Adjusting to Being a Stay at Home Mom

I have a confession to make: I have really struggled with leaving the workplace to be home with my kids all day. Don’t get me wrong. I am happier and more fulfilled now than I even have been in my life. I feel good about being my children’s primary care giver and am thankful for the opportunity to be more involved in their lives. However, it has been a bit of a culture shock.

I’m Not in Kansas Anymore

One of my biggest shocks came a few weeks after I quit work when I got a bad cold. I picked up the phone and call my best friend, herself a stay at home mom, to ask who I had to call to claim sick leave. Imagine my shock when she told me moms don’t get sick days. So I took her advice, and two aspirin, and made it through the day.

I have also come to terms with the fact that it is useless to dress professionally at home. At first I bought into the myth that I’d get more done and be more focused if I dressed like I was still going to work. However, all this idea has gotten me a couple of ruined sweaters and some unnecessarily high dry cleaning bills. While I have not yet succumbed to the stained sweat pants and ripped T-Shirt dress code yet, I do find that jeans and a simple top make a lot more sense than a power suit.

What I Wish I’d Done Differently

I think my biggest mistake was quitting cold turkey. If I had it to do over again, I would not have jumped from full-time employee on Friday to full time mom on Monday. I’d have left the children in at least part time day care while I adjusted to my new life. Had I done so I could have avoided the embarrassing call I made to Wexford Nursery a few weeks after I’d been home fulltime. I asked them desperately is they had any half-day openings, only to find that they are actually a garden nursery. On the upside, they did make me a great deal on some mulch.

As an alternative, I would have liked to have worked half days for a few months before making the final leap. Unfortunately, my former company did not have that sort of arrangement available. However, if yours does, I suggest you try to take advantage of it.

I also wish I’d made better plans to keep up with my old friends, and to make some new ones. I wish I had scheduled occasional lunch dates with friends from work for the first weeks after I left. I also wish I had connected with at least one local mom’s group before I quit, just to have a network of people to communicate with that understand where I’m coming from.

Still, in spite of its drawbacks, I am still enjoying my new life. I love getting up every morning with a sense of excitement about what each day may bring, and how I can share it with those I love the most.

About the Author

Melissa Cameron, who is married with two children, lives in Austin, Texas next to her elderly parents. Melissa leads a full life that includes a productive career as a freelance writer and spending time with her extended family. She loves writing about various subjects including parenting, local history and living a frugal life. She also enjoys searching the Internet for bargains and researching ideas for articles.