Today I officially gave my two weeks notice to my current employer. After careful consideration my husband and I decided I would be a stay at home mom. We decided to do this for many reasons. I felt that my current job would not allow me to give that time to my son as it is very demanding. Also years ago we had said if and when we had a kid I would want to raise my kid myself and spend as much time as possible with him. Just like everyone says that time goes by fast.
Also, Josh and I know first hand what it's like to grow up in the hands of several babysitters. Not all of our sitters were good and we have had some awful experiences. Both of our parents were very hard working and did the best they could. But those memories unfortunately always dwindled in the back of our minds. If we could do right by our kid and make those sacrifices to spend this time with our little one, why wouldn't we?
The true test came during my maternity leave from work. We listen to Dave Ramsey a lot on the radio and I remember him saying, try living entirely on one income during your maternity leave. If you can do it then you can make the financial decision to stay at home. We tried this and we were surprised to know that we were actually able to do it. Of course up until this point we have lived debt free except for our house. All the home improvement projects, medical expenses, furniture, shopping we pay cash. We have also beefed up our emergency fund for the unexpected. Without this life style I don't think I could comfortably do this knowing that we owe. There's no sense in taking the plunge of quitting my job without detailed planning in advance. Sure there will be sacrifices along the way and some adjustments. But our end goal was for me to be around more. No sacrifice is to great when it comes our son.
Also, Josh and I know first hand what it's like to grow up in the hands of several babysitters. Not all of our sitters were good and we have had some awful experiences. Both of our parents were very hard working and did the best they could. But those memories unfortunately always dwindled in the back of our minds. If we could do right by our kid and make those sacrifices to spend this time with our little one, why wouldn't we?
The true test came during my maternity leave from work. We listen to Dave Ramsey a lot on the radio and I remember him saying, try living entirely on one income during your maternity leave. If you can do it then you can make the financial decision to stay at home. We tried this and we were surprised to know that we were actually able to do it. Of course up until this point we have lived debt free except for our house. All the home improvement projects, medical expenses, furniture, shopping we pay cash. We have also beefed up our emergency fund for the unexpected. Without this life style I don't think I could comfortably do this knowing that we owe. There's no sense in taking the plunge of quitting my job without detailed planning in advance. Sure there will be sacrifices along the way and some adjustments. But our end goal was for me to be around more. No sacrifice is to great when it comes our son.
