Very true! I think it’s no wonder so many women often feel depleted, exhausted, torn left and right, and like a shell of a woman, doing many full time jobs at once.

Thank you so much for the support and encouragement. The best decision indeed! ❤

Oh wow, I bet it makes your job as an architect look like a cake walk! But seriously, congratulations, it’s such a beautiful thing to be present with our kids!

Hello! Inspired stranger here! I’m an architect and trying to plan my future, thinking about how I’d make having a family work. Becoming an architect is such a huge life achievement, do you ever miss it? How were you able to make the transition to SAHM? :-)

@@sandrakolacz3654 hubby and I met at university so we both were architects which helps. We started our own practice shortly after registration and getting married so my transition from full time work to SAHM was slow. If you want to chat further my husband has a channel @heisesays and you can contact me through that

@@NivesScott honestly it’s the other way around 🤣 it’s a lot of work at home, but way less stressful.

@@sandrakolacz3654 hubby and I met at uni and is also an architect so that makes it much easier for us and it means I can jump in and help him if he is overloaded with work. The identity struggle to be ok with being a mum has been a lot and taken me a long time to adjust as becoming an architect is a very consuming pursuit. The more kids we have had the easier it has been. Having 3 kids was the hardest to balance but once #4 came along I gave up and started homeschooling 🤣 our kids are the best part of life and an investment in our future.

Thank you so much Fareena. Raising the next generation is the most important work!

You are so kind! ❤️

My heart goes out to the mothers who wish to stay at home with their babies but feel that they can’t, or they are unable to. It’s such a common longing that we often push aside and convince ourselves is not the way to go, or is an impossibility. Raising the next generation is THE most important work in my opinion, and unless both people in the couple think of it that way, leaving the work force to stay at home would be nearly impossible.

First of, thank you for sharing such a thoughtful response! Absolutely regarding the extended family! Before we came to Canada my grandma was my caregiver when my mom returned to work, and as she got a job out of town, it meant I was on my grandparents farm 5 days a week and only saw my parents on weekends. and my aunts and uncles who were much younger than my mom also lived under her roof so i was well taken care of. That said i still missed my mom dearly and cried myself to sleep nearly every night. So in terms of finances, i was in a very similar situation to you. I brought in just under half, and health insurance (but I’m Canadian so a lot is public), was also under me as my husband is self employed, and a pension fund so i did forgo of a significant amount and benefits, zero doubt about that! But we are making it work, and i honestly couldn’t picture our life without this sacrifice, a life of not homeschooling my kids. I love that you have balance of family & work life, it’s so important, sounds like the dogs are more work than kids 😅!