SAHM for how long?

jewelamber8 · September 2012

How long are you planning to be a SAHM? I am considering this as an option, but I worry about my age and getting back into the workforce. I'm 33 and would like to be home until my little one started preschool/school.

TIA!

penguingrrl · September 2012

At this point we don't have a plan for when I'll no longer SAH. Everyone I know who works says that childcare is so much easier when their kids are daycare age because daycare is set up around a work schedule. School schedules are really different from work schedules and it can be difficult to coordinate after care, random days school is off care, summer care, sick care, etc. So I'll definitely stay home until the kids are old enough/mature enough to stay home alone safely.

HarrietNJMommy · September 2012

Indefinitely. Not sure.

trizzie · September 2012

Indefinitely. I plan to volunteer at the school when my kids are all in school. And then I will volunteer in the community. I didn't make a ton of money before I started staying home (almost 5 years ago- i am 35 now). This was always in the plans for us. Plus, I want one more baby in the next year.

~snoopylove~ · September 2012

No plans to work outside the home

jensriot · September 2012

I always thought I would go back to work when the kids went to school. Now I really think I would like to be there to volunteer for the classroom, help with schoolwork, etc. So I guess I'm hoping I'm don't ever need to go back.

littlemermaid · September 2012

Not sure, I've been a sahm for 12 years. I resigned from my career when I was 29.

jnjmommy0609 · September 2012

Um...honestly as long as I possibly can. I prefer the life as a SAHM or at least a WAHM

joyfullyfound · September 2012

Forever, if I want to. Definitely until the kids are in high school or graduated though.

mrswright2006 · September 2012

Indefinitely. If the right job comes up, I would take it, but ideally I will be home from now on. After DS is in school, I want to learn about the farming operation that my dad owns, because some day the land will come to me. I want to know if I want to become a farmer or lease the land (selling is NOT an option for me). I don't consider that a JOB, because I don't want to be paid for it - my dad already does too much to support his family, this is a way I feel like I can pay him back.

00jennifer00 · September 2012

At least until all my kids are elementary age. We homeschool though, so probably more like until the youngest starts high school (we plan to see if they want to go to public school for high school). I only worked for 3 years before becoming a sahm at 20, so I didn't leave a career behind or anything. I would like to become a midwife someday, but probably not until my child-bearing years are over which is probably another 15 years.

sbevmc09 · September 2012

Right now it's indefinite. Barring any unforeseen circumstances I'd like to SAH at least until my littlest is in school FT. After that we'll re-evaluate and see what we want to do. Maybe I'll return to work PT or maybe I'll continue to SAH. Maybe I'll want to return FT, we'll see!

vintagejjane · September 2012

As long as I can. I want to be around for them, especially when she's or they (if I have more) during the teenage years.

MrsMincks · September 2012

As long as possible. Preferably at least until my son is in school. If we have more children, I'll try to stay home until the youngest starts school.

nosoup4u · September 2012

I just went back to work. My older son is 4.5, and is starting his second year of PreK he goes half day, MF, and my younger son is 2. I'm currently working parttime though with commuting, it's closer to 25 hours a week. I'm a teacher, so getting back into the work pool wasn't as hard for me. I'm hoping to teach this year and next, and then if we're going to have a third, have a baby summer 2014, so I can take about a year off before diving back in.
Emotionally, I just couldn't take SAH anymore! We do keep busy, but I didn't make many close friends lots of acquaintances, and was just feeling stuck and like I was treading water.

sophie206 · September 2012

I already work very part-time from home. It's only 10-15 hours/week, but is enough to keep my resume up-to-date and contribute a bit financially. I plan to hopefully continue doing this until DD is in kindergarten, at which point I'd like to go back to school for my Master's and change careers. (I was a marketing major and it's not really what I want to do anymore. Not a good family/work balance unless I found an *ideal* position at a University or similar.)

wifeofaussie · September 2012

We're planning on homeschooling til high school so....it'll be a while unless something changes!

kcisthebombdotcom · September 2012

Definitely until my second child starts 1st grade. Ideally I'd go back to something with hours like 6-2 so I could be home by the time the kids get off the bus from school--DH works 9-5 so he could do dropoff. Both my parents worked full time but someone was always there when I wasn't in school and I think that's ideal.

notkateanymore · September 2012

Forever...I'm retired.

JCM · September 2012

I don't plan on going back to work, ever. As far as DH & I are concerned I "retired" at the age of 34! Of course, if things change and I need to return to work I will.

FormerlyKrista555 · September 2012

Unless it becomes financially necessary, I dont plan to ever go back to working fulltime, possibly not at all. My husband is aok with this.
I'd love to be a room mom, be able to take, my kids to all their extra curriculars, etc., and have the house clean for everyone when they got home.

Notwifezilla7 · September 2012

I'm not sure. I do believe while SAH is important, I would like to do something outside the home once the kids are in school full time. Having been a teacher (special ed & elem ed) I have my certs & experience in this field. I'd love to find a PT position in a district, but those are hard to come by.

A little part of me still has the desire to pursue further education. I've always toyed with the idea of either a Ph.D or Ed.D. I've wanted to look at gender & athletics and it's relation to education. I won't lie, the amount of time and effort seems daunting. However, if the opportunity presents itself, maybe that's the avenue I'll go down.

For now, we talk about me going back to teach in some capacity, sometime when our youngest is school age.

Que*Syrah · September 2012

Probably forever. I would go back to work in a heartbeat if our finances changed and we could no longer afford it, but neither DH nor I want me to go back to working.

regenab · September 2012

I was planning on starting back next year when they start all day school. But now I am thinking I am just going to stay home instead. We do fine with our finances with me not working now so me working would only provide extra money for vacations and savings. How many vacations can you really take if you only have 2 weeks off a year because you are working. I love that since DH is military he gets 30 days of leave a year and we only have to work around his schedule when planning trips for the family. I don't think I really want to deal with trying to set up before and after care for my girls and summer camps for 10 weeks so that I can work, I wouldn't end up coming home with that much once you take out money for commuting and clothing for work. It just doesn't seem worth it. Maybe when they start middle school and can be home by themselves for 2 hours in the evening until I got off work.

If DH ends up staying in the military after this tour (he was going to retire, has 23 years in already) I am not going back to work at all, even when the girls are in middle school or high school. He will get promoted after this tour if he doesn't retire and we would be making even more money then we are now. DH likes me being home it makes it much easier for our family life.

ColesMommy0606 · September 2012

MrsMincks:
As long as possible. Preferably at least until my son is in school. If we have more children, I'll try to stay home until the youngest starts school.

This. I work PT from home so I think once both kids are in school (1st and 3rd grade) I will look for additional work but I like the flexibility of what I do now. I still want to be able to pick-up, drop-off, go to meetings, sports, functions, volunteer, etc.

NicoleWI · September 2012

I'm not even SAH but I wonder about this as I consider it. I'm going to be almost 38 when we have this baby, so say I "retire" from this job at age 38. I'd like to stay home at least through most of the middle school years (still have short school days, lots of activities, carpools to manage, holiday breaks, summer breaks, etc). Let's say I did that until the youngest is in 9th or 10th grade, say 15 years...that puts me at 53! Wow! So...I don't know. I have thought about going back to school when my youngest is in school and pursuing a different degree and a career change, but I guess time will tell whether or not I feel that's still what I want to do. Perhaps I would do that (go to school in 6 years or so) and then work PT. All up in the air.

Temp174496125006552 · September 2012

Ben is 4.5 and starting preschool in a couple of weeks. He'll start kindergarten next September. Alex is 7.5 weeks, so we have a while until he goes to school. The plan right now is for me to be home until Alex starts kindergarten. Then, I will find something part-time a few days a week while they are in school. I will be here when they leave in the morning and when they get home after school. The days that I'm not working, I'll volunteer in their classrooms, run errands, clean, dr's appts, etc.

DH really wants one parent to be here before/after school and over the summers and I agree. So, I don't know if I would ever go back to something full-time. If I did, it would probably be after Alex leaves to go to college. By that point, I'd be almost 58 years old, so I would probably work for 5-7 years at most.

Mama-Bear · September 2012

I'll never have a "career", I might work PT at some point. I want to be a room mother, do the PTA thing, be here when the boys get home from school, not freak out about finding care for a snow day. I'm sure I'm no help, but this isn't a "point in life" or "phase" we considered, this is our life.

mrsrobinsontobe · September 2012

i'm a pt teacher, not an easy position to come by, so i will never leave this job...i've got it too good! i'm able to do all the kids' school stuff --pta, room mom, board of directors at son's pre school, etc..., i keep the house organized, make dinner -- all with the help of my husband, of course! and i make a great salary! win-win!!!

i think it's important that we have 2 salaries -- you never know what could happen, especially in this economy -- a tenured teaching job with great hours? i'd be a fool to give that up!!!

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