Should I quit my job to be a stay at home mom?

“Being a mom was not a priority. I mean, I was never in a rush to be a mom. I knew it might happen someday, but all I was thinking about was building a successful career. However, life goes, and I got pregnant with my first child when I was 28. I quickly went from attending the weekend brunches with my friends to planning for the new changes in my life. I also had another important thing to think about: should I quit my job to be a stay at home mom? Well, I took my decision, to quit my job and devote all my time to parenting and homemaking.”

That was the story Nadia told us about in our support group for moms. While she was telling us her story her voice was remarkably strained. Of course, she is just as proud as any other mother who decided to stay home and take care of her children, but something was missing. And when we asked her why her voice is shaking, she said:

“Quitting my job was not an easy decision and regret soon hit me like a rock. My dream was to continue building a successful career, like most of my friends who became professionals in their fields. And today I feel so weak. But I’ve always asked myself the following question: If other women managed to balance between building a career and razing their kids, then why couldn’t I? It always made me feel like I need to do more, more than just feeding my baby, playing with him, finishing the laundry, or even cleaning the house.”

Honestly, I could not remember the last time I heard a woman admitting that she regrets being a stay-at-home mom. As if it is forbidden to feel that way because daring to voice that regret is considered as if she was unable to take responsibility for her family by society.

Both, Working moms, and stay-at-home moms face real conflicts and challenges, most of them end up with regrets. Such as regretting their decision to drop a career behind just to raise children or their choice of dropping their children to stay in their job. Honestly, being defined as a stay-at-home mother is limiting some of us, since most of us are seeking to fulfill our ambition to be independent and more professionally active.

When we asked Rania about her opinion on this matter, she answered: “We do not know what the future holds for us, and apparently we cannot rely on the father as the only source of income. And that is my regret in life, allowing myself to be in a position where I always had to ask my husband for money to cover our children’s needs. It’s uncomfortable to look at your kids and say every time we have to wait for your father.

Now, to make the right decision whether to be a stay at home mom or a working mom, think about yourself, consider what you want and what makes you satisfied. In the end, building a successful career or staying at home with the kids is in your hands. Whether you are at an office desk or the kitchen table, you can still be successful anytime anywhere, your kids will be fine either way.