So yeah, I did it. I turned in my notice to my job and I have made the commitment to being a full time stay at home Mother. Or so I thought. I wrote the email to my manager and even HR and I hit send. But what I wasn’t prepared for was for them to completely understand my situation and to offer me a schedule that would work better.
Decisions Decisions…
Why is making decisions so hard? We think and then overthink some more analyzing and planning every possible outcome. And then when we make up our minds, something happens and it makes us doubt everything.
This is what happened to me when I was toying with the idea of being a SAHM. I absolutely love being at home with my baby, who just happens to be a very low-key, easy and happy baby. And I had worked out a budget that would allow us to afford it. I had thought up everything that my job was preventing me to do and how quitting would solve it all.
So I quit.
I had imagined that everyone would automatically hate me and the security guard that we do not have would escort me out of the building immediately.
But what I hadn’t imagined was everyone… understanding.
They were all happy that I had the opportunity.
And so when I went in to talk with upper management and they offered to keep me on only for tax season (Public Accounting woo) I accepted. Not because they talked me into it, but because why not?
I still get to be home with my baby for 9 months out of the year and feel like I’m still using my degree that I worked hard for.
Now then once January 2023 comes and I go back to working for 3 months, I might decide that it’s not for me. And that’s okay.
I quit once and I can do it again.
I guess what I am trying to get at is. We as individuals (especially if you have anxiety) love to make things more difficult than it needs to be. If you want to be a stay at home mom or dad, make a budget, and just try it. If it ends up that it’s not for you or you can’t afford it, go back to the job (or maybe you’ll even find a better one!)
It’s not failing; it’s trying.
Trying should be the hard part. Not the decision. So if you were like me and going mad over the decision to quit or not, my advice would be to talk with upper management. Tell them you are seriously contemplating the idea and ask if there is anything they could do to help your situation. Companies want to keep good employees. And if there is nothing they want to do (because they definitely can do something), then I think you have your answer.
-xoxo Galina
