So After being a stay at home mom for 11 years, my youngest will be school age this year and I'm thinking about going back to work. I used to teach, which I loved, but it doesn't pay very well. I also did some free lance graphic design, which I also liked, and it pays a lot better, but I'm home by myself.
So if you were picking between two jobs that you liked, one that paid well, and one where you were around people you liked, which would you choose?
I would personally want to be at a job I loved that didn't pay very well. If teaching made me happier, that is what I would do. Right now I have a part time job that I love, and a full time job that I do not. I only kept the part time job because it makes me feel happy at work.
Well one thing with teaching is that it can offer some stability and benefits are part of the pay. Free lance work doesn't have any benefits so it is a higher pay per hour but can actually be less because of the lack of benefits. Of course if you have health care, retirement and lots of other benefits through a spouse, then those benefits may not seem like much.
Go with what makes you happy! I have had many jobs in the past that paid well but I just dreaded the thought of waking up each morning and counted minutes on the clock all day long. I now drive a school bus for the local system. It pays ok, but its part time, no pay in the summer or vacation time, but.....I love it! I have never been so happy. Every day I wake up really early for my morning run and I am so excited, same in the afternoon. I've done this now for over a year and my attitude hasn't changed. Whatever you do, be happy!!!
Having been a SAHM for so many years, I'm assuming your situation is one where your needs are provided for, so in theory, the money you'll be making from whatever you choose will just be a benefit of working. Go with what makes you happiest for you!
Yeah, if the money that you earn is above and beyond what is needed for your family to be comfortable, then I agree with glutio and the others who have said to do what makes you happiest and what works best for your family. I'm single and the only income-earner in the house, so I have chosen to go for the money. It helps that I like what I do, but work conditions have changed recently and it's no longer the happy place that it was. Now I'm considering looking for a similar position elsewhere, so even for those of us who have money as a top priority, happiness is still a huge factor.
I went back to work the beginning of April of this year after being a SAHM for 5 years. My only concern has been what to do with my son when school is out. As a teacher, you could be with your children when they aren't in school. We are learning that childcare is expensive.
When it comes to work, would you rather....
