CircleBumpCheckedFilledMedicalBookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxCheckBoxFilled

How I Knew I Wanted to Quit My Job and Become a Stay-at-Home Mom

save article
profile picture of Jayne Heinrich
By Jayne Heinrich, The Naptown Organizer
Updated February 28, 2017
Hero Image

“I will ALWAYS want to work full-time!  I’ll NEVER stay at home with children!”

Yep. I said that prior to children. And now?  I’m eating my words.

Recently, my husband and I made the very significant decision that I would be quitting my job after having baby number two due at the end of December.

This decision came after much thought, postulating, and planning how we would make things work relying on only one income, even with my ability to supplement our income somewhat unreliably with small side-jobs. It came with sacrifice, in many areas. We don’t have cable television, and haven’t for over a year. We don’t buy each other or ourselves expensive gifts. We rarely eat out or go to movies. We buy most of what we own gently used and are very thrifty in what we do have to purchase new. The sacrifices, however, have been completely worth it for our family. To be candid — they really don’t even seem like sacrifices to either myself or my husband.

When I initially returned to work after having my first child, everyone said that it would get easier. The constant worrying about him, the sadness of missing out on what he was doing all day long, the little smiles I wouldn’t see throughout the day — it never got better for me. I found myself wishing I was home even more as he began to grow older, become more interactive, and gain the ability to recognize and verbalize his displeasure that I was gone for so long each day.

On my days off at home, it was easy to recognize that as a family we were all happier. No matter how tough the day could be with my small child at home, I was much happier being at home with him. Whether there were tears, food thrown on the floor, nap strikes, or any other events that make your day extremely tough as a stay at home parent, I always knew in my heart I’d choose the worst day with my son over the best day at work. On the great days at home, I realized that I would never grow tired of reading to my child, playing games with him, teaching him as much as I possibly could. While every mother needs adult time — I didn’t feel like I had to have a daily break from my child to be happy or successful. I completely understand the mothers that do, because some days staying at home with your child or children can be tough. But I just never felt that I needed that.

Related Video

After six years of university and a master’s degree, I never thought I’d be in this place — but, here we are. I’ve always loved my job. Working in healthcare has been amazing for me, in that I love to help my patients and clients change their lives. My job as a speech pathologist has been extremely rewarding and fulfilling, in many ways. But, for me, it will never be able to make up for what I felt I was missing out on with my child during those times.

I’m extremely lucky to have the opportunity to be at home with my children more frequently than I was previously. I’m so lucky to have a spouse that supports my desires to do so. And I’m so lucky that I know what works for me and I’ve learned my path as a parent.

As mentioned above, as a parent, I’ve learned to never say never.

Because, most times, you end up eating your words.

How did you decide whether to work or to stay home?

save article
ADVERTISEMENT

Next on Your Reading List

frustrated stay at home mom holds her crying baby
Mom Raises Awareness on the Challenges of Staying Home With the Kids
By Nehal Aggarwal
kristen dunst says it's easier to return to work than stay home with her baby
Kirsten Dunst on Motherhood: ‘It’s So Much Easier to Go Back to Work Than It Is to Be a SAHM’
By Stephanie Grassullo
mom at home holding and kissing her baby
'the List of Horribly Wrong Misconceptions I Had About Stay-at-Home Moms'
By Stephanie Grassullo
ADVERTISEMENT
stay at home mom with her excited son
Dad Compares His 'Massive Day at Work' to His Wife's SAHM Schedule
By Stephanie Grassullo
kids playing in messy house
A Note to Every Stay-at-Home Mom Who Feels 'Undone'
By Stephanie Grassullo
dad working from home with toddler daughter in his lap
More Moms and Dads Are Opting to Be Stay-at-Home Parents
By Stephanie Grassullo
mom holding baby on couch crying
SAHM Opens Up: 'I’m Never Alone but I’m Forever Lonely'
By Stephanie Grassullo
ADVERTISEMENT
mom holding baby with pacifier in her lap at home
Stay-at-Home Mom Speaks Up: ‘I Am Not a Stay-at-Home Housekeeper’
By Stephanie Grassullo
mom holding baby with pacifier in her lap at home
Stay-at-Home Mom Speaks Up: ‘I Am Not a Stay-at-Home Housekeeper’
By Stephanie Grassullo
What One Stay-at-Home Mom Learned From Her Own Mother
What One Stay-at-Home Mom Learned From Her Own Mother
By Julie Pennell
ADVERTISEMENT
little energetic boy jumping home
The “My Day Is Harder” Debate: Which Parent Wins?
By Sarah Turner
A Week in the Life of a Stay-At-Home Mom
A Week in the Life of a Stay-At-Home Mom
By Abigail Green
Secrets of Stay-at-Home Moms
Secrets of Stay-at-Home Moms
By Elena Donovan Mauer
ADVERTISEMENT
What It’s Really Like to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom
What It’s Really Like to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom
By Bonnie Vengrow
Staying Happy as a Stay-at-Home Mom
Staying Happy as a Stay-at-Home Mom
By Abigail Green
mother kissing baby before leaving for work
These States Provide the Best Work-Life Balance
By Wyndi Kappes
woman working at desk
Study: Providing Parents With Support Makes Businesses More Profitable
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
baby holding australia flag
Australia Extends Paid Parental Leave to 6 Months
By Wyndi Kappes
Victoria Monét and two-year-old daughter Hazel Monét Gaines celebrate their Grammy nominations by indulging in Jimmy John’s Red Velvet Cookies while preparing for the awards show on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California
Victoria Monét and Daughter—The Grammy’s Youngest Nominee—Make History
By Wyndi Kappes
mom sitting at table at home thinking and pondering
I Was an Accidental SAHM—and I’m Done Feeling Guilty About It
By Kristen Bringe
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List