New Mums - stay at home or back to work?

Lily-Rose_3

I went back because I didn't want to lose my place on the career ladder, and our mortgage and outgoings at the time would not be possible on my husband's wage alone. I was able to go part time, (3 days) but not give up altogether.

However, if a woman can give up work and be a SAHM full time , then good luck to her. It's a rewarding career - being a mommy.

MadPipAb

I feel for you, this is such a hard choice to make. I am mum of three girls who are older now. I stayed at home most of the time with the odd part time job here and there and it really drove me nuts. I love my kids dearly but I nearly ended up the nuthouse :rotfl:

If I had to do it again I don't know if I would have gone back to work, maybe, but I do feel grateful that I was there while they were little and they have grown up so quickly. You blink and you miss it.

In an ideal world part time work and family care would be the best option but it's not that easy for most of us. All you can do is go with your gut and give it a go and see how it pans out.

Living on one wage for us meant no abroad holidays and about £20 a week to live on after all the bills and food. It was tough and sometimes quite depressing but we did it. You become inventive with your entertainment. I lived over the park all weathers with wellies and waterproofs, feeding the ducks and free church toddler groups. They were good, crazy days. Good luck with your choice.

When_the_going_gets_tough

My children are now grown up so the options were not quite the same when they were little. I was at home for a number of years then worked family friendly hours. Just wanted to say that older children and teenagers need their parents too and two parents exhausted by doing full time demanding jobs doesn't leave much spare time or energy for older children/teens who need sus more than you might think.

michbright

I went back to work when DD1 was just 6 months old and hated it! I persevered until she was 2 and then quit to work from home.

I have now been a WAHM for almost 10 years and wouldn't have it any other way. I now have 3 beautiful DDs and am especially grateful I can be there for DD2, who suffers from anxiety frequently. I'm grateful I could be home when DD1 was coming home from school in floods of tears every day last year because she hated it so much, so I knew we had to move her to a different school. Her new school is further away and there is no way I could manage the school run if I weren't working from home. I also give DD1's friend a lift to and from the same school as her mum works and the school run would be impossible without my help (friend also moved from the old school, which is 2 minutes from our house).

I always thought I would be a career-driven parent, who would go back to work full time but obviously it was not meant to be . I have a good education, so I know I could always do something more later in life and with everyone having to work longer, I feel I still have time to do that. Right now my children come first.