Don't know what to do with myself...(long)

Petunia844 · January 2013

Right now I'm a graphic designer, when I started my job 3 years ago the company was a start up, but still 3 years later I'm not happy with what I'm making, it's not really enough to make high quality childcare make sense. So right now I go in the office 1 day/week and the other days I work from home...my mom takes DS the day I go in. It's going ok, but by working from home I feel like I can't give Raylan or my job 100% of my attention. I would much rather go in to a job 3 days per week for a whole day so days I'm home I can give him my full attention and vice versa. The problem is my current job doesn't translate well for job experience because I'm designing for our own very specific software...so I don't think I will have much luck finding another job that pays well enough for the childcare to make sense. What I really like to do is paint, I went to art school....but that doesn't really provide a steady income. So I'm at a loss...DH says I "can" quit my job and paint, but that it would put a lot of pressure on him to have the sole income. So I'm at a loss...I want the best for everyone and I want to be happy...but I don't know how to do that. I was toying with the idea of starting my own design business and doing wedding invitations and that kind of thing, but now with DS that's too much to take on right now. Ugh, I feel like I'm too old to still be trying to figure out what to do with myself.

SharonB222 · January 2013

Your DH says you can, but he has concerns. I would ask what his particular concerns are, and make relevant adjustments or contigency plans. I am the main income earner so that my DH can follow his dream. He covers his expenses but is "underpaid". We're coming on five years so need to re-commit to this or make other adjustments...

I always think of Grandma Moses for my secret aspiration to be an actor (I am an engineer now).

GL!

crystalknpp · January 2013

You need to follow your gut instincts! My income was always for the "extras" (going to dinners, savings, vacations,etc.). I wound up getting let go from my job conveniently right around my maternity leave. DH and I talked about it and decided that as long as we can continue to swing it financially I would stay home with DS. It's been an adjustment and we've had to stick to a more strict budget but I don't regret for a second. You could always freelance on the side for extra money if that would help?

MrsRiceARoni · January 2013

I would look into any adjustments you could make that would make living off of one income less stressful and see if you could really make it work. When I first stopped working things were tight for a while and we lived very fungal until we were able to pay off one of the cars, but now with only one car payment we are much more comfortable. Do you have some bill like that that you could try paying more into for the short term to decrease you monthly billsbin the long term?

weddedwife · January 2013

If I were in your shoes, I'd quit my job. Maybe painting doesn't provide a steady income but it could pull in some money here and there. Maybe eventually it will bring more income, especially if you devote more time to it.

Scooby2358 · January 2013

Just throwing some ideas out there:

- Are there any adjustments you can make to your schedule at your current job? Depending on the company culture, perhaps they would be open to a less traditional schedule. I went back to my (then) job part-time for 2 months when DD was 3m-5m, and I worked two 10-hour days at the office plus a 4-hour day. That allowed DH and me to cobble together being with DD so we didn't have to pay for outside child care.

- Would it make sense to cut back to part-time just to keep your foot in the door while allowing you to spend more time with DS now?

- I agree with PPs about talking to your DH about his concerns. If he is the sole income provider, will it mean giving up a few luxuries or really cutting back? How much of that are the two of you comfortable with?

And, for the record, I'm still figuring out what I want to do when I grow up. You're not the only one!

Edited for wording.

Petunia844 · January 2013

Thanks ladies, I'm going to look into Etsy more and try to see how much (if anything) I could realistically make if I start doing that instead.

Want a personalized experience?

Don't know what to do with myself...(long)

Re: Don't know what to do with myself...(long)

Choose Another Board

Search Boards