Short-time employee, long-time mom

By Teddi

I've gone and done it. After months of agonizing, soul-searching and sleepless nights, I finally decided to put my illustrious career on hold and devote myself to full-time motherhood.

What a crock. The truth is, I've wanted to get out of this dead-end job for over five years. It took me about 10 minutes to figure out there was no growth potential, no creativity and an overwhelming mountain of red tape to cut through to get even the smallest project done. Oh, and no money to complete said projects in the first place.

Why did I stay? For some really good, really boring reasons: decent pay, a stable job in an extremely unstable employment region, great (union-negotiated!) benefits and a work culture that is understanding of one's personal life and goals.

Once the twins came, reasons to come back to the office seemed few and far between, but the need to make my own money and hiring a great caregiver helped ease the transition. My employer's approval to work Mondays from home and have Fridays off didn't hurt either.

The sad reality is that when you add up the money spent on quality childcare for two, minus my part-time salary, the end result isn't enough to cover parking and a latte, let alone contribute to the drastically rising tide of household expenses. Not to mention having large parts of my childrens' development ("He took his first step! She said her first word!") relayed through a third party. Staying home seemed to make more and more sense, emotionally and financially.

Telling my boss was easy. Of course, everyone understood. They even expressed surprise that I lasted this long. The hard part was not dancing around and singing, "The Hills Are Alive, With the Sound Of Me Quitting."

I don't think I harbor illusions about stay-at-home motherhood, but I have a feeling spending the day singing "The Wheels on the Bus" will be more fulfilling than writing a "safety campaign" to keep people from getting killed by the bus. With two at a time, I feel like there's never enough of me to go around. Now I'll actually be here to find out.

Only for a year, though. I'm already filling out pre-school applications. What, do you think I'm crazy or something?

Comments

[muse]

Enjoy your babies. Enjoy your children. Nothing beats raising your own kids. find some other mothers in the area. Socializing is important for all of you. The cliche is true; you'll never get this time back.