Upon my return to work 4 month postpartum, I was actively looking for a new job. I just wanted to get away from Jane. I had enough of her and her taking digs at me. I interviewed often, at least 3-4 times a week. I kept searching for the perfect job, I needed a salary increase. After being displaced and moving into my first home, I needed more money. I knew that I didn’t wan’t to stay where I was at. The money was awful and I wanted more time with my daughter.
I found a new position, that was willing to give me what I wanted salary wise. Life was going to become more comfortable and I was going to get more time with my baby! I was glad to finally to be free of the people who harmed me and the toxicity that was affecting my ability to be a good mom.
My rule is, if I bring work home with me and I cannot enjoy my baby’s smile, I need to go.
This position seemed good, until the shit hit the fan. It had nothing to do with me, it had everything to do with a bait and switch. As a mom changing careers is not easy. There’s childcare, commute time, finances, and work-life balance to consider. But as a SMBC?! Career changes cannot be done lightly as you are the sole provider. So when this position was clearly not for me, I realized 5 things:
- I wanted financial freedom.
- I missed being my own boss (Boss Girl!)
- I love being at home full time with my daughter.
- My baby only gets one childhood.
- No one is yelling at me or speaking down to me ever again
I was upset about what happened because it took months of planning only for this job not to work out. This was going to be my highest paid position to date. I was finally going to be in a position to be the mom I wanted to be. But I looked at things like this, I was not going to miss anymore milestones. I was home when my baby took her first steps. I didn’t have to worry about having to find coverage if my daughter had an appointment. I embraced being pushed into being a Stay-At-Home-Mom. Being at home with my daughter every day has been a true blessing. I am not getting up at 5 to be at a desk by 9. I’m not in DC traffic and I get to take naps (sometimes).
If it wasn’t for my passive streams of income, this chapter of my life wouldn’t be possible. I decided to tap into those income sources and make away for my family. Now, running my blog, doing podcasts, and coaching other SMBC’s,I’m able to simply live. I am home raising my child, being present for her. We go to mommy and me classes, we have lunch dates, we play together in the backyard, all while I work from home doing what I love most, writing, creating content, and not having a commute!
This was never my plan, I accepted that I was always going to be a working mother. But now I am able to be home with my daughter and live a sustainable lifestyle, which not only benefits her development, it also makes life worth living. Was this transition scary? Yes. But the universe has a way of blessing mothers who put their children’s needs first. All the bills are paid on time, we have time and space for the extras. We are free to move freely and do whatever it is that makes us happy. Chasing the corporate ladder was once my thing. I wanted to be at the top, but I’d rather chase my baby around and be with her. There is no amount of money that could ever make me leave my child. We need serious parental leave and universal basic income policies in this country.
But right now, this is my life, this is my story and I’m going to continue to live the life that I have always dreamed of with the family I created.
My name is Nancy. My 1.5 year old is attempting to type while I’m typing, and this is Muthahood My Way.