Reply to Considering leaving a good job ($120K) in mid-thirties to be a SAHM

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, I'm a SAHM moving back into the workplace after 8 years at home.  I would not trade that time with my children for anything in the world, and I will never regret it.  I think having a mom who really loves being a mom at home in the early years provides a critical foundation of security and love.  As a latch-key child myself, I really wanted my children to have a stay-at-home mom in their early years.  My youngest is now almost 5, and I'm sad that she will not have me for as long as the others did, but as she'll start K in the fall, I'm reasonably confident she's going to be okay.

There have been a number of sacrifices in terms of finances, and we had to go from a fairly luxurious lifestyle (multiple vacations each year, never thinking about eating out, never thinking about what whether we could afford things) to having to be on a tight budget and watching every penny.  I actually think the discipline we learned financially is a good one, which we may never have learned if we had stayed two-income.  That said, my DH's salary is $300,000+ a year, and we purchased our home long before I became a SAHM.  We also had a large savings cushion.

I personally think you can make staying at home work, but do go into it having a realistic picture of the financial/lifestyle tradeoffs.  Do a very careful analysis of your current spending patterns vs. where you can make cuts/changes.  I agree that you should buy a house while you have two incomes.  Also, try to buy in an area that will see increased  value over the years.  It's one area where a good choice can really pay off.  There are tons of fun things you can do in the DC area that are free or low-cost, and definitely do not try to keep up with the Joneses.

I am returning to work at somewhat less than the salary I would have had I stayed, but certainly more than when I left.  However, that's because of strong personal connections that I maintained during the SAHM days and the reputation I built earlier in my career.  It is possible!

Also, I don't think the blog idea is a bad one at all.  I am surprised that anyone would poo-poohing it  If you can provide state of the art info to your colleagues on a regular basis, it will help you maintain contact and keep your credentials burnished.  I also took occasional freelance assignments, and that definitely helps keep a toe in, too.

If you really enjoy being a mom and enjoy being with your kids, staying at home can be a wonderful thing.  It's certainly been a great experience for me.  I hope it is for you, too.

[/quote]
People weren't poo poohing the blog idea. They were being realistic. She does not have the income to hire help or outsourcing so blogging and freelance, networking etc. is done during naps and after bedtime. It's hard to prioritize that. Folks are speaking from experience and being realistic. Not saying it's impossible but there will be barriers to this plan? [/quote]

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