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These days, most moms dream about leaving corporate life behind. The thought of reporting to no one and being able to focus on raising your child without having to feel guilty about unfinished reports and tasks.
For over a year ago, I did it.
After working for 5 years in the banking industry, I made a life-changing decision to say goodbye to the corporate world and say hello to going all-in on becoming a mom and being able to take full control of my time.
When my husband and I had our first child, I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with my life. I was surprised at how hard it was to return to work after my daughter was born. I was at crossroads deciding on how to balance my career with motherhood. Would I continue being a working mom and further advance my career, or would I look for other options that would allow me to give more focus on my child? I already had my dream job as an auditor with the opportunity to travel for free as part of my job. Would I really just give it all up? However, I couldn't help but feel guilty whenever I leave my child as I go on business trips. I knew I just wanted to be there for her especially in every milestone. That's when I realized that once you become a mom, you don't get to be selfish anymore. Though it took some time for me to make this difficult decision, I followed my heart and chose to stay home with my daughter.
Being a stay-at-home mom is not easy but it is rewarding and worthwhile. According to an article in Forbes, 56% of women with children prefer to stay home than work outside the home. You might be considering this as well. But before you make this tough decision, you also need to consider some of the benefits and downsides of staying at home. Here are some of my realizations:
Benefits of Staying at Home
1. I can spend more time with my daughter.
As a stay-at-home mom, I am always there for my daughter whenever she needs me as opposed to being stuck in the office. I can focus my time and energy on my child without having to worry about work deadlines, what my boss will say, and workplace anxiety. I am now fully responsible for my child's safety, education, and well-being especially that we are in the midst of a pandemic.
2. I am able to increase or maintain my income.
These days, most stay-at-home moms don't just "stay" at home. They're working at home as well. Some may have taken on consulting work, online teaching, or starting an online business while maintaining their day-to-day parenting style. In my case, I am a full-time mom during the day and an online Business English trainer in the evening when my husband arrives from work.
3. I can save from the commute.
By staying and working at home, I can now save money on gas or public transportation costs. If you're living in the big city, getting stuck in a heavy traffic can take up so much of your time and energy leaving you exhausted and possibly giving you lesser quality time for your kids.
4. I gained more sense of control and flexibility
Staying at home has given me full control of my time. I can choose the time to work and the time to relax and spend quality time with my family. This flexibility has also allowed me to do a lot of important things such as completing errands during the day and doing government transactions, which I couldn't do when I was still working in the bank. Furthermore, I no longer have to worry about taking a paid time off from my job.
5. I am able to save money on child care cost.
When I was in the corporate world, I never really found the child care that suits my family's needs. Yet, we needed to work it into our budget so I could go to work. At times, I felt like I was only working to pay for the child care and I couldn't help but worry about child care tragedies that went viral. Now, I don't have to worry about putting my child in someone else's care and we also saved money on this.
The Downside
1. Feeling of Isolation
This is one of the potential downsides of staying at home. Though you're not really alone, there may be times when you need an adult company to talk to. You may miss the interaction you had with your colleagues. But you can stay connected in many ways such as interacting with people who share the same interests as you, freelancing, online selling, online teaching and so on. As for me, my online training job has really helped me a lot. Interacting with students has made me more updated and aware of the world around me even though I am at home most of the time.
2. Dealing with stress
Raising kids could be a handful with running, climbing, and misbehavior. If you have a toddler or a preschooler, you need to deal with all the clutter and mess. This is why Me-time is important to parents. You need to take care of your mental and physical health by taking some time to relax. When dealing with stress, you need to discuss this with your partner like setting schedules or planning activities on weekends.
3. Financial concerns
Though working from home or being self-employed allows you to earn income even at the comfort of your home, this doesn't always guarantee you with financial stability. Unlike having a corporate job where you can surely get a fixed paycheck twice a month, you may face challenges of having lower sales, lower rates, lesser clients/students, or clients that pay low when working from home. However, sticking to a family budget can help you track your expenses and reduce financial stress.
Recently, a lot of opportunities are given to people who wish to earn income while staying at home. FVA consultancy is one of those that has given most moms the chance to turn their dreams into reality. If you're planning to do the same, remember that the transition of leaving your job to become a stay-at-home parent is indeed a life-changing decision that you shouldn't take for granted. Take your time to decide and weigh the pros and cons depending on your situation because every decision that we have to make as parents can affect those we love and care about. I am just glad that, in my case, the benefits outweigh the downsides. There has never been a day that I regret this wonderful decision that I ever made.