Most of our days had an unhurried cadence to them. There was a lot less “Oh my gosh, we have to […] right now or else […].” Weekends were freer, because more got done during the week.
We took advantage of living in the south by enjoying many mild winter hours at the park. The library was a weekly activity.
I absolutely loved the extra time I had with the kids, especially L.J. The very best thing that came out of me being home was L.J. and I becoming closer. It was also special being home with Hannah when she was growing and changing so much. Being home meant I got to witness her first steps!
It was certainly a bit lonely and isolating for me. We don’t have any “groups” that we participate in, and I didn’t see much point in seeking that out for what would likely be a short period of time. We did arrange a few fun playdates, but primarily it was just our little tribe. And, honestly, time as just our little tribe was much-needed by all of us.
The financial impact of my sudden job loss also affected our activity level during my SAHM time period. We cut out all “extras” from our budget while I was searching. That also ended up being a blessing, as it was just long enough to not only curb impulse spending, but ingrain it as a habit. My current Target/Costco receipts are testament to my new inner monologue of, “Super cute, but we don’t need that.” (Hopefully this new habit sticks around for the long term…)
I was able to keep up my weekly personal training through most of the time I was out. A solid handful of unused sessions I had compiled minimized the cost, and it was a good weekly stress release for me.
Some days were easier than others. Most days went pretty smoothly. A few days were an epic disaster. Sometimes the kids lost it. Sometimes mommy lost it. Sometimes everyone lost it at the same time. Nobody’s perfect.
I thought being home would afford me the opportunity to channel my inner June Cleaver, including having an immaculately clean house. That did not happen! Just taking care of the kids along with errands and/or regular household chores made for full days. Mike was traveling frequently, which impacted things, too. As in – the absolute last thing I was doing after 14 hours taking care of the kids was picking up a dust rag.
Returning to work was not as difficult as I thought it might be. I really didn’t know how I was going to feel when the time came. Was I going to be a wreck, having discovered I loved being a SAHM? Was I going to skip out the door, realizing that being a SAHM was not for me?
I fell somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Two working parents is our normal, and so in a lot of ways it was back to a normal routine. I had been over my previous job for quite some time, so I was looking forward to a new job and a new career challenge. On the other hand, I really missed the kids during the day and the “freedom” that not being tied to an 8-5 schedule gave our family.
I definitely think the longer I was home, the harder it would have been to return to work. I also think that if I was home and had a social network, regular activities, etc. I would probably really enjoy it. All in all – I think I would like to be home more but not completely. What that looks like in 3, 5 or 10 years remains to be seen.
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