In a recent Reddit post, a user grappled with a pivotal life choice: transitioning from being a stay-at-home mom to re-entering the work life. Here’s the whole story.
They Imagined a Future With Kids
OP’s story began seven years ago when she met her now-husband, 40, and they both envisioned a future that included children.
They agreed that if they had kids, OP, aged 28, would embrace the role of a SAHM until their child reached school age.
After the birth of their son three years ago, OP embraced her role as a SAHM.
However, her journey was far from straightforward. A challenging pregnancy, labor, and recovery took a toll on her physical and mental health.
Traumatic Memories of Abuse, Religious Extremism, and Substance Abuse
She also faced the resurgence of traumatic memories from a tumultuous childhood characterized by abuse, religious extremism, and substance abuse.
This triggered a diagnosis of major depression, panic disorder, and C-PTSD, driving OP to seek therapy and medication to regain stability.
For OP, motherhood became a source of fulfillment and a reminder of past trauma.
The emotional toll of managing her mental health while nurturing her son drained her.
She Had To Explore the Possibility of Returning To Work
The absence of breaks and the imbalance in household responsibilities added to her daily burden.
Financial challenges compounded the situation.
While her husband worked long hours as a manufacturing supervisor, unexpected expenses and the rising cost of living strained their finances.
As their savings diminished, living paycheck to paycheck became a reality, compelling OP to explore the possibility of returning to work to alleviate the financial strain.
A Two-Year Waiting List for Local Daycare
The decision to rejoin the workforce, however, was fraught with complications.
Limited childcare resources and a two-year waiting list for local daycares posed a significant problem.
The only feasible option for OP was to work the third shift, allowing her to be present during the day and enlisting a neighbor’s help for early morning childcare.
However, as OP discussed this with her husband, emotions ran high.
He Blamed Her “Angry Attitude” on Her C-PTSD
He got furious when they talked about it, and OP also got equally upset and stood her ground.
Then he blamed OP’s “angry attitude” on her C-PTSD instead of acknowledging that it’s normal to get angry.
He summed up his opinion as not wanting OP away from home overnights, not wanting them to be ships passing in the night, and feeling it would tank her mental health.
OP was confused about what to do, and she took to Reddit to ask whether she was in the wrong for wanting to go to a job.
Being a SAHM Is Hard Work
Several Redditors sided with OP and said that she was not wrong.
One Reddit user wrote, “NTA. No one knows how they will react to a situation until they are in it. Being a SAHM is hard work. As you said, working may help you and your family, and if it hurts your mental health, you can quit.”
Another Redditor commented, “NTA You won’t know what works or doesn’t work until you try.”
He Refused to Serve Entitled Tourists That Cut in Line, Much to the Delight of Onlookers
The post From Home to Hope – A Mother’s Brave Journey Beyond Abuse and Faith to Rediscover Herself in the Workforce first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / fizkes. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit