Is Staying at Home a Good Decision for Moms?
While some women or moms find satisfaction and fulfillment in working, others find it in caring for their family or home and want to be a stay at home moms. As such it is expected that some working moms at some point will prefer to leave their jobs to be stay-at-home moms/parents.
While considering many factors, being a stay home mom is a good option to consider for any working mom. There are many benefits and satisfaction that come being a stay at home mom such as being present as a parent and taking care of your home.
In addition, children tend to change how working moms prioritize things in their lives. Most working moms hate work when the children arrive. Women tend to shift their energy and attention to their children after birth.
As such quitting or giving up work to stay home with kids and family becomes a good option many moms consider and plan on.
Read: Why Working Moms Hate Work After Birth of Kids
Is Resigning Your Job to Stay Home Advisable?
Resigning work to be a stay-at-home mom is not necessarily a bad or crazy idea. Many working moms may try to dissuade you because of the fear of the unknown. Nonetheless, it is still an advisable option considering one’s adequate preparedness for it.
On the other hand it is a very bad idea if you are not prepared for it. You need to have your finances sorted out and how you will sustainably meet your financial needs in future. Without such a plan, quitting your job to stay home with your kids is a risk move and not recommended.
Resigning from work to stay at home can be hard, tiring, and isolating hence you may regret it. In addition, you may get little to no adult contact. You may suffer isolation as you have fewer or no social contact. All this can make you start regretting the decision to quit work and stay at home.
Reasons to be a Stay at Home Mom
Some of the reasons why working mms quit to stay at home include;
- Lack of flexibility-If your job or industry does not allow you the flexibility to be a quality mom, it is recommended that you quit this job and stay home with your kids as you figure out your next move.
- Lack of adequate time Working especially full time will deny you for anything else. You will not have adequate time for your kids, partner, friends and even yourself. As such quit if working is not giving the right balance.
- Too much toxic working environment- The workplace can be very toxic which can be very draining and also affect your job performance. If your job is leading to major mental and emotional health issues for you, it is best to quit.
- Need to care for baby. For some reasons, you as the mom may feel that you need to care for your child in person. For instance working moms may not be comfortable having a nanny care for their special needs child or ailing parents. You may feel that you are the only capable of handling the needs of your special child.
- You hate your job- Working at a job you hate is never advisable. Until you can figure out what to do about our career it is okay to take a break and stay home for a while.
- If the job is too stressful and has so much pressure on you
- If your job puts you at risk; physically, and emotionally, then you should quit working
- If you can afford to sustain your expenses, then you may decide on resigning and staying at home
Benefits for Moms to Quit & Stay-at-Home
Despite the risks involved, there are several benefits when a working mom stops working to stay at home such as;
1. Gives you More Time with Kids
Quitting/leaving work and being a stay-at-home mom/parent will give you more time to be with your children. When working, especially full-time, you rarely have adequate and quality time to spend with your children. Therefore it will do good to your kids to have you around full time.
2. Allows you to Care and Manage your Household
Also being a stay-at-home mom allows you to care for other people and your home. You will get adequate time to run errands, pay bills, clean your home, and visit family and friends. All this may be impossible when working, especially full-time.
3. Get Adequate Me Time
If you want to be a stay-at-home mom, quitting or giving up work to stay at home will let you get the time and space to care for yourself. Working especially full-time will deny you the time and energy to do self-care.
4. Improve Quality of Life
When you resign from a stressful job so that you can stay at home you will get the time to prepare decent and healthy meals, exercise, get adequate sleep, connect socially, learn new skills, and partake in your hobbies.
Read: Simple and Time-Efficient Hobbies for Moms
Steps Guide on Quitting Job to be a Stay-at-Home Mom
Step 1: Make a Decision of Quitting to Stay at Home
Choosing to resign from work and be a stay-at-home parent will have to start with a decision. You must decide you no longer want to work and would wish to stay home and care for your kids. Making this decision is the first and very important step so that you will not regret it later.
Step 2: Set a Practical and Reasonable Timeline
Once you have made the decision your next step is deciding on a timeline. You need to decide whether to quit your job immediately or will need more time.
It is recommended that you set a time that is both practical and reasonable for you. There is no need to resign immediately in a rush to stay at home and start regretting it. Therefore decide how much time you need to continue working as you set your plan in motion and eventually resign.
The time can range anywhere from one month or even over a year. This period is crucial as it prepares you for being a stay-at-home parent.
Step 3: Create an Adequate Financial Safety Net
For you to comfortably quit your job and stay at home, you need to be able to afford it. It is not recommended for you to resign/leave your job if you have no income for when you are staying at home.
Therefore ensure you have a solid financial safety net that will sustain you when you leave your job. It is important that you complete this step before handing in your resignation.You need to know where you will getting money for sustenance.
- One option is savings up from your salary or other income. You can create a target amount that will sustain you and save your salary towards this. If you make good money at work, you can easily save up to allow you to quit and afford to stay at home.
- Alternatively, you can rely on your partner. If your partner earns enough to sustain you when you are home with no income, then you have a stable safety net.
Step 4: Quit and Write Resignation Letter
After you have laid out your plan and have a financial plan for sustaining your expenses, it is time for the next step. You are now ready to quit. When your timeline is over and everything is set as planned, write and hand in your resignation letter.
Only give in your notice when you are ready. The timing of resignation should be just right when the above step is complete. Do not hand in your resignation when it’s too early and you have not set up your plan. Also, do not drag it too far.
Your resignation letter needs to be simple and direct. You do not have to mention why you are leaving but if you want simply say you need the full time to care for your family. Be respectful and courteous in your language.
Step 5: Find a Support System
Once you are home after quitting or giving up work, you will need all the support you can get. You need support from your partner, family, and friends.
Their presence and input are crucial since you are trying to adjust to the new routines and life. Also, it is crucial in helping you feel validated within your chosen role of staying at home to care for your children.
You will especially benefit a lot from other stay-at-home moms. Research and find out how and when you can meet with other moms who have quit their job to stay at home.
Read: How to Make and Sustain Mom Friends
How Quitting a Job Affects you/The Risks Involved
When you quit your job to be a stay at home mom, you will probably experience some of these changes;
1. You Lose Part of your Identity
You will definitely miss your job. When you quit you lose that part of your identity. You are going to miss you job, your colleagues, your boss and the working environment.
2. Become Disoriented in Daily Routine
Your daily routine will be interrupted. While you were used to waking up, getting ready, going to work and so son, you daily routine will now be very different. What will happen is that most of your day will be filled with caring for your kids, family and house chores.
3. You Feel Socially Isolated
Your social life may be negatively affected. Because you are not leaving the house as often, you will lose touch your friends from work and elsewhere.
4. Lead to Poor Self Care
You will have less personal time. Because of having so much to do and the need to care for your kids, you will lack time for personal errands, me time and even self-care.
5. Straining Financially
Your finances will be affected. You were used to getting your own money and now that you are a stay at home , you are not as financially independent. What happens when you quit is that you will be straining financially unless you have saved up a lot, you have other sources of income or have a supportive partner.
6. Feeling Loss of Purpose/Regrets
You may feel like you have lost your purpose in life and your life has become repetitive. You may lack challenges like you faced while working or being simulated. Sometimes you may regret the decision you made to quit work.
But quitting your job to stay at home is not a decision that you must regret. While things may not turn out how you envisioned them, there are so many benefits of this situation.
It is important to understand that you will need some adjustment period. Getting used to a certain rhythm and routine at work can make you feel lost when you quit work to stay at home. Give yourself some time to find a new bearing and create new routines.
Do not regret resigning/leaving as long as you had a valid reason for it and afford it. Do not regret wanting to be a stay-at-home mom. Quitting or giving up your job to stay at home is a bold move. Reflect on how you want to create new routines and habits for your new life as a stay-at-home mom/parent.
