On becoming a SAHM

Friday is my last day of work at the office. Next Thursday, our road trip out to Iowa begins. And I will be a Stay At Home Mom, at least for a while.

I never really imagined myself as a SAHM. I worked all through college; I taught elementary school while I worked toward my graduate degree. I feel like I have been preparing for a professional career my whole life and now, at 26, I will be staying home with my little guy. Giuseppe and I made this decision when he decided to attend the licensing program in Iowa. We looked into the available salaries and cost of childcare and found that it would be best for our family if I stayed home with Paolo and looked for part-time, work-from-home opportunities as opposed to a full-time office job. I will have to be creative with the work-from-home part. I have been looking into online teaching programs, translation opportunities, tutoring, and things of the sort.

While it is hard to imagine my self as a SAHM, in some ways it seems too good be true. I can raise Paolo without having to hire a nanny or drop him off at daycare, something that makes me quite happy. I know that this will come with its own set of challenges – like keeping my sanity, retaining my ability to carry adult conversations, and, of course, managing a significantly tighter budget - but it is a new chapter in our lives, and I will embrace it. It is, after all, a new adventure for us.