SAHM or Working Mom?

I returned to work when out y baby girl was 4 months old. First my mother in law took care of her, then when she was 8 months we put her into a small daycare. A piece of my heart broke everytime I dropped her off. When I would pick her up, I would often find out about firsts that I had missed. We are now planning for baby #2, and I so much want to be a Stay at Home Mom for our baby and our now 3 year old until she goes off to school. While we definitely can afford more things because I am working, I can not help but wonder if it will be worth it. For me, I already feel like it is not. But what about when my kids grow up, if it will impact them in ways I do not know. Anyone else feel conflicted about this?

I have been a stay at home mom since I was about 4 months pregnant with my oldest. I went to work for a short period of three months this summer because we moved to a new state but that drove me nuts being away from my kids! However I did enjoy the fact I got to socialize and make some money. Now I am a work at home mom(wahm) and watch other peoples children while staying home with me. I love the child care profession so now I am doing something that I enjoy while making money and staying home with my kids. Not to mention helping out other families who have no choice but to work, I am fortunate my husband makes enough for me to stay home but it is nice having a few extra dollars for new shoes or to put towards the car payment! Being a stay at home mom, working mom or even a work at home mom is all an individual choice. I have done all three and I am happiest where i am now because I am following my dream of having my own daycare all while raising my own children.

I was reading this board with great interest when I realized that the SAHM's are over-represented here. Most moms have to work but I see very few comments from them. I'm assuming that most working moms don't have time to post to this board, so I thought I'd chime in.

I'm in Canada, so I was lucky to have 12 months of maternity leave at home with my little one. I went back to work full time about 8 months ago. As a working mom, I'm conflicted. I'm not sure whether I want to stay home or if I should. My son absolutely loves his daycare. We were lucky to get him into a top-notch facility and I am confident he gets good care in a loving, stimulating environment. I'm not sure I could do better myself! But sometimes I would like to try!

I'm a lawyer and I work full time. I spent a long time building my career and my life before choosing to have a baby. In all my thoughtful planning around starting a family, I always assumed that I would continue to work full time after baby arrived. I enjoy my work, it's very lucrative and I couldn't imagine abandoning the career I worked so hard to build. Also, my hubby and I live in a very expensive city, so our mortgage necessitates that we both work. If I were to go down to part time hours, it might require that we sell our home (a drastic measure as far as I'm concerned). We've got some tough decisions ahead of us and I'm not sure that there is a "right answer" for us.

Whether I stay home or go to work, our kids will be taken good care of. At this stage, it's really about what I want. And what is that? I just don't know...

As a mother of 4 (boy, girl, boy, girl); I would say that with my experiences of being a SAHM. I find myself lacking the adult friends that I know I should have. It seems to me that once my youngest get to school-age or preschool I'll get a chance at It. I still have a goal to further my education when the time is right. I get frustrated from time to time with the kids when I'm constantly cleaning after everybody (including the visiting in-laws) sometimes I just want to get away from it all lol. But when people comment on the fact that I have 4 kids and that it is a handful, I just think to myself about all the pleasures of being a SAHM. I have and will continue to make the most pleasant memories of the things that they do to make me laugh when I'm sad. I may lack in friendship of adults, but regrettably my kids have stolen my heart and I do ever want to change the way I'm doing things now. So if you are making the choice keep in mind whether or not you are a sentimental person or not. I am sentimental and I enjoy my kids more than I feel trapped like a maid.

I have a 5 year old boy, and a 2 year old boy. I work part time, always have- and felt like that was where I needed to be. I've struggled recently to find a good day care, with some one I trust to watch them. I constantly worry about them while I'm working, I grill my 5 year old to tell me every detail of his day to make sure they're getting taken care of. I cant afford top of the line day care, so why am I working? I feel like I'm sacrificing my childrens youth by having a job. All of a sudden I've had a revalation that I need to be with my kids. I'm thinking I'm going to wrap up some finances this year, get pregnant with my last child (hopefully a girl!) and quit my job after my maternity leave ends. I've kept this job for so long for insurance. And its offered through my husbands job too we've just never used it. So here I go 2012... I'm bringing you a new baby and the job I've always truly wanted at heart.! But does any one think I'm silly to think the only way to quit my job is if I have 3 kids?! I just dont think having a job is realistic when I'll have to pay some one to watch 3 kids. Obviously I've discovered that having two is doable... lol.

Im a mother of two boys, 7 and 5. Before I had my oldest I worked, when I gave birth to my oldest son, I ended up staying at home for five years. When I had my youngest, once again I stayed home. I worked for six months in 2009 and I felt so relieved to get out and away ( know it sounds bad!) Now that they are starting there school years, and all the years of being home, cleaning up after three kids (including the hubby!) Plus the animal we own (enough!) I sometimes feel like I'm more of a maid then wife and mother. Its all repetition on a daily bases, when it comes to cleaning and all the house chores, that I do at times feel I would love to go back to work in a heartbeat. Then again I would like to stay home and pick up the kids, teach them at home, and have another child. So it's hard to work, come home and do everything, and its hard staying home and doing everything! When I worked I felt as if I was missing out on my boys. Its a hard decision to make when you want the best of both worlds!!