SAHM or Working Mom?

After having my son 10 months ago, within the first month i knew i had to go back to University. I had planned to take a year out but having my son in July, 2 months later i was back. I suffered post-natal depression and knew the only way i could get through it was seeking some normality. Don't get me wrong my son is my world, he has a wonderful childminder and interacts with so many different children on a daily basis. I do sometimes feel guilty about leaving him 4 days a week, however i give him more in our quality time than i think i would have if i was with him 24 hours a day. Everyone comments on how happy my son is, He is always smiling!

I believe that it is a womans choice either way. I have had the most support from my husband in going back to Uni and that makes our home a happy home when we are all there together. It is hard dealing with broken nights, teething, washing and so on while studying for a degree but i love it.

I have been a SAHM now for 3 1/2yrs since my daughter was born in Nov 2004.I had planned on returning to work after my maternity leave but i had post natal depression from about 1mth after the birth and my confidence was absolutely shattered.I felt too scared and self conscious to go back.Dont think my partner was pleased but i just couldnt have coped going back.In any case, it would have been difficult to get childcare (at short notice-as it had taken so long to get help and back on track),and all the money i earnt would have been chewed up paying for it.My bond with my daughter would have been worse too as someone else would have been looking after her all day and our bond had already been affeced by my illness.

We decided on having another child when our daughter was 1 1/2yrs and so our son was born in April 2007 and things were fine this time.I told my partner that i felt it's a parent's duty to look after the kids until they go to school and then go back to work (i stay hme currently,he goes to work).Admittedly we struggle at times with money, and sometimes the kids play up and I wonder why I bothered to stay at home,truth is it's an individual decision and sometimes there are other factors to consider such as health.

I personally feel i made the right decision and i know my kids are cared for how i want them to be.Ok we have to watch the pennies very closely and things take a back seat,but i dont see myself as priority anymore.As long as my kids have everything they need and more importantly LOVE,that's all that matters.They dont need fancy toys or costly outings.It helps them to understand and respect the value of money too.

The way i look at it (on forms we fill in),a housewife/househusband is one of the options under occupation and it's certainly a full time+ job.I see it that the child tax credits i get are my "earnings" as a SAHM, only thing is i'm not paid or appreciated enough for it!

I have been a SAHM since our daughter, who will be 11 in 2 weeks, was born. We now have 3 kids (we also have 2 boys, ages 7 and 3 1/2), and I wouldn't change a thing. I love being able to spend time with our younger son, and it's wonderful to be there when our older 2 kids get home from school. I can help with homework (although that's getting harder with our daughter going to middle school next year! LOL), we can all do things together, and I have more energy to give. Our daughter's getting older, like I said, and I like the fact that I'll be available to her when she's going through those tough teenage years. We have a good relationship now, and I hope it stays that way!

In addition to those reasons, daycare would cost us as much money as I would earn, if not more, if I went back to work. We still reevaluate our decision from time to time, and we always come back to the same conclusion: for us, it just makes better sense for me to stay home. I love it, and I hope to be able to stay home with my kids as long as possible!

For anyone who is trying to decide whether to go back to work or stay home, I can't tell you what you should do since it's a very personal decision. Some people can't stand to stay at home, and some people just feel more fulfilled when they work. Neither of these makes you a bad parent! It's not the ideal solution for everyone. But if you enjoy being at home with your kids, and your family can get by on one income, I would highly recommend it!

My husband has told me that once i get done paying off my car note I wont have to work anymore. That means i can be a SAHM!!! Well, he also told me that I am going to want to spoil our kids and if I want to do that then I will need to have a part-time job. So which do I want to do? I guess I would want to buy my children nice things every once in a while. But then again i want to be able to be home with them while they are babies! So in a way I really dont know yet. I want to be a SAHM but I also want to be able to buy them things every now and then. I think in the begining i am going to be a SAHM and as they get older I might get a part-time job. But there are no little ones YET (want to start ttc) so i have time to figure it out!!!

My husband and I both agreed that I would stay home and raise our children. I would not change what I do for anything. My oldest is turning 5 next month and will start kindergarden in the fall. I'm blown away at how fast they really do grow, I have a hard time comprehending that he is already that old. I'm just so thankful that I had this special time w/ him.

I decided to stay home with my kids, and have never looked back. We have had to make some financial sacrifices, but being with the kids and watching them grow has been more than worth it.