When a baby is born, regardless of whether it is the first, second or third, many changes come to the family routine. Now the smallest is priority and our lifestyle may require important decisions. One of them is whether mom (or dad) will return to work later.
Although this is a unique and different decision that depends on the needs of each family, today I share a personal experience, for those mothers who are at the crossroads of returning to the world of work or staying at home with their children.
Before continuing with this story, I would like to clarify that this writing is not going to make any mother feel bad or guilty, neither to those who would like to stay at home but cannot, nor to those who having the possibility of doing so have chosen to continue their career after having children.
In Babies and more Nine mothers who are happy to have quit their jobs and stay home with their childrenThis is simply a reflection that I have decided to share based on my personal experience, and the decision I chose to take a few years ago, when my daughter was younger and I had a great job opportunity.
Go back to work or be a full-time mother?
Maybe this sounds like an easy decision to make, but in reality it's more complicated than it seemsWell, it's a decision that involves our feelings. In my case, I was able to quit my full-time job in an office when my daughter was one year old.
I was tired of not being able to spend more time with her, of continuing to miss those special moments of her early years, like the day she took her first steps and I was working. Naturally, this involved making several sacrifices and changing many things in our routine.
So with a lot of courage (and at the same time a lot of fear), I went to my boss's office and I thanked him for the opportunity to have worked with them all those years, but I explained that I needed to be with my daughter. What came next were weeks full of mixed emotions: sadness because I left a great team and a great boss who didn't want to let me go, but joy because I would finally be with my daughter.
In Babies and more 37% of mothers contemplate quitting their job upon returning from their maternity leave, even when it is extended After several months being a full-time mom, when my daughter was about to turn two, I had a great job opportunity. They had recommended me to be in charge of public relations for a person with a high position and they called me because they had been very interested in my profile.
Naturally, it was a job with very good pay and great benefits, which would solve many pending situations at home and make us feel more relaxed in the economic aspect. It was a job that would be crazy to say no. But also, it was a very demanding position, which required me to travel frequently, with stays out.
And although initially I was very excited and was dying to say yes for everything they offered, they gave me the opportunity to think about their offer for three days. I was thinking non-stop during that time and finally returned the call. As you imagine by the title of this writing, I decided to thank your impressive offer, but in the end I rejected it.
Why I chose to stay at home with my daughter
This was definitely one of the crucial moments of my motherhood, and in which I could see what they often say: motherhood changed my way of thinking. I have always liked to work and keep myself busy. I like to create and think about new things.
Before I had my daughter, I would probably have accepted that job without hesitation. But now that I'm a mom, it wasn't that simple. And in those days of reflection and indecision, I realized a reality: There will always be work, but my daughter will only be small once. And time does not return.
Three years after that job offer, I celebrate my fifth anniversary as a mom, and I know I made the right decision. Life next to her would have been very different from saying yes, and I would have missed many small, but very emotional moments at her side.
She takes my hand and says "Ta I attacked" If I knew she had caught me from the day I knew she was on her way ...
And there is something very clear: no job or salary can match or even compare to the experience and rewards of being with your children and seeing them grow. Of course, it is a decision that implies sacrifices for the economic aspect, but that certainly makes it worthwhile to stop having lunch or dinner.
Of course, the reality is that the same job will not always be there and it may be difficult or complex to return, but there will always be different job opportunities or options, even if you have to start over from scratch or from below.
I know that making such a decision is not a possibility for all families, and that staying at home is not accessible to all mothers. But when you have the option to choose between one thing or another, it is nice and very positive to take advantage of it, because they are years and stages that are only lived once.
In Babies and more Take advantage now that they are small: your children will be children only onceOf course, I do not want to impose or say that if you have this option you should choose yes or yes to stay at home. There are women who they choose to continue their career only out of passion and not out of necessity, and that's fine too And it is a great example for your children.
In the end, the decision of each mother is respectable and unique according to their conditions and needs, because not all think, feel and live the same. But if you have the option to choose, and you are doubting, I hope my experience serves you, because There will always be work, but our children will never be that small again..
Photos | Pexels, Unsplash
