Reply to Help me decide if I should stay at home or go back to work (baby is 6 weeks old)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My ds is 6 weeks old.  I have the financial means to stay at home with him and quit my job.  My maternity leave is up and if I do go back to work, I will have to start next Monday.  Ugh!!!  What should I do???

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I was in the same position. I took the 3 months you are allowed under family medical leave. I was ready to go back at the end of the third month. But that was me. And while we could afford for me to stay home, we are financially better off with my working. We have been able to save a good amount and are not worried about what happens if one or the other of us loses their job. We have some breathing room. And I happen to enjoy working.

My suggestion, try and extend your leave using the family medical leave act. Start to look for a day care that starts at 3 months, or a Nanny or something. We worked our work schedule so that I went in earlier and DH dropped DS at Day Care. I picked DS up as soon as nap time was over, around 3 PM. DS was at Day Care from 9 -3, so not a really long time. We shifted our work schedules when he started school so I can be home when he gets home from school. I know that type of flexible scheduling is not available for everyone but you can at least ask about it.

I like working. I like having the time where I am more engaged in something I enjoy doing. I like the salary it brings in and the financial security it provides. I like that I am maintaining solid skills so that if, god forbid, anything happened to my DH I would be in a good place to financially care for our child. I actually earn more then my DH so my not working would be a larger hit to the family income.

But you have to decide what is best for you. I know some people who strongly preferred being home with their child. That choice was great for them but lousy for me. The good news is that you can make the decision that is best for you.

But 6 weeks, heck even 3 months, is really early to be making a huge decision. There is just so much that is happening and changing that it is hard to make a clear decision. [/quote]

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