hey moms around the world?

Question

I am a new mother that has always had a job all my life, now I have the opportunity to stay home with my son who is now 3 months old, I could stay home for the first year, (no financial problem) which would be wonderful but I also feel the need to get back to work. It's also not that I don't get out socially, so I am around adults or running errands more than half the week. If I did go back to work I would be afraid I would regret it and want to quit but then I would already feel obligated to stay since it was my job for 3 years prior. so I would like to know what you had decided and why and if you could have had the opportunity to stay home instead would you have please tell me your story and how you felt about it afterwards, pros and cons I'm in a big debate here

Answer 1

I stayed home the first year. It was fantastic. I would have jumped at the chance to stay at home until my daughter went to school, but financially could not. What I did do was I worked part time, nights. This way my husband spend the evenings with her, and my Mom watched her while I slept. But if you have the chance, I would take it! It is so worth it. The first five years of a child's life are so important. The pros are you get to spend time teaching your child, you are forming a stronger bond with your child. The cons, I really do not know of any, really.

If you really feel the need to work, either wait until the child is 3 years old and in a Pre-K class, then maybe you could work very part time with the school. If I had the chance, yes I would stay home. You are so lucky, I am so envious! Stay home with that precious baby!

Answer 2

My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and I thought it was going to be easy go figure, so I didn't start working after we got married because we wanted a family right away.
To answer your question I would take the time off and if you still feel the need to go back to work see if you can work part time or from home. I wish I would have had a job that I loved !!!!! You can work part time and put your baby in a mothers day out with is like a pre school for just a few days a week so you don't have to pay for the full week.... Good Luck

Answer 3

I am a stay at home mom with 3 kids, ages 9,5 &3. If you can stay home, do it. It is hard at times and some days I can't wait to start working again, but I wouldn't trade this in for the world!!
What about working part-time, a few hours a week if possible.
Your babies are only babies once, so enjoy it while you can!
As for socializing there are groups you can join which benefit both mommy and baby.
I chose to stay home because it was right for me.I have worked here and there part-time but paying a babysitter just wasn't worth me working outside of the home.My son starts school next year, I'm still young so there is still plenty of time for me to go back to school or work. I do not, nor will I ever regret staying home with my kids.
Good luck with you decision!

Answer 4

My son will be 3 in a week.

Starting when he was 3 mo old I went back to work full time. I quit my job within 2 months, spent a month with my son, tearfully found a new job which I lasted at for a year.

Here's our compromise.

I have to work financially. I found a job where i can work an alternate schedule. I now work 11 hours Monday, Tuesday, & Saturday. My son gets the socialization he needs in school 2 days a week. He spends Wed, thurs, & fri with me, Sat with his daddy and normally grandparents & sun is family day. This schedule is working out great!! I've been at this job since January.

Answer 5

I'm a stay at home mom of 2 and half years it been great seen my boy grow and to be there when he said his first word when h walks when he do everything first but i also have to admitted sometimes feeling lonely because im mostly at home by my own alone because my husband has to work logically but in my experience the rewards has been so much of being there that i would do it all over again hope this helps but i think if you really need both thing work and stay home you should try to find some work at home job i heard that there's some around there good luck

Answer 6

I think this is something that only you can know. I do childcare in my home so that I can work (we need the money) and be with my children. I do believe though, that it all depends on your personality. Childcare can be a good source of social interaction for the kids as well as giving you a break of your own. Some families function better that way. It is no shame to say that being home ALL day is driving you crazy, you just need to be strong enough to recognize it. If having a job to go to every day makes you happy, it will also make you a better mom, rather than to be home all day, wishing you were somewhere else. That way the time you do have with your children will be special.

Answer 7

I personally chose to stay at home with my twins for the first 6 months. I'm now home with them at least 4 days a week (two days during the work-week). I've missed a lot of things by being away from them this much, but it's also important for you to maintain who YOU are, don't feel guilty about wanting to work, everyone needs some kind of outside stimulation. If you want to stay at your job then maybe you could talk to your boss about cutting down on your work week or taking some work home with you. Your little boy will only be little for a short time, no one would blame you for choosing him over a full-time job. I hope this helps, it's a tough decision to make.

Answer 8

I had the opportunity to stay home and I took it!
I asked myself, "Who do I want raising my child?" The answer was ME. I was a professional and very good at what I did...
I still get calls and offers and I am not worried about re-entering the work force because I have the skills and education to easily find work.
For us, the most important were the first two years of our child's life and I wanted to be the main influence on my child. I was able to take some graduate classes with minimal time away from our child. He would go with grandma for an hour or two during the week.
I say GO FOR IT!! You will never regret the time you spend with your child. Can you imagine regretting time not spent at your work?

Answer 9

As a single mother with 3, STAY HOME! I was not fortunate enough to stay at home with my children when they were younger and still be financially able to support them. O how I wish I could have. They grow so fast, you'll cherish the time you spend. Also, you may not have the opportunity to do this again, so go for it! Besides, I'm sure the little one would LOVE to have you around! But don't forget, EVERYONE deserves a break. Many mothers, both working and stay home, forget to treat themselves once and a while.

Answer 10

See how you feel after being home for a while. You will be glad you got the opportunity to be with him. If you do decide you want to go back to work, don't be too hard on yourself. Each mom is different. The quality of the time you spend with him is what counts the most. Just be wise when choosing daycare/babysitter.