Prior to the birth of your baby you will probably have to make a decision that will cause you many a sleepless night. Perhaps this is just prep for the sleepless nights you’ll be having when you bring your little bundle of joy home. If you’re reading this and you’re pregnant, you probably aren’t sleeping anyway; between your massive belly and your squished bladder it’s a lost cause. Use this time to think long and hard about this life changing decision.
I am speaking from the experience of having done both. I went back to work for a month and then decided I needed to be home with my son. Here’s the thing, everything else can wait; saving for retirement, buying new shoes, going on vacations, home improvements, climbing up the corporate ladder. Your baby won’t wait to grow up. You have this one little window of opportunity to love this perfect little person you brought into this world. You’ll be home max five years, probably less with pre-k and preschool programs being as terrific as they are nowadays. That is a drop in the bucket. Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday you were 16 and that was how many years ago?
Here come the buts…
But, we can’t afford it.
- Work from home. I temporarily have switched careers from teaching to being a mortgage broker. There are a ton of work from home opportunities.
- Cut back on the thousands of dollars worth of unessentials, like eating out, babies are always bad in restaurants anyways. And buying more black shoes. No you really don’t need another pair.
- Clip coupons, watch for sales, get rid of cable, downgrade to regular old dial up.
- Buy you baby’s clothes and toys at thrift and consignment stores. They don’t know the difference and will be spitting up on all of it anyway. But, won’t I be bored out of my mind.
- No, you won’t have time. You’ll be too busy watching the angelic face of your tiny newborn. Later you’ll be lurching after your crawler trying to save the last houseplant. Eventually, you’ll consider “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” a fun full body workout. You will not be bored.
- Get together with other moms and babies. I used Meet Up.com. It’s great for moms to have friends who really are interested in discussing diaper rash and the babies love to play with each other. By play, I mean grab toys and pull hair, but really, they enjoy it. Most local libraries also have programs for babies which are terrific fun for everyone too. But, I’ll lose my career.
- The workplace and economy are changing so fast that you may find there are new, better, positions in your field available upon your return. Maybe this temporary break will lead you in a different direction later on. Be positive, millions of moms have pulled it off, you can too.
Bottom line, at least give staying home a try if it is at all possible. It is by far the best thing for your child. And I think you’ll find it’s the best thing for you too. Surviving on one income is tough, but leaving your child to be raised by someone else everyday is much tougher. Good luck and enjoy the adventure!
