Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Adjusting to Change

I am struggling with having Sami, by baby, go to all day kindy next year. I have been home with my kids for almost 10 years and now I will have no one at home.

I have been trying to work through "what's next" for me. Do I concentrate on getting more projects and turn my freelance writing and consulting business into something much bigger? Do I substitute teach on occasion? Do I work on that "always in the back of my mind" book? Or do I throw my feet up on the coffee table, search the Net for for cheap flights and eat bon-bons all day while I flip between soap operas and the Lifetime Movie Network?

I do know that I do not want to go back into an all day office environment. I want to be able to be home when my kids get off the bus. I want to be able to kiss them before school. I want to be able to take them back and forth to practices. I want to know what they are doing after school, especially with a middle school daughter. I also want to be able to volunteer at the school or chaperon field trips when I want. But at the same time I want to be able to do something for myself, and to use the talents that I have been given.

I used to think this time would never be here. After all it will be almost 13 years that I have had a child not in school. But somehow this time has crept up on me and I am not liking the change –– at all.

So if you are a SAHM, and you do not plan on going into the real working world, what are you when your kids go to school? Just a domestic engineer (AKA Housewife)? School volunteer? A SAHM w/o kids?

4 comments:

Cate said...

Before home schooling I used to think I would stay home when the kids were in school full-time and volunteer at their school as much as possible (something that, w/our school, would probably have kept me busy one-two days a week) and then... who knows. I believe I once thought I would all the time in world then for organizing my house, meeting friends for coffee and maybe even volunteering for organizations that interested me (i.e. political candidates, etc.).

You have a lot of great choices in front of you; good luck making a decision! :)

ErinFiat said...

I'm kind of partial to those bon-bons! ;) j/k

While my youngest isn't yet in school, I can relate. If it were me, I think I'd be drawn toward the freelancing or subbing.

I just started back to work way part time and am really enjoying it- don't really want more hours.

Kimberly said...

I just went through all this after 10 years this past August with my youngest starting kindergarten. It sucked! I still miss him! And like you, I do not want to go back into some office and put the kids into after school care. I've been going back and forth with substituting and/or getting my teachers cert. so I can have a job, but be home for them when they're home and teaching is perfect for that. It's funny because you'd think once all the kids were in school you'd have alot of free time. HA! So not true!

Unknown said...

Good luck, AJ. I think you should just keep doing what you're doing, expanding your at-home business. Knowing you, I think you'd be happiest that way. :)