Mrs. R and I have been good friends for several years. I've asked her to write a post about what she experienced when deciding to quit work and be a stay-at-home wife. She is a young wife and mother and has a great perspective on things.
Mixed Reactions:
When you make the decision to quit work and head home you might be surprised at the response from your co-workers. This is the story of how my co-workers reacted to my decision to quit and head for home.
I taught in a Christian school for a couple of years after college. Then it came time for me to marry. The only problem being that my future husband's work schedule conflicted with my work schedule. If I continued working we would only see each other one hour a day and we wouldn't even have the same days off.
Despite the benefit of dual incomes I made the decision to quit. My decision was met with mixed reactions from fellow staff members. I remember one of them blurting out at a staff meeting, "Well, what are you going to do all day?" "I don't know," I replied. I didn't know what I would be doing all day.
Some people felt I was making a mistake. Even at my wedding reception a friend told me that comments were being made that I made the wrong choice by quitting. That dear friend spoke up for me and said, "I think that she made the right decision." She said people looked at her like she was crazy.
Not everyone felt I was making a mistake. One teacher told me privately that I was doing the right thing. She said her first year of marriage her husband was going to law school and she was teaching and spent a lot of time away from home. Her husband began eating out and spending time doing other activities since she was not home. She felt that her marriage suffered today from the bad pattern that was established her first year of marriage.
When you make the decision to go from work to home don't expect to be applauded, in fact you might face criticism. If you have your husband's support ignore the criticism and head for home.
~~"That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."~~ Titus 2:4-5
