Factors to Be Considered Before Deciding to Become a Stay-at-Home Parent

There are a lot of things to consider before making the jump to being a stay-at-home parent. It involves looking within yourself and deciding if this is the right decision for you. Many times factors are over-looked and the job is not taken seriously by people who are working parents. I have been at home with my children for three years. The job is very rewarding, but also very hard at times. Three things I believe are important to consider are money, adult time, and quality time spent with your children.

First of all being a stay-at-home parent involves evaluating your family contribution. Look at what you contribute to your family financially. Are you the “bread winner” of the family? Do you have a lifestyle that depends on your income? Are you willing to give up some luxuries you have become accustomed too in order to stay at home? I my self didn’t realize how much I enjoyed going shopping when I wanted or making purchases without repercussions. Savings accounts dwindle without my income, and simple things in life like high-speed Internet and eating out often become less needed. Also when a parent decides to leave his/her job, the other parent may have to take on extra work or be absent from the family more than what is use to. It is very important to cover all the basis for the financial stability of the family. Any kind of money strain can cause problems with the family.

Once you have decided to be a stay-at-home parent you need to remember that your “adult friend time” will be dramatically changed. You will no longer be involved in the dreaded 9-5 scene. If you have associations with people who do not have children the topics of conversation become sparse. You no longer have a job to speak about, and your everyday conversations go from what is happening at work to , guess what little Jen did today, so forth and so on. I spend 90% of my time with my children and I have very little adult contact. Even though I am blessed to get to be home with my kids, I feel like things are passing me by. This is one thing that doesn’t need to be over-looked in my opinion.

Last but not least, the most gratifying reason for being a stay-at-home parent is all the quality time you will have with your children. This by all means is the most important reason that played a part in my choice to stay home. All new parents have experienced the late nights with their new baby, and how much more difficult it is knowing you have to get up for work in a few hours. Even though the late nights are not any shorter it is better knowing you can catch up on lost sleep. You also have the freedom of knowing you don’t have to squeeze everything into two days off. You can put off going to the store so you can play a little longer with your child. My mother worked and I hardly remember her being at home as I was growing up. I believe it helps improve your child’s intellect, people skills and overall being. I have worked in the day cares and have been witness to the unfortunate problem with a handful of parents who didn’t have time to be with their children. I am speaking of parents who would drop the kids off on their days off, or even a few who didn’t work and still brought the children in for up to eight hours a day. The children I worked with, in these cases, were very behind on their age level and social level. Granted this is not always the case and most parents don’t have the option to be at home and their children are wonderful. Based on my opinion I think it really helps the child to have a parent at home.

These are just a handful of things to consider before venturing into the unknown world of being a stay-at-home parent. There are many more reasons out there that can help you make the choice. You have to make the decision for yourself and decide if it is right for you and your family.