Going back to work
Photo courtesy of Foundrysportsmedicine.com and google images

       Lately it’s dawned on me that I have been out of the workplace since July 2009, I can’t believe it’s been that long.   I would be lying if I said I didn’t sometimes think about going back to work, especially after I finished college.  I feel this strong urge to go back to work and have more independence like I did once upon a time.  Now with two little ones (and one on the way) it seems that possibility is becoming more unlikely. 

            Don’t get me wrong, being a full time stay at home mom is just that: Full Time.  However it would be nice to get dressed for a purpose every day, to do something I love and am passionate about, and ultimately bring home a little extra bacon.  I don’t want to waste my potential, but right now mommy hood is my calling.  I have heard so many times, “putting all your energy and time into your kids is not always the best thing for you or them” maybe that is true to a point, and  now I am looking at things a little differently especially as I enter another decade of life (30 years old in May, Yikes). 

            Going back to work is a tough choice to make as a mom.  We tend to be tough on ourselves and feel guilty for leaving our kids at home or daycare.  Either way it’s a very difficult decision to make. I started to feel invaluable being a stay at home mom especially when people ask me what I do.  I’m educated and have the option to go back but I chose to be here with my kids.  So when is the best time to go back? That is something personal and completely up to you.  Everyone has their own reasons and for me I had to consider many factors and even though I was contemplating going back, I came back to my original decision to stay home.

            Personally it would be a huge stretch financially which was one of the main reasons we decided on me staying home. With the cost of childcare alone not for one child but three, would be outrageous. I looked into a local daycare and for infant care alone it was $600 a month that did not include my other kids.  My husband and I feel very strongly about me raising our kids.  He is at work and very active in parenting our kids, however it does mostly fall on me because I am home.  I can list all the pros and cons of staying home and going to work, but it will take me days to finish and really that’s not what this post is all about.  This post is about self reflection and understanding what you want and being content in that situation.  Sometimes we go to jobs we hate and bosses we despise, but we do what we have to.  Staying home is very similar, we make the conscious decision to stay home because sometimes we have to. 

            The most important thing I realized after my personal evaluation is to love what you do.  My job is being home. I’m a mom, who loves her kids I work hard to teach them and raise them to be independent little people.  I like to look at myself as the VP of Operations of my own home.  Rather than focusing on what I do not have (a job outside of the home) I started to realize all that I do have and how truly blessed I am.  It’s difficult to make these decisions and sometimes you have to put your career on the back burner for the family.  It may not always be this way, your kids will grow and eventually need you less. 

            I have found that you do become a little “outdated” and it’s super important to keep up with things relevant around you.  Getting out and being at work keeps you current.  Continue educating yourself, we are so blessed in this era to have the internet at the palm of our hands.  Read, go back to school, do something positive for you to feel happy and ultimately to stay current.  It’s not easy with busy little bees at home, but if it was then everyone would and could do it. 

            If you are wondering what your purpose is in life just remember that you hold the key to your future and success.  You cannot be led by others ideas of what you should or should not be doing.  Just remember that you are not alone.  Be happy with what you have and what you’re doing everything in life is temporary.  I hope that this post helps some of my mommies (stay at home) or working.  It’s tough to do both and my hat goes off to all the mommies in general, we do so much with very little recognition.  Live life and enjoy every second of it.

            Thanks for stopping by mommies, remember to keep sharing my posts and blog so that together we can strive for mommy success!

XOXO,

Reina