I worked long and hard to get my Ph.D., and landed a job as a professor that I always dreamed about. I planned to put my kids in daycare so I could keep my job as the main focal point of my life. During my first year in academia, however, I started listening to you. I was taken by what you said about the essentialness of loving your child all day, as well as the many adverse implications of putting your child in daycare. As a result, I completely changed my plans for any future children I would have. I knew I wanted to stay home. I NEVER thought I would quit my job – ever! At first, I thought I could do all this while keeping my job.
When my now 8-month-old son was born, I kept working. The two days I went to campus to teach, my husband was home with him. On paper, this plan looked great, but in reality, it wasn’t feasible. I ended up working until 1 AM after he fell asleep, and was trying to squeeze in grading, emails, and research during his nap time, while also pumping breast milk seven times a day. Once my job required more research and more meetings, along with other obligations, I knew this wasn’t going to work. It wasn’t even what I wanted anymore. More importantly, I knew it was the right thing to do for my child. I had allowed myself to get sucked into the career-obsessed mindset, never aware of the immense implications staying at home with your kids can have on them for their entire life.
My husband and I have adjusted our finances and figured out what to prioritize, I quit my job and last month, I became a full-time mom. It is totally worth it, and I think that NOW, I am the one who “has it all.”
Carly
I Never Thought I Would Quit My Job