It was never my original plan to be a stay-at-home mom, and when time came to take on this new role I was terrified.
I thought I was losing myself and everyone I knew had an opinion about my new role. And sadly, they impacted my own opinion of myself.
The feeling that I’ve let myself down was a constant one. I was convinced that staying home and taking care of my child would set me back in my career because my mom said it would, and I’ve heard stories of moms who put their career on hold to care for their family.
But each day I reminded myself of something important; I have options. Just because I was home didn’t mean I couldn’t continue to network, keep my foot in the corporate world door, or anything of the like.
The stay-at-home role became full time after our move to South Florida. Probably one of the toughest things I ever had to do was start over and only depend on my little family: Jeff and our boys.
I didn’t know what to expect, and that scared me more than anything else. And because I had time in between my son’s naps to get things done, I focused on my blog. I made friends with local moms and bloggers, and it was such a relief. These people motivated me to keep up with my posts and learn more about the industry, as well as improve my skills.
Being a stay-at-home mom opened doors for me. I’ve been able to work with brands I use everyday and have been able to discover new ones. Projects I can add to my portfolio without feeling as though I “wasted my time,” as my mom would say.
But above all, being a stay-at-home mom has more perks than finding time to focus on things I love. I’ve also been able to focus on the people I love. My family comes first now. I’m no longer rushing to the office and back home to make a meal, only to stuff it down my throat.
We’re now expecting baby number two and my little guy has started preschool. Although it may be tough at times — with the nausea and back pains — there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, and for me, it’s the moments we get to spend as a family whenever Jeff is home from work.
Our life is a lot different than the one we lived in North Jersey, and for that I’m very thankful.