Choosing to be a working mom is not easy. For many, it is not a choice at all with financial obligations driving the decision. This is especially true today with the state of our economy – both today and into the uncertain future. It can be difficult for a household to rely on one income, especially in an uncertain economy (what if my husband gets laid off?). Not to mention, it is a tough decision to give up half or part of a household income that you may have come to rely on. Deciding to give up this income probably also means making some household budget cuts including shopping (yikes!), eating out, vacations, cars, etc.
This "mommy blog" is for all moms out there who are working in and out of the home, from the perspective of two best friends with completely different "mommy lives" (one with a successful career in business and one who stays home), but the same fundamental goal: to be the best moms we can be. Our purpose is to bridge the gap between the two different "mommy worlds" based on our two perspectives in experiencing the ups and downs of each, all while maintaining our 12-year-and-counting friendship.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Beth's Choice...
Growing up, I always pictured myself married with children. But one thing that was never clear in my picture of the future was whether I would stay home with my kids, or have a career outside the home. My mom stayed home with us when we were very young, but returned to teaching when I (the youngest) began school. This seemed a reasonable choice, and I think that much of my decision to become a teacher was based on my childhood-- my mom got home the same time we did after school, was home with us all summer, on snow days, etc. It seemed perfect-- a "mom-friendly" job. (Thankfully, teaching high school English for 5 years after graduating college was also something I loved doing, so it worked out for me...!) When I married my husband and we talked about our future, we both agreed that when we had kids, I would stay home with them if we were financially stable, at least until the kids were in school. But leaving my classroom that day in September of 2006 (my first daughter was born in October), and handing my plans and keys to a new teacher, was so much harder than I thought it would be. I loved teaching, and I was good at it. Would I get another job if I needed to? Would I lose my "touch"? Would I ever be back? Pushing those thoughts aside, I tried to think of how great it would be to stay home--no planning, no grading, no meetings, just babies! Easy, right? HA! So, here I sit: a stay-at-home mom with two kids-- a job that is proving to be 1000x more challenging than I ever expected.
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