In our younger days, we put our best foot forward, with naive dreams of being an astronaut or a spy! Let’s admit; we’ve all had such thoughts. However, by the time we reach our pre-teens and teenage years, our musings change. It’s only when we graduate that most of us realise our dreams have vanished, while we take the predictable 9-5 desk job path.
I’ve been working for as long as I can remember, and being somewhat of a “workaholic” is quite natural for me. Recently, I’ve been thinking of slowing things down a bit. I’m planning to transition from a working woman to a stay at home mom. The shock of this decision was felt not only by those who know me but by me as well. The nostalgic days my mom spent with me as a child and the realization that I would not get this time with my child again, pushed me to make this move.
How to make the transition smooth
Staying at home full-time is not easy; it has challenged me both, mentally and physically. The lack of sleep doesn’t help things either, and sometimes I feel more drained than I ever did in all my years of working! Occasionally, I’ve thought that some advice or guidance would have helped me. This is why I’m trying to help everyone out there to the best that I can.
This is what you will experience
Your stay at home sojourn starts off with excitement, where you look forward to wearing yoga pants all day and hanging around with your little one, aimlessly. But over time, you will realize that this is a full-time role that requires your attention day and night. Here is when you’ll understand that all those days you spent in the office thinking that stay at home moms have a more comfortable life, is not true. Although their (now mine) work is different, it’s equally hard.
As a stay-at-home, your priorities change, so embrace them. When I worked full-time, after I put my daughter to sleep, instead of doing the laundry, I would sit back and watch my favorite TV shows. I just needed a break after a 9-10 hour shift. But as a full-time mother, I complete the laundry along with other chores that usually run late into the night.
Dealing with the monotony
When you spend all day at home with the child, the boredom will eventually get to you. Don’t worry; it’s only natural. Make sure when you feel this way, you take time out and meet friends or do things that are not related to your ‘mom’ routine.
The joy, however, of being at home and being able to spend so much time with your little one is unimaginable. Those magical moments you spend with your baby – the countless hugs, reading books together, cleaning up mysterious food stains from the sofa, watching them play, putting Goodknight Patches on them to keep them safe from mosquito-borne ailments, etc., are moments you will treasure! You might think that you will eventually regret your decision, but that usually never happens when you realize how much you can watch your child grow and how you can shape his or her life.
I never regretted my decision for even a second. However, I do understand it is a personal choice that needs a lot of thought and consideration. Whichever you choose – a full-time mom or a working one – at the end of the day, we’re women who are 100% committed to our kids, and we’re working to give them the best that we can!
