Making the Change From Working Mom to Stay-at-Home Mom

Making the Change From Working Mom to Stay-at-Home MomMaking the Change From Working Mom to Stay-at-Home MomJust when you thought the decision to abflug a family was hard, now youre thinking about making the change from working mom to stay-at-home mom. Before you box up those picture frames and potted plants on your desk, consider these five factors to see if life as a stay-at-home mom will work for your family.? Your Money Evaluate your finances before you get your heart set on giving up your job to stay home with the kids. Sit down with your spouse and go over everything from how much youre paying for someone to watch your children while you work to how much you spend on gas, eating lunch out and buying clothes for your job. Compare those numbers with what you earn to see if youll be barely scraping by or if youll be able to save some money along the way. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that what you thought you were bringing home was going straight to childcare and yo ur daily commute. Your Feelings Forget what your mother-in-law thinks. Ignore comments from other parents about how a good mom stays at home. How do you feel about being a stay-at-home mom? You dont need guilt or bullying to push you into becoming a SAHM. You need to experience the personal satisfaction that your decision is best for your family. You should want to be a stay-at-home mom before you take the leap into this always rewarding, sometimes stressful life as your childrens full-time cook, maid, chauffeur, playmate, and nap warden. But being a SAHM isnt for everyone so you should never feel obligated. Millions of children with working parents have grown into successful, loving adults. The same goes for children with a parent staying home with them. Spouses Feelings Before you become a stay-at-home mom, you and your spouse need to have a serious talkabout how this decision will affect your relationship. Life will change for the both of you almost as much as when you br ought home your firstborn.? When you and your spouse work, youre more likely to split chores and errands. As a SAHM, those daily responsibilities make a major shift toward your side of the to-do list. You have to be a team. Even though youve spent the past 10 hours cooking, cleaning and raising your children, it doesnt mean your spouse is going to walk in the door and take over your shift. It doesnt mean he shouldnt help out anymore just because youve been home all day either. Its a give and take situation. On the one hand, your spouse must understand youve been working all day too. On the other, its important to realize youre not off the clock just because the other parent is home from a long day at the office. Its much easier to talk about each others roles while youre deciding to become a stay-at-home mom rather than after youre already home with the kids. Youre both getting a new job, yours as a full-time SAHM and his as the sole provider. Make a plan together beforehand so youl l know what to expect. It will eliminate a lot of frustration that can easily enter into your relationship as you both adjust to the changes in lifestyle. Healthcare Whose insurance is your family using? Your company may offer better rates and better coverage than your spouses, so it wasnt an issue when you werent thinking about becoming a SAHM. If you leave your job, you wont have that choice. Put the policy from your company next to the policy from your spouses to see what exactly will change if you do move your insurance. You also want to make sure all of your familys doctors accept your spouses insurance if you switch plans. Look at costs for deductibles, trips to the emergency room, doctors visits, and prescription drugs. Have your spouse ask co-workers about their experience with the coverage as well. Have they run into insurance problems in an emergency? Has the insurance paid the claim in a timely manner? Arm yourself with as much information as you can to ensure your fa mily is protected when not if, you have to dash off to the hospital for broken bones and stitches. Future Work Plans As your kids grow, will you start longing for the days to put on a suit and sit in an office again? Having a gap in your rsum while youre not working could be a turnoff to potential employers who dont value the sacrifices a stay-at-home mom makes for her family. You can always volunteer, pick up a part-time job, or work from home to keep your rsum fresh. If thats not a possibility, be persistent in your job search when youre ready to return to work. With more highly trained and educated people leaving the workforce to raise their families these days, employers wont be able to ignore the assets a SAHM has to offer. Even if you feel confident today about whichever decision you make, there will be days doubt creeps in. Just know that your decision doesnt have to be permanent. You can always go back to work, or you can leave your job later if nows not the right time.