Salary after being a stay at home mom?

amother

Cerulean

Fri, Apr 14 2017, 2:44 pm

My youngest is almost 2 and by next year, the yeshiva tuition will double with two kids (I did apply for scholarship, need to hear back from the school). I've been lucky to stay at home for nearly 6 years and raise my little ones. I wish I could stay at home another year until my two year old goes to nursery school, but it's getting impossible with just one salary. My husband gets $74000 a year (without taxes). My last job paid me $29000. I applied for a job that most likely pays around the same like my previous job. I was telling my husband that I don't think it's worth to leave my kids and go to work for a $29000 because I'll need to pay most of it for a babysitter/or day care. We want to spend my salary for yeshiva tuition and my husband's salary would probably be the rest of the bills and hopefully for savings. We really need to start saving so we could move to a bigger apartment. My husband thinks it's good for me to go back to work just for the experience. Part of me thinks he's right, but part of me thinks it's not worth it leaving my youngest with a stranger and not being there for him for another year. So how did you cope going back to work after staying at home for a few years? what was your salary when you first got back to work after staying at home?

gdgirl

Sat, Apr 15 2017, 8:51 pm

I wouldn't think your salary should change. Factors to consider would be it may be more difficult to find a job altogether after having a last in employment, depending on your field. If you can find a job, the change in salary should only be treated to market changes . nothing personally related to you.

amother

Coffee

Sun, Apr 16 2017, 6:43 am

I would stay home for one more year if you were planning on sending your son out in any case at 3. Babysitters are a huge cost, both monetarily and emotionally (for women who WANT to be SAHM). When he needs to be out, you find the best paying job you can find and do your best. Sometimes, a little bit of money extra is not more than zero, when you factor in the emotional component.

amother

Gold

Sun, Apr 16 2017, 7:47 am

I went back to my old job from when I finished grad school until I found a job in my field. When I left I was making $37k and when I came back they gave me starting salary of $12/hr. It worked for me at the time but I can imagine it wouldn't be worthwhile for you. I'd put feelers out to see how much you can make before making a decision.

amother

Cerulean

Sun, Apr 16 2017, 12:36 pm

OP here...thanks for the responses.

Only recently I've been sending resumes and got one asking for interview. I declined because after thinking about how I'd have to take public transportation each day and come home late..it's not worth the $30000 I'd make. If I can find a job that is local and wouldn't take me so long to commute, and if it's the same amount of money, I'd consider because it's closer to home. My little one is almost 2...so it's not like I'm leaving a newborn with a babysitter, but I know I'd still be very concerned after being a stay at home mom for 6 years. I'm also trying my best to find a home job so at least I'd make some sort of money if in the end I'd want to wait another year until my little one goes to nursery school and then go full time. It's just hard because my husband says we can't move or save any money while I'm not working (and in addition, we can't have another child which I was hoping for another last one).