I know a lot of women who have opted to work from home. Some do it full-time or part-time or to supplement their income. All of them do it while being a spouse, mother, daughter, sister, friend, citizen. And more.
I chose to stay at home because I wanted to spend more time with my children. I loved my day job. I had no reason to leave other than I missed my daughter so much and I felt like I was missing out on all the good stuff. It was a rocky transition. I was happy to be with her (and at the time I was pregnant with our second girl) but I really missed working in the adult world. Conversations with grown-ups. Time to myself in the car, on the way to and from work. Commuting has its benefits.
Eventually I got used to it and we all adjusted. My daughter became accustomed to me being with her all the time and we were very well prepared for the baby. The list got done, ahead of schedule (I was convinced that she would be early, and she was).
One day when my husband made an off-hand comment about how I loaded the dishwasher (ahem), I turned to him and said, "I don't show up and tell you how to do your job." All of a sudden, the dishes, the laundry, fed children, a well-run home, all of it was my day job. I went from an HR Manager to a Family Manager.
Then I decided to start a home-based business to mix things up a bit! It is fun and very busy but it is definitely challenging to balance work and life when they all exist in the same space. For most of the time, I feel like I am trying to cram my family into my workspace and then I am annoyed that I have no space to relax in my home. I chose to stay home to spend more time with my kids but I am also working towards having my own kitchen and office outside my home.
And so it goes, the life of one who wears many hats. I wouldn't have it any other way. Okay, back to work.
