Choosing to go back to work or stay at home?

Question

Looking for healthy debate on peoples opinions who have gone through this choice already, any things they wish they would’ve known or thought about when deciding this, etc :)

Answer

I stayed home. I didn’t LOVE my job. But more importantly, I decided I can always work. I can never get these early years with my son back. I’ll go back after #2 gets into kindergarten.
It is hard letting go of the financial independence I had. And it can be isolating unless you hung down some Mom groups or other means of socializing. There are days it’s hard/frustrating, but I’m SO glad I’m home with my little guy.

Answer

We are sort of in the middle of this choice. I’ll have to finish my degree but I’m planning on mostly staying home. My job allows me flexibility and I would rather be a home maker.

Answer

I think it’s such a personal decision and depends entirely on the mom and her family. I am due with my third and I don’t have concrete plans to go back once they’re here. I am a contract part-time professor at a university, so I can take a semester off here and there and still maintain my “spot”. I can’t picture myself staying home full time, but that’s just my personality. I like using my education and I really enjoy my job. Teaching a couple of classes gets me out of the house and gives the kids and I a break from each other 😉 
When they’re all in school I know I’ll want to really focus on my career again, but I’m grateful to have time at home with them when they’re little.

Answer

I loved staying home with my son until he was a year old. I will be doing the same with my girl. Ill probably only work part time until 2 (what i did last time)

Answer

My mom stayed at home when my siblings and I were babies because she noticed she was spending more money on a baby sitter than she was earning. I will probably go back part time to my job.

Answer

I've done all 3. Worked full time with #1, part time with #2 and stayed home with #3. All come with challenges. I ultimately decided to stay home because at that point I was burned out of the career I had already had for 12 years....it's tricky going back to the workforce after taking a lot of time off, but i was okay with it. Also, daycare and preschool were costing me more than I was earning. My husband and I also agreed I'd get a designated 'allowance' into my own account because I refuse to ask him for money. The hard part of staying home is it's very isolating. Most of my friends still work. You think you'll just meet other moms, but it's not that easy. Also, because the days all kinda blur together, sometimes I don't feel as engaged with my kids as when I worked and missed them. I feel like a maid and nanny sometimes instead of a mommy. But I do like that I can get dinner in the oven or slow cooker early etc.

Answer

I haven't been through it yet, but I lean on the stay at home side. 
I will go back to work, but I only work two days a week and it's a Nanny job and I'm allowed to take baby with me. 
if I had still been in my future time job I would definitely have quite and I worked in a daycare center.

Answer

I started staying home after my second baby was born... I was actually going to go back to work part time and then I got pregnant again so I’ll be home for another 5 years! I like being available for volunteering and field trips with my kiddos! When I decided to stay home it was because financially it made sense... my entire paycheck would have gone to childcare for 2 kids. So we figured I might as well just hang at home with them.

Choosing to go back to work or stay at home?

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