Hellobee Boards

How would you have that much paid time off? You get paid over the summer? I was told that FMLA begins from the day that I give birth. I wasn't able to push it off until I ran out of sick time but that's in New York. Have you checked with HR about your leave ideas? Do you have a union? I would check with the union and then HR.

If 3 months made the difference between buying a house and not, I'd buy the house. You'll still have a really fabulous leave, so it's like you get the best of both worlds!

I think your leave is good anyway, so for the sake of a few months i personally would rather have a stable forever home for my family.

So if you went back to work on September you could buy the house right away? I'd be tempted to take advantage of historic low rates.

I'd buy a house if I was in your shoes!

I think that the level of stress with living and a house that you not comfortable with totally outweighs staying home the extra few months. That could just be me, though, because I am totally not stay at home mom material.

@simplyfelicity: I would stay home longer. I'm a school librarian and I was off end of June-end of November and I loved every second of it. Tenured teachers can take up to 2 years off and still have a job. My leave was totally unpaid since I'm not tenured in this state, but it was still totally worth it to me to stay home for a bit longer and if I could have stayed out until Spring, I would have.

Anyway, where we live, housing is $$$ and we are just in a 2 bedroom and I have several friends with a baby in a 1 bedroom.

I would go with the house. I was in a similar situation regarding timing last year. I'm a teacher and gave birth January 4 and didn't go back to school after Christmas break. I took off from Christmas break until the beginning of the next school year, so I had 8 full months at home with DS. It was wonderful. Returning to school was difficult, and balancing baby and work has been a challenge, but it's been worth it. I love teaching, I love my students and enjoy being around other people. Although I wax romantic about staying home with DS, being a SAHM isn't for me.

If you go back in the fall, your LO will be about 5.5 months old. That's a good time to start daycare. It all depends on your personality, but if you like your job, I'd say buy the house!

@anagram: @swedishfish: In my district we can take up to three years off, unpaid of course.

we live in a small place, but i love our location! i WAH and it's tight, but we make it work. that being said, if i couldn't stand where we lived, being there at home with a baby would drive me even crazier! i would much rather give up a couple months at a home i hate (which sounds like it would turn into 2 more years) to be in a place where i enjoy coming home from work to with the baby!

If I were you I would go back in fall of 2016. Not as much because of buying a house but more because I wouldn't want to deplete my savings.

Also if you look back on the boards a lot of first-time moms who work out of the home feel that 6 months is a very ideal time to be home with baby before going back to work.

Sorry if someone has already asked this, but is there any option to rent a larger place for a year and then decide? I wouldn't take the additional time if it meant depleting savings; houses are almost always more expensive than you think they will be.

As someone who is SAH and who is also fed up with being a homeowner to the point that I actually just accepted a lowball offer to get rid of it...I say do what feels right to you! Don't listen to any of us. This is a win-win so go with your gut. I haven't read the responses, but there are so few jobs that allow this sorts of flexibility; if it wouldn't mess up your job situation I would go for it, it is a perk so few women have! If you don't down deep in your soul want a house then it really won't impact your experience as a parent. I don't think is has impacted my experience in a positive way whatsoever. But if you really want to be settled somewhere that could factor into your feelings. Can you fast track saving for a down payment after you get back to work?