Going from working full-time to staying at home with your kids is not only a lifestyle change, but a huge mental shift. You’re going from earning income that provides for your family in tangible ways to providing services that provide for your family in ways that can only be felt. Navigating this drastic change will probably include self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy, but also the great joy of watching your child grow everyday.

 

Preparing yourself to go from working on your own terms to constantly being touched and needed 24/7 is a daunting task on its own. But if you’re reading this, you’re not trying to just survive, you want to thrive. So your task will be harder as you embark on this new (and exciting!) stage of your life while preserving your own value as an individual.

 

But before we get there, congratulations! Women are often met with blank stares when they say they have decided to stay home with the kids. Looks of surprise or judgement that a modern day woman would choose such a thing are commonplace. In reality, this is an exciting time for you and you should be met with a celebratory tone rather than criticism.

 

A study conducted by Welch’s found that American moms work the equivalent of 2.5 full time jobs with 98 hours worked on an average week. Obviously, physical exhaustion will be a factor, especially in the newborn phase, but the mental exhaustion that comes with being a stay at home parent is not to be forgotten.

 

Here are a few ways to make this adjustment easier on you, your partner, and your finances. 

 

1. Ease into it

Give yourself  a little time to disassociate your self worth from earning an income. Take some time to understand that your self worth will have to come largely from within. Your child will only “pay” you in milk drunk stares and eventually little hugs. Recognizing that you are what makes the world turn for your child (and likely what makes your household function) when you haven’t showered in days or you only eat frozen pizza is hard to do at the beginning.

2. Rationalize your choice

You will likely struggle with feelings of inadequacy. This can come from past coworkers who act disappointed in your decision to “give up your career”. However these feelings can also come from your own fleeting thoughts of “I should be doing more” or “I’m just a mom now.”

It helps to rationalize your choice to stay home by separating it from your own personal calling to do so. Childcare costs vary greatly across the country, but a study by the Economic Policy Institute found that childcare costs exceed the cost of college tuition in many states especially when an infant is in childcare. In ten of the major metropolitan areas that they studied across the country, every city’s cost of childcare exceeds 10% of the median family income, which the Department of Health and Human Services has determined to be the affordability threshold. A little math can put things in perspective when you doubt your choices.

3. Find your support team

There will be times when it all becomes too much for you; the endless feeding, laundry, house cleaning while missing your freedom. Having someone to share these feelings with is crucial.

Oftentimes, partners don’t understand the mental demands after having a child. And as much as we want someone to know all the thoughts bouncing around in our heads, your partner is not a mind reader. They may not realize you stayed up all night watching the baby breathe or researching the next leap in growth. Talk to someone. If that is a partner in the thick of it with you, great. If you want to talk to your own mother who has been there before or a counselor, great. Just talk to someone.

5. Don’t keep score with your partner

It is hard to balance the household chores with your partner when you are the one who is staying at home and they have been at work all day. It can feel like in addition to rearing your children, it is also your responsibility to take care of all the household duties.

Even if tasks go unfinished, don’t keep score. It will add up and you will start to resent your partner for not chipping in in the way that you think they should. When the thought crosses your mind, challenge yourself to find a way to complete that task together. You dry the dishes, and I’ll put them away. Remember, you are a team, not rivals.

6. When the to-do list seems endless, look at what you have accomplished

There will be days when you get nothing on your list done. In your mind all you managed to do was keep the kids fed, clothed, and happy. Take a step back and realize that the one thing you did accomplish is the one thing you have to do. All the other things can wait.

7. Remember your needs

You will hear “Just enjoy this time” from countless people. While they are right (sometimes), it is not an easy thing to hear in the moment when you are deliriously tired and second-guessing every decision you make for your child.

Eat well, exercise, indulge in self-care—or whatever fills you up. Don’t hesitate to ask for and accept help.

 

Choosing to stay home is rarely an easy choice. If you are making that choice for financial reasons, you will likely have to make ends meet and adjust your lifestyle as you transition to a single income home. If your ability to stay home comes from a place of privilege, you may face judgment that you haven’t met your full career potential.

What outsiders don’t see is how vital you are to your child’s development. You will be there for each giggle, hug, and tear. You will be there to shape the person they become. You will take on each emotion they feel at 10x the strength they feel it. Your job will never be done.

But you will likely never feel more rewarded by another career. In the eyes of your child, you are indispensable. And you can do this.

To read this article in its entirety including additional points click HERE.