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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Go away, SAHMs, this is a thread for working moms to give advice. All of you reek of insecurity, and the PP trying to make SAH the same as early retirement is hilarious.

Retirement means no longer working. Oh wait, so that means you agree that SAH is not work? Tell me again about how today's SAHMs are so smart and educated. :roll:[/quote]

Clearly, realizing that "early retirement" isn't any different than any other type of no longer working for pay has sent you into a dizzy of bitterness, which clearly was right below the surface to begin with. I'm the prior poster, a former SAH that made/makes in the six figures before and after my five years at home with my kids.  Your insults don't bother me, I'm happy with my own decisions, just pointing out some obvious hypocrisy.

[b]OP, don't be afraid to dial down for a few years if that is what works for you and your family.  It is no where near as difficult to ramp back up later as some posters here will have you believe if you do good work[/b].

[/quote]

I'm a WOHM who agrees with this.  It doesn't have to mean SAH -- it might just mean reducing your hours or changing to a less stressful job or letting go of some of your current job responsibilities.  Whether this is possible in your current position is something only you can know.  Maybe it requires a job change or a reduction to PT work to make this job less stressful, but maybe there are some small things you can do to "dial it down" without leaving your position.  You might be able to let go of some of your leadership roles and let someone else take over for a while.  Maybe you retain the ones that are really important to you but stop grasping at some of the things that aren't as important and train someone under you to take the leadership role for that aspect.  Maybe you acknowledge to yourself (and to others if necessary) that it's okay to let go of a pet project and postpone if for a few years until you have the energy to focus on it.

Whether you like it or not, you live a life that involves both working and parenting.  You can't do either of these things 24/7 at 100%, and trying to do so will make you miserable.  You can do your job 100% when you're there and your home life 100% when you're there.  Trying to separate them as much as possible will help, but there will always be times when you need to take a late phone call or finish up a work project at night, or you will have to deal with a sick kid during a workday or order a present for your kid's teacher.  Try not to multitask too much, though -- it will make you go crazy.

Also let go of any illusion of perfection.  Let the house go.  It doesn't need to be spotless.  Do the laundry less.  If you can afford it, hire out jobs like laundry or dusting or lawn work.  Something similar goes for work: you don't need to have a spotless desk or be on top of every email in your inbox.[/quote]

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