Stay at home moms - at what point did you stop working?

amother

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:07 pm

did you stop working when you had a certain amount of kids/needed to run your house or when your finances agreed that you can stop working?

amother

Maroon

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:11 pm

Stopped working by my second child when I couldn’t manage it anymore.
Lived on savings a bit, then my husband went to work

amother

Valerian

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:23 pm

I answered the poll but not sure you were asking about my situation. When child #4 was born I quit my full time job and now freelance from home about 10 hours a week. I had child #4 home with me until she was 2 and now am doing the same with child #5 (she is 1).

amother

Snapdragon

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:30 pm

I was the opposite. I stayed home till I had number 5. Then I needed to leave the house for some adult connection

amother

Crocus

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:38 pm

I stopped by child #2. I just couldn't handle the stress & sending my baby to a sitter. Even if the sitter was my mom. I didn't even think about finances when I stopped working. DH went to work after I had my first. We live on low standards & quite frugal accordingly.

amother

Dandelion

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:39 pm

[amother DarkRed"]was always a stay ay home mom even before I had a child[/quote]
Not judging just genuinely curious. We're you ever bored ?

amother

Apple

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:56 pm

I stopped working after our home business didn’t work out anymore. But I worked for 22 years before that happened. I always thought I would get another job but it wasn’t necessary financially so I just got busy with things in the house. At this point it’s been close to 8 years and I would like to take on a light job but I don’t even know what I can do anymore. Technology advanced tremendously and I’m so out of it. I can’t even think of what I want to do. In the past I worked as a teacher and in a medical office but I don’t want to do that anymore.
I’m not bored at home. I spend my days doing laundry, cleaning up, cooking supper, baking, errands, appointments for myself and kids. I think once you have kids you can never be really bored as long as they’re living at home. I’m lonely sometimes but not bored.

amother

SandyBrown

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:58 pm

Baby 1 - worked, out of house 8-1
Baby 2 - stayed home (covid years)
Pregnant with baby 3- went to other extreme and took a job with long commute, out of house 8-2:30, sometimes missing my kids afternoon bus. When I gave birth I quit. It was too much with 2 little kids at home
Pregnant with baby 4- all my other kids needed help so I couldn't work although I wanted to. I was busy with appointments.
Now I have 4 kah and I freelance from home when I have the time

amother

Rainbow

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 11:14 pm

I’m the outlier - more than 4 kids, some people would call us wealthy, and I’m still working. My job is very intense but also super flexible. My life is very busy but I’m always available for the kids when they need me, and I can’t see myself stopping to work until we have wedding funds for all the kids and some retirement.
Part of this is that I grew up poor, and need to know we have a lot in savings before I cut back. The other part is that I love the mental stimulation of my job, and while yes, I juggle a lot of balls, I love what I do.
I personally can’t wrap my head around not working when money is tight, the stress would kill me. I would much rather work hard and sleep well.

Ema of 5

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 1:17 am

amother OP wrote:

did you stop working when you had a certain amount of kids/needed to run your house or when your finances agreed that you can stop working?

I started working from home after I had my fourth. My baby sitter that I had used for the previous 2 kids no longer lived in town, and it didn’t make sense to work and send her out. I stopped working completely (not on purpose- my job stopped) before I got pregnant with my now 1 year old, and I haven’t worked since then. January will be 2 years since I’ve stopped working. Now I’m taking care of my one year old, and he is literally a full time job!!

amother

Puce

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 1:20 am

I started working from home (part time freelance) once my oldest got too big to bring to my office job. (I had my own office area so I was able to bring her for a few months.)

amother

Lightpink

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 1:23 am

amother Magenta wrote:

Stopped when I had my first. Went back full time shortly after my youngest's Bar Mitzvah. Fairly stressful job.

Curious what kind of field you work in and how it was to go back after a +-20 year break?

SuperWify

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:26 am

Stopped working out of the house when I was pregnant with my second. I now work from home part time for the past 3 years. I had my baby home with me for 1.5 years instead of 5 weeks and oh, what a difference!

amother

Magenta

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 6:24 am

I am in the legal field and it was extremely difficult getting back to work after so many years both from the personal and the professional aspect. There were days in the beginning when I doubted myself, but powered through. My work is in a very niche area and because I had kept up my credentials, it made me employable once the right job opened up. I've since been promoted, which made the struggle feel worth it.

amother

Caramel

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 7:04 am

I did things on and off over a 23 yr period.
Stopped after my first .
Went back to work when pregnant with my second.
Then stopped right before I was pregnant with my third.
Went back to work when he was about 3 .
Took a break after #5 for about 18 months and went back to work and I’m still there .

amother

Dahlia

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 7:57 am

I was home with my first three and went back to work when pregnant with #4 because I couldn't take being home and missed working and being out of the house and being intellectually stimulated. I have 8 kids ka"h and have been working full time since I initially went back....that being said I'm in Canada with 18 months maternity leave if you want it. I never took it all but my husband gets 17 weeks off at full pay so when I went back to work after having a baby - he took off that time.