SAHM or going back to work?

TreatsMcGee · November 2010

Hello All, what is everyone doing after baby arrives? I was going to go back to work, but after having a terrible time finding a decent and reasonably priced daycare, I'm considering SAHM. What is everyone doing?

vlagrl29 · November 2010

I am staying at home too, we cannot afford daycare, makes no sense for me to work to pay for daycare.

veggybugg · November 2010

going back to work, but hopefully not at my current insane schedule. I work 9am to 7pm-ish so I hope to cut that back to 5pm. And I work with my parents half time so they can help me with Sprout.

I wish I could be a SAHM, but probably not til i pop out #2

chary412 · November 2010

In our first 8 years of marriage, we always assumed that DH would stay home with the kids, and I'd keep working. I was always a lot more ambitious and career-oriented. Then some company decided his skills were super valuable, so now he's working from home and getting paid a lot more than we're used to. At the same time, I got kind of tired of working, and started to get really excited about being a mom & taking care of the house. It helps that we have a lot of friends where the women are staying at home, too. So now we'll both be at home, but he'll be working and I'll be taking care of the kids/chores/cooking. Hard to believe I'm going to be such a "traditional housewife", but I'm looking forward to it.

veronica2447 · November 2010

DH and I have discussed this, and it's really up to me... I know I could not be a SAHM and keep my sanity, plus it would be hard to let go of all that is offered by my employer... I like working, and enjoy the company of others... On the other hand I know that once LO arrives I won't want to leave her/him, so I'm thinking of going back to work part time, which at my work in order to keep all my benefits (healthcare/additional insurance/vacation/paid sick leave etc, etc) I have to work at least 30 hours a week... I actually talked to my boss this week, and she thinks they can work with me going part time..., so that means my schedule would be 8am to 2pm (no lunch)... for me thats perfect hopefully everything works out.

TreatsMcGee · November 2010

Veronica, I like you're idea. I never thought about it that way. I think I would lose my sanity, too. The thought of being home full time scares me a little. I may talk to my boss about the PT thing. Thanks!

pcaito · November 2010

Im going to be a SAHM. Half of my pay would be going to daycare. I like my job, but i dont like stories i hear from daycares around here.

katieh1023 · November 2010

I'm going back to work. I'm a teacher, so I'll only have to go back to work for a month or so before the school year ends. My husband will then take off as much time as he can for paternity leave after I go back. Both of our mothers have offered to be our childcare, so we won't be paying for daycare. I don't think I could handle staying at home all the time.

on_the_move · November 2010

I will continue to be a SAHM. Even though I went to college I never got a career in my field, just jobs where ever DH moved us.

Spin313 · November 2010

I'm already a SAHM, so I will continue to be with #2.

kilissa · November 2010

My husband and I have our own business so I'm going to be a SAHM/WAHM. However, my primary job will be taking care of our LO.

thebubble09 · November 2010

i only work part time so i'm going back to work. i'm taking 2 full weeks of uninterrupted maternity leave (aka boss isnt' allowed to call

this was her request from me!) then we'll reevaluate. I acn take up to 6 weeks if i use my vacation time and normal days off. from may-august mom will take a day off from work, i will take a day to work from home, and DH will take a day to work from home and then the other 2 days/week i am off. we'll all go back to normal and start daycare in september!

becs11048 · November 2010

I will be going back to work after this one, at least that is the current plan. I am taking four months off though. If we are fortunate to have a second, then I will most likely stay at home as daycare/nannies in Chicago are utterly ridiculous!

mklove1984 · November 2010

Going back to work unfortunately. This pregnancy came A LOT earlier than DH and I planned so we aren't prepared financially to be a single income family. We could do it, but we'd both feel more comfortable with some extra padding. Also, my parents are going to help pay some of the costs of childcare.

Tarah716 · November 2010

Back to work full time! I carry our insurance so no choice

Phillychickadee · November 2010

WAHM here. It is working really well with # 1, so hopefully I can still swing it with # 2.

skio · November 2010

I will be leaving my current job for good and getting P/T work after 3-4 months at home. I commute 3.5 hours a day right now, and I'm gone for 13 hours a day. I could never be gone from my child that much, I already know it would be torture for me. So that decision was easy!

Financially, we're saving to have 3 months of my salary to cover my leave. DH gets a substantial raise at 5 months pp, so that will help a lot, and that's what allows me to only work P/T. We hope to have my mom and aunt help with childcare (they have both offered), we just don't know how we'll work that out yet. Daycare is very expensive around here, so we're trying to avoid needinf to use a center.

rebekahsm66 · November 2010

6 weeks after Emma is born I'll go back to work full time and school part time... Woohoo! I wish the military gave a lttle longer maternity leave :-(

srs5624 · November 2010

Back to work for me (after 90 days of maternity leave). Only about a third of my pay would be spent on daycare since we're in a very LCOL area, so it makes more sense for me to keep working. Also, my employer offers child care reimbursement benefits... I will be reimbursed for 60% of my child care costs every quarter up to a certain dollar amount (which we'll be under). Can't quit that benefit!

amethyst1220 · November 2010

i'll be going back to work after 15 weeks of paid mat leave. i'd rather be a SAHM (i think) but we just can't swing it financially right now. even w/ daycare costs, it makes more sense for me to come back to work. my boss is happy i'm coming back though which is nice

mrsjanks · November 2010

Going back to work 8 weeks after LO is born.

Kered6799 · November 2010

Will have to go back to work to start but going to try and cut my hours back to 30/week so I don't lose my vacation/sick time. I was in the process of looking for a new job when I found out that I was pregnant and will start the search again in March but will include part time positions this time around. I really want to go back to school too and found an accredited online program so if I can find a decent PT job then I would hopefully start the program soon after. I think that would be the best for us for now till I can get my car paid off.

kwitt22 · November 2010

I am def going back. I am the bread winner, by far. DH works as full time as they will let him and goes to grad school. Once DH graduates and gets a job we may explore the idea of me being a SAHM but I honestly have no idea. I like my job, and it pays great but its def not what I want to do for the rest of my life, and really not even for the next 5 years.

shaunamw · November 2010

I'll be going back, but I'm taking 5 months off. I carry the insurance and my job pays great plus I think I might go crazy at home all the time. I might try working from home one day a week or maybe just take one day a werk off. Playing that part by ear for now.

flowerchild77 · November 2010

Im already SAHM for my dd. With this baby comes we'll just be adding another one to the mix!

HoolahZinger · November 2010

SAHM for sure and I am so excited about it! I think it's nonsense for people to work just to pay for childcare. Now, it would be a different story if the income is more and it's needed elsewhere. But anyway, I can't wait to be a SAHM!!

SpartanGirl · November 2010

I will continue to be a SAHM.

kapathy · November 2010

I'll definitely be going back...luckily, I'm a teacher and I'll be able to take the remainder of the school year along with summer vacation (right about 6 months) before I have to do daycare.

Phil&Corinna · November 2010

Currently I'm only working part time, which varies from 12 hrs a week to sometimes 40, but because I'm part time, I don't have any benefits.

Here in Canada we get 55% of our wages paid by the government for up to one year; as long as we have 700 hrs worked in the past 52 weeks. I believe they base your pay on the most recent weeks' income though, so I hope this xmas season I get a ton of hours, to make my 55% cover my car payments etc.

55% of minimum wage is not much, but my DH has a great paying job and the plan has always been for me to stay home. After the one year that I'll qualify for mat leave, I'll likely either stay home completely or only work evenings/weekends. Paying someone $10/hr for child care and earning only $11 doesn't really make sense!!

I'd prefer not to go back, we'll see what happens!!

CutieBean79 · November 2010

I'm going to be a SAHM. Even though I have my MBA and have only been working for 3 years, my dream has always been to be a SAHM. I'm so excited, but nervous about the new demands too.