Hellobee Boards

Nope. Very similar situation. Worked until DS was about a year, at which point we moved to a new city. Job leads didn't pan out, so I started freelancing. That's what I'm still doing. Now that No. 2 will be here soon it seems very unlikely that I'll be able to find anything that pays enough to justify paying for childcare for two.

I wouldn't say I *love* staying at home, but I've mostly made my peace with it at this point. And the longer I do it, the harder it is to imagine LO in daycare or the like. On the other hand, a big part of me will always miss working outside the home. Hope to be able to do it again, even if it's not for a few more years.

Yup, we knew I'd stay until at least the kids go to school. Afterwards, it's up to me what I want to do. Will prolly at least go back part time.

No. I need to be a SAHM until both kids are in elementary school and then I can go back to work. Daycare is too expensive with 2 kids and my parents aren't retired so they can't help with child care.

@winniebee: I think we'll find a PT program for LO at some point next year. I will really need the break with two kids ...

@HLK208: So jealous of the people with retired parents who live nearby and can help. SO jealous! Mine are far away and nowhere near retired.

I quit my job two weeks before my due date knowing I would SAH. We could afford it and it was always what I wanted to do, as that's how both of us were raised. I went back to work part-time WAH when my LO was 4-10 months but then quit again. I enjoy being a SAHM much much much more. Probably had something to do with how I wasn't happy with my job or company to begin with, but being a SAHM fulfills me a lot more and just makes me happier overall.

Yes, this has always been our plan. We built our lives around relying just on his income. The plan is for me to be at home or just working part time pretty much forever, or until I *really* want to work full time. I enjoy being at home, so I could see being part time forever, or until my daughter is out of the house.

Kind of. I was freelancing when preg, then temping to qualify for mat pay so I don't have a job to go back to, plus daycare is crazy expensive here and we don't have any family here to help. That said, I am so blessed to be able to stay home with LO and couldn't imagine putting her in daycare. I'd like to be a SAHM till she's in school then retrain as a teacher. If I still lived in the UK and still had a job I loved on a newspaper, I imagine I would have tried to work there part time. So yes and no

Yes! I love it. My dream was always to raise children and be a home maker.

I've always imagined I would SAH, like my Mum did with us until my younger Sister started school. Dh and I talked about this really early on in our relationship and he encouraged me to do so when the time came. LO is due to arrive any time now, so we'll see how it goes. I imagine I'll take around 7-8years off, until our youngest LO is in full time education. I'd like to be back at work by 40 at the latest, which still gives me another 20yrs to work if I want! If I don't like being a SAH, we're fortunate in that we can probably work around Dh's hours so I could go back part-time much earlier.

Not really...Last summer (2012) I had a temporary job in a mailroom at a non-profit. During that summer I fell pregnant with S, so I felt that getting a job until March (we decided I would SAH with her) would be difficult, so I decided to stay home. Then I lost S and started looking for a job again, but then decided to go back to school this semester. And, now I'm pregnant again, and when I have this kid, yes, it'll be by choice. before it was just because I couldn't find a job.

Yep. I've always wanted to be a SAHM. I grew up with one and felt so strongly about doing the same. I may work when my babies are all in school though, we'll have to see. Not to mention daycare for 2 is insanely expensive and we could not afford it even if we wanted to.

no. I am in the same boat as @Mrs.YoYo and @winniebee. We moved across the country for DH's job. Though I did have a job when we first moved down here I had DS (our second LO) with less than a year at my new school and I didn't qualify for FMLA. I quit that job, because it was over an hour commute and not ideal, but immediately jumped into the job search. I didn't get any jobs right after DS was born, and I have made the most of it. Now that I have other SAHM friends it is much easier, but the beginning sucked and I didn't like it. Of course, with LO#3 on the way, there is NO way that I can go back to work (I even had an adjunct position at a local community college lined up for this fall....) until the oldest is in school, if not the second gets to school.

I don't know any other SAHMs in real life who didn't choose to be SAHMs. All the ones I know had planned to stay at home once they became pregnant.

I chose to be a SAHM and my husband supported that decision...we decided this before trying to get pregnant. I absolutely love being a SAHM at the moment but am open to going back to work someday...not sure when but I'm keeping my law license active in case I do make that decision

We decided I would stay at home since it would be a really long day at daycare based on the commuting time we both have to our jobs. I plan to go back once he's in first grade, if not sooner. I'll just look for something closer to home. Right now, I'm committed to staying home for the first year and then we'll reevaluate. I love being home with him, but I also miss working.