Making Peace with Staying at Home
I’ve been a stay-at-home parent on and off for a little over eight years and I feel like I’ve finally come to terms with it. My journey began with the maternity leave of my first child. When that meager three months was over, I wanted to go back to work part-time, but the company employing me at the time only wanted me back full-time. I resigned instead. After six more months at home, I found a part-time position with the county. Rinse and repeat maternity leaves, and part-time hours each time I had my second and third children. So I never really felt committed as a homemaker or dedicated to my career. Then the COVID pandemic happened. Things were extremely difficult trying to do everything at home while most public spaces were closed, but it was technically possible. Then over the summer of 2020, my place of work reopened, but in September, our school did not. At least, not completely. I didn’t feel comfortable asking my wonderful mother-in-law (who filled in for childcare while...