Question and Answer

I'm about to leave my position as a corporate executive to become a full-time, stay-at-home mom. What can I do to make this transition go smoothly?

The transition from full-time professional to full-time mom can be both rewarding and challenging. The rewards include less anxiety over leaving your child to return to work, a more secure infant and a healthier bonding experience with your child. The challenges include physical and mental exhaustion, role confusion and a lack of intellectual stimulation.

Here are a few tips to ease the transition:

• Prepare, prepare, prepare. Read as much as you can on child development and the relationship between mothers and infants. This is particularly important for women who may have had a difficult childhood or a strained relationship with their own mother.
• Talk to other women who have made the transition from full-time work to full-time mom. Ask them about their struggles and their successes.
• Develop a social support network. Meet other new moms in your neighborhood or at your church or synagogue. Join a "Mommy and Me" group or "MOPS" (Mothers of Preschoolers).
• Communicate clearly with your spouse about roles and expectations. Discuss how these may change after the baby is born and you stop working.

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Background Information

Making Good Decisions
What to do about avoidance — one of the biggest time wasters around.

Safe at Home
Staying at home with the kids isn't necessarily the "easy way out" of working.

Questions and Answers

What would you and your wife do if the resources permitted her to stay at home after the kids were in school?
Answer

Do you feel it is still important to have Mom at home in the teen years?
Answer

I love our baby a lot and wouldn't trade him for anything in the world, but I don't understand why I'm so depressed.
Answer

We need a little more income to make it in my family, but I have preschool children and don't want to seek employment outside the home. Is there an alternative for me to pursue?
Answer

Review Frequently Asked Questions

Stories

How Motherhood Changed Me
One professional woman recounts her first few weeks at home, alone, with her new baby.

If you've been through a experience related to this topic, we invite you to share your story with others.
Share Your Story

Other Things to Consider

Even Though We Ain't Got Money…
That phrase – live on love – kept bringing to mind a song they played on the radio when I was a kid. I scoffed at its utter lack of common sense.

Following the Leader: Helping Your Husband Find His Place in the Home
Moms, do you ever wonder why dad doesn't "connect" with the family? Try these gentle nudges to help him find his place in your home.

Related Topics

Transitions: Changing Jobs, Moving

Relationships: Communication Gaps

Parenting Teens: Communication Problems

Life Applications

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Mommy Time
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Suggestions for Fathers of Small Children
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What a New Mom Needs
When a new mother discovers her own community, she is finally able to transition into her new role as mother.