Working Moms Miss Kids, Hit Breaking Points

“I feel so fortunate that I’ve been able to stay home for as long as I have, but a job opportunity opened up for me starting next month and I really, really want to return to work. The timing is terrible considering he’s already started a half day/half week program and everywhere else is full, but we found an opening at a highly-rated private school that offers a full day of preschool and even includes snacks and meals. We can’t work around the half day anymore with my new schedule. The problem i”

“Back to work after two years as a SAHM—why do I feel so conflicted? I recently returned to work after two years as a SAHM, and I’d love to hear from moms who’ve been through something similar. I stayed home while my husband pursued a business because we wanted one of us home with our daughter. I cherish that time, but the business didn’t work out financially, and his long hours left me overwhelmed with parenting and worried about our savings. He has since sold the business, and we agreed that I”

“My maternity leave is ending in 5 weeks and I cannot stop feeling emotional over this. We are blessed that my husbands mom is going to do daycare for us for the first couple of years but I am so sad I am going to miss out on all of my slow mornings with him, the milestones, flexibility, etc. I have recently decided that I will be dropping to 3 days a week (24 hours total). It is a big pay cut, but I will still make good money and still get my full time benefits. For those of you who have worked”

“I am on my third day back from maternity leave and I miss my daughter SO much. I feel like I’m missing out on so much of her life while she is at daycare and I am resentful of having to work (even though there is no question that I have too). Does it eventually get easier? I know I’ll always miss her but will the missing because my bareable? submitted by /u/PracticalAnxiety3857 [link] [comments]”

“My son just turned 2. When he was born I went back to my full time job at 12 weeks. We moved states when he turned 1, and I was out of a job for 2 months. My husband got a better paying job and so I took a part time job for 9 months. Unfortunately my job was at a startup and when they needed to cut expenses, I was the first to go. I got lucky and found a full time job pretty quickly. The pay is not great, but it’s obviously more than I made working part time. It’s certainly a step down from what”

“Ive been a working parent for 1 months. Prior I was a SAHM for 2 yrs. Kids are currently 5 and 2. I feel like im failing at parenting now that im working. Like I just avoid parenting. I dont know what to do or how to help the situation. I just dont have the patience I once had for parenting or house work. Any advice?? submitted by /u/Key-Significance1876 [link] [comments]”

“I have been back to work since baby was 4 months. a year plus in it’s harder than ever. baby is in daycare. mornings are chaos, nights are short, and weekends are busy with a small business we are praying eventually replaces our corporate gigs. i keep feeling like I’m waiting for when we get to start experiencing his childhood with him. I feel like we are going to wake up and he’s going to be 5, we will have never taken a vacation and will have just survived up to that point. and I have so much”

“So for context, im not a new mom. Theres just a 12 year age gap between my newest child and my former youngest. I took 5 months off work to bond with my baby and recently returned to a partial schedule a month or so ago. I have 4 days off during the week. My husband and I work nights but work different days so we do childcare with a family friend once a week for now. When my husbands home or its just my husband and the baby, the baby is amazing. Sleeps about 1 hour for every two of being up and”

“My son is 18mo old and every day that passes me and my husband are more sure we are OAD. We love him more than anything, and we love our triangle family. And I love my job and the fact I have some energy to put into my career. I had my son within the same 2 year period as a lot of my friends having their first. Now a few are pregnant with their second and we have been getting questioned when we will having another. I say we won’t be, and people tell me “well just wait, you’ll change your mind.””

“Even though we‘re all fine and healthy, I miss my two year old every second, at work, at hobbies - like constant. Deep inside I want to quit everything else in my life just to spend the max. amount of time with her. I know, sounds crazy - won’t do that. But does it get better from time to time? I am really struggling to for example play tennis once a week because that’s time I could spend with her. It drives me nuts sometimes to get my ass up and actually go to work when she’s at home. Can anyon”

“For context, I’m 6 months PP and have another child who is 4. I’m self employed so I’m already back at work but apart from a few days out the house a month, I’m mostly home and work around children. I’m neurodivergent and I’m currently finding everything quite overwhelming. I feel like I have my children to focus on, my business and my relationship. My issue is I’m feeling really alienated from my friends. In fact I feel like I’m losing them but also I don’t even feel bothered (yet I feel like I”

“I got laid off after maternity and I’m very sad. I want to prepare but I feel I’m missing out on spending time with my kid. Kid goes to daycare so I can prepare during the day. During the day, I feel I should consider being SAHM because the market is so challenging and I feel so old and sad. I feel I’m failing as a candidate and as a mother. But I need to work so we can continue affording daycare, insurance, pay EMIs other things. So I instead think I’ll play with my baby in the evening and look”

“i work full time plus weekends to support my 4 kids alone. my 15yo daughter steps up to watch her younger siblings, make simple dinners, and clean up around the house. yesterday i came home n saw her washing all the dishes and sorting everyones clothes so i could rest. she never complains, but seeing my teenager cook meals and handle household chaos for a big family makes me feel like a failure. i just want her to be a normal kid ​i literally hid in the bathroom and cried. i hate that she has to”

“I’ve dealt with crazy working mom guilt since my daughter was born just over 5 years ago. It’s wild because wanting to be a sahm was not something I would have ever considered before marriage. In fact, I wasn’t sure that I wanted a child at all. I’ve been in a lot of therapy and worked on this. Things are better now that she’s starting full time school, but over the past 5 years I’ve just felt like I was doing something wrong- something I’d regret- by working. Wishing I could spend more time wit”

“I know I’m lucky, I saved up enough time to go back to work when my little one will be 10 months old. The baby will be staying with my husband while I’m at work. This is happening at the end of the month. I would love to quit but my job brings in the insurance for the whole family, pay sucks but the insurance is necessary. … I literally have been buying scratch off tickets out of desperation. I don’t want to leave my baby. I don’t know what I’m looking for here just sad, stressed & worried.”

“My precious daughter is 18mo and is with me during the day while my husband works from his home office. I own a small business but my job is quite flexible so I’ll either work from home or take her into the office. But, on a day like today I will be working from home all day (from the dining room table) but have some staff out so I’ll have to be much more hands on. But, I still have her to feed, clean, entertain etc. And my husband just came out of his office to say after work let’s all go to th”

“So my son is turning 2 soon. Last year for his first bday we didn’t take off, I don’t think he knew the difference. He also gets a special bday crown and treat with his friends, so I feel like he will love going. I’m not sure he’ll remember this one either, but I’m thinking I’ll pick him up early that day if work allows. I’m having some mom guilt about not taking the day to spend with him, but I do feel like he’ll be happier hanging with all his friends. We’re also having a party for him the nex”

“I chose to make a 1hr 50m commute twice a day instead of taking lodging near my work because I am a stage 5 clinger. I’m wondering if any other women here have long commutes like this? I’m kind of freaking out and really hoping I can pull through. It shouldn’t be longer than 8 weeks of work (I’m a contractor). They’re 10hr work days so it’ll be 14hr days out of the house 5days/wk I fortunately have a wonderful fiancé who is going to stay home with our little one and basically be my house husband”

“Like the title says it was her bday and we celebrated and I took some days off to spend with her. I just dropped her off at school and now that I’m back to work I just miss her so much. It’s like that feeling when I was a little girl and didn’t want to go to school and wanted to stay with my mom but now it’s me wanting more time with my daughter :( I was a SAHM for her first 2 years and started working and have been for a while now but each time I spend meaningful days with her and have to go ba”

“Late 20’s couple. Parents to 1 toddler and currently expecting baby #2. Before starting our family, we made sure we had everything planned out. Bought our home, had solid careers. I was trying my best to make sure we did everything ‘right.’ Both of our families live in the same neighborhood as us, and were highly encouraging and supportive of us starting our journey to become a family. Flash back to 2024. We have our first child. I was extremely sick for months postpartum. My husband was on inte”