Until our lives are switched around a bit! I have been quiet on this blog while Sam and I have sorted out a few things, had some tough conversations and worked through the details.
But, we have made some tough decisions (some were made for us!). We have decided that Sam would leave his job and stay home full time next academic year with Seren and Wyeth. Seren will attend preschool 3 mornings a week. Wyeth will be home. Sam will be studying for the bar in hopes of returning to law next academic year. The stakes are high. Financially and emotionally for us. But we feel like this is a conscious CHOICE of improving our quality of life. The three job thing? The working nights thing? The lack of sleep and no time for us thing? The barely getting out of debt due to upcoming preschool/child care cost thing? That wasn't working for us so much. Nope.
So Sam returns to being a stay at home parent. I will return (eventually) full time to a working parent. We are both parents and both GOOD parents. Adjustments will need to be made. Preschool will have its own challenges. Studying for a bar will be tough too. But the way I see this, this is a choice we are making and we have a "plan": we choose US!
I will struggle with this and so will Sam as the rest of the world hasn't caught up on the fact that it is 2009 and fathers can be stay at home parents just as well as mothers. And that when a Dad is caring for his kids, he isn't "babysitting", he is well, PARENTING. And I'm still a "good mom" even though I work at an office.
But we go into this time with our eyes open. We know that things won't be easy. That I will doubt myself and doubt this decision. That Sam will too. But we feel that we have some strategies built up. Tactics to address some of was challenging last time.
But until mid September, we'll be doing the status quo and hoping for the best. Change stinks. Even good changes. We'll miss our awesome child care provider. Sam will miss working with some of the kids he has gotten to know. We'll miss the income.
But I'm proud of us. I'm proud of where we have come and where we hope to go.
And as a bonus, Sam is back writing at his blog. It makes me happy. My family makes me happy. T-minus 19 days.
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2 comments:
This is awesome awesome news! I know there had to be so many discussions behind the scenes to make this happen but three jobs is definitely not doable with two kids.
And Sam is already such a great dad, pish posh on anyone who thinks otherwise.
(Actually one of my blogfriends has four kids and her husband stays home. She writes all the time about he is so great and she could never do it.)
Wow Megan--that's huge! And really awesome to have a plan and a goal. I wish I could send more support for Sam while he stays home. My co-worker's husband stays home, and he's in the same boat. I hope the transition is smooth, and that you will be happier than you expected once you guys settle into the new routine. I applaud you both for doing something about a situation that just wasn't working for you guys, even though the options may have not been ideal.
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