big changes in my life and its tough. anyone else have these feelings? I am going to keep working (as a massage therapist) very part-time. down the road when baby is bigger and in school I can pick up more hours and maybe even return to school for hair or esthetics   I know that being home with your kid is a full time job but I feel like i may get bored or will feel useless when my fiance is out working a ton. he tells me everyday to not worry about those things but i do. i think im just hanging on to my last thread of independence lol  just needed to whine!

ljanette85

if we could afford the childcare I would probably go work at the spa 3-4 days a week...but being commission based its hard to tell if I will make enough each week to pay a sitter. Im thinking of finding some work by MIL's house a few days a week... just house keeping or something. I fully trust her to babysit (I know she would love it) and then I can make some cash and be a working girl lol. Massage will just have to happen on saturdays when my fiance can take the baby

meangene

It was pretty tough for me, even after DD was born in 2010, to quit my job. It was a pretty decent career job and paid a good amount. However, the daycares here run about $1200/month and it just wouldn't be worth it when you add in the additional food/clothing/gas/toll road costs that come with working.

I love staying home (although I never thought I would). Between taking care of DD, trying to clean house, making dinner, and playdates, we stay pretty busy. 

nopegoat

Before I got pregnant I was working and going to school. When I got pregnant I was lucky enough to drop work and take on more classes so I could finish sooner. Once I finished, my DF said he would prefer that I stay home with the kids, especially since we could afford it. It was a really really hard decision for me especially since I worked so hard to get my degrees but I finally decided that I could always work but my babies will only be babies for so long so I mind as well spend what time I could with them while I could. 

I thought I would be bored and miserable, and at first I was. Now I am really starting to enjoy it. We go to different places to play so we aren't always cooped up, and right now he is soaking stuff up like a sponge so its super fun to teach him different things and play games with him.

Some days I miss working still, but I don't think I would change a thing!

 

judahsmommy1

To be honest, the first few months  are pretty dull. But at the same time, you're exhausted and recovering from the delivery process. After that, however, there's a lot of things you can go out and do with baby. A lot of libraries have "baby time". There is the public pool and some cities have great children's museums. (We just went to a great one this morning!) Then there will be things that you can do at home. Find a learning store near your home and it might become your favorite place! Babies usually love things like water. You can mix food coloring in some yogurt, strip baby down and paint.

Being bored and staying home and watching soap operas is an option when you're a stay at home mom. But if you do some planning and get creative, it can be a lot of fun. Beyond that, if you discover that you're really going crazy, figuring out a way to go back to work is always an option. 

One thing I would highly recommend is finding a great babysitter very early however. Being able to go out and sit at a coffee shop and read, or write, or sketch or whatever for an hour without baby is WONDERFUL and at times very much needed. And then there's always a need for date night.  

MsMM414

I am kind of a SAHW, I work a couple jobs from home but they don't take up more than 20 hours a week. It was hard at first but then you find a routine. It is SO nice to fill my day with things I want to do instead of have to do.

OUKatie

I'm nervous about SAH, too. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited and very glad that I can do it, but a large part of my identity is who I am profesionally. It's going to be hard to let that go for so many reasons. It's who I am and I enjoy my job and love the people I work with. But...it's worth it for me.

The bottom line is, we really can't always have it all. I KNOW myself and I know that I won't be able to juggle both early motherhood and my job to my satisfaction without running myself ragged.

DH isn't set on me being a SAH. We're lucky because we can afford to choose. In the end, I weighed the pros and cons of both and SAH won for me so that's what I'm going to do.

chardonnay24

MsMM414:

I am kind of a SAHW, I work a couple jobs from home but they don't take up more than 20 hours a week. It was hard at first but then you find a routine. It is SO nice to fill my day with things I want to do instead of have to do.

You don't really do things you "want" to do when you are a SAHM. I run errands, do chores, and take the kiddo to playgroups, library, and classes. I spend the rest of the day running around after him. I have far less time SAH than I ever did working a full time job.

ETA: Sorry, to answer the OP: As much as I hated my job, it was weird and kind of sad to give up my independence. I loved getting ready for work, wearing something other than jeans and flats, and conversing with adults. The first couple months were a little dull and I was a little depressed, but I have since joined groups and made some mom friends. I make sure that I am gone from the house every single day. It is an adjustment at first and I wasn't sure I was cut out for it, but now I love it.