I'm Not a Stay at Home Mom

When E was a baby and I had to go back to work, it was the worst thing in my world.  Not so much because I was concerned about her well-being (she was in good hands and right down the street from my work), but because I was working.  And not at home.  I always had this idea that "moms were supposed to be at home - raising kids, cleaning, cooking".  Call me old fashioned but that's how I grew up and expected my life to be the same.

We had just moved in to our house and having a baby added to the financial strain, so staying home was not a possibility.  For the next three years, I hated working.  I loathed each and every day, and was insanely jealous of anyone I knew (or barely knew) that was able to stay home.  My coworker and I would daydream about the day we could quit.  Each scenerio was extremely dramatic and detailed, but fun none the less.

Fast forward three years.  Hubby has a great job, we've paid off all our debt and managed to save some cash.  I'm pregnant with A and thinking "THIS IS IT!  I finally get to stay home with my babies and do all of the fun things I've pinned!" (true story).  As I'm contemplating when to tell my boss, my Dad and stepmom kindly suggest that maybe I should ask if I could work part time.  My first reaction?  They were crazy!  Why would anyone choose to work if they financially didnt have to?  After a lot of thinking, we decide that maybe I should propose working part time - because worse case scenerio, boss says no and I'm back to being a stay at home mom.  Plus, if I ever wanted to go back full time, I wouldn't have a gap in my employment history.

You guys - it was the best decision ever.

I can not be a stay at home mom.  My two days a week out of the house are gold.  I love my children, but adult interaction and time to eat lunch in one sitting is bliss.  I look forward to work now - two years ago that statement would make me laugh uncontrollably.  But it's true.  It's a win-win.  I bring home some extra cash, my kids get some interaction with our nanny's daughter, and I stay sane.

source This is SO true in my house!

 

To all of you true stay at home moms - You are my hero.  For real.  It takes more strength than I have.  Every mom is different - I think that is important to realize day to day.  What works for one family doesn't work for another.  The grass is not always greener.

As is the norm, today I am linking up with Anne for Wednesday Wishes.  I wish that I could have done this when E was little.  I feel like I missed out on a lot of things with her as a baby.  As other mothers can confirm, she grew up way too fast and I hate thinking that I "wasted" time at work instead of being with her.  I know that staying home was not an option then, but I still feel guilty about it.  I can never get those days back but I am working hard at making new memories.

What are you wishing for?  What are your thoughts on staying home vs. working out of the home?