Thinking of becoming inactive for a while. Am I nuts?

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

Try an agency like nursefinders or whoever you have in your area.

[jandkmom]

Good luck figuring out what you want to do. Follow your heart. Your kids are only going to be little once. Nursing will always be there.

My children are 6 and 8. I quit my last job when I was pregnant with my 8 year old and have been a stay at home mom ever since. I've had a lot of people tell me over the years that I was crazy and that I was wasting my degree, but I knew in my heart that I had to be home with my kids. I kept my license active and had to take CEUS to renew it, so that helped keep my head into it a bit.

I decided this past summer that I wanted to go back to work. I took a refresher class at a local community college and was really surprised at how much I actually remembered. :chuckle I was just hired to work part time on a med surg unit and start next week. I'm not all that worried about getting back in to the swing of nursing as much as I'm worried about balancing my job and my family.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

V-tachy, I hear ya about the crazy demands of the schools these days Schools don't foster independence on the part of the kiddos these days, but instead have set up a system to absolutely requires parental oversight on a daily basis in order for the pupils to keep up. This is probably the number one reason for homeschooling these days. People figure, since the schools are so demanding of their time, they may as well do it themselves.

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

V-tachy, I hear ya about the crazy demands of the schools these days Schools don't foster independence on the part of the kiddos these days, but instead have set up a system to absolutely requires parental oversight on a daily basis in order for the pupils to keep up. This is probably the number one reason for homeschooling these days. People figure, since the schools are so demanding of their time, they may as well do it themselves.

ITA

Good luck JandK mom! Let us know how it goes!

[Vtachy1]

Thanks my fellow nurse friends! I know that I want out of ICU, and that I want to be at home. I just don't know if I should start a new job working a day a week or not. I just don't know! I love being at home though.

[Vtachy1]

V-tachy, I hear ya about the crazy demands of the schools these days Schools don't foster independence on the part of the kiddos these days, but instead have set up a system to absolutely requires parental oversight on a daily basis in order for the pupils to keep up. This is probably the number one reason for homeschooling these days. People figure, since the schools are so demanding of their time, they may as well do it themselves.

Exactly!!! And I actually have thought about home schooling, several times.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

What I did was homeschool for one year, the kids got totally sick of me and missed their friends. Told them they can go back to public school, but if they didn't keep up on their own then it was back to homeschooling!

Worked like a charm!!! They are totally self-reliant A students now. :)

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

Well look at you :) you go girl...... home health setup varries, sometimes transportation furnished, and sometimes they pay expenses for you to use your car etc.

but if you decide to "take off for a while anyway" JUST KEEP your lis. current, ie re-newal, CEUs etc...

SallyRNRRT

[ICAN!]

vtachy1,

i'm posting as a mother that stayed home with my kids but will soon be attending nursing school. staying home with my children was the most rewarding experience. as everyone said, "your kids are only young once." staying home with your kids is something you will never regret. you will have more of an influence on them (if your very involved with their activities) than anyone else will; with the way the world is today, that is very important.

my husband is now putting three of us through school, my two youngest and me. i don't regret staying home and putting off my dreams because we had so many wonderful times that i would have missed out on if i was working. now it is my turn and i am reaching towards my dream to go to nursing school.

at my age some would say i am crazy to go to nursing school right now but it is a goal i have always wanted to accomplish and can't wait to do it. i love people and love helping them (i am very much a people person) so i hope that will get me through some of the discouraging posts i have read from some of the experienced nurses recently.

you should definitely keep your license up because your children will grow up very quickly, as mine did, and if you want something to fall back on you will have it. who knows, you may want to do something entirely different.

good luck to you!

[Vtachy1]

What a heartwarming post!!!! I couldn't agree more. I have a choice, to invest in my children, or myself and career. Right now I think its not a waste to invest in my children. I value sacrifice over comfort. My hubby and I have talked about this for YEARS!! ANd we really know what's right for us. Hubby wants me home, I am DYING to be home. When I'm at work my heart is here at home, its not in it. ITs such a short little window, its the least I can do for dear hubby and my dear kids. If I can't get work, after sitting out for a few years, I'll flip burgers, its worth it to me to be at the Cub Scout meetings and horse shows and church activities, and organize their lives and make a safe, warm and inviting home for hubby and kids to come home to.

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

What a heartwarming post!!!! I couldn't agree more. I have a choice, to invest in my children, or myself and career. Right now I think its not a waste to invest in my children. I value sacrifice over comfort. My hubby and I have talked about this for YEARS!! ANd we really know what's right for us. Hubby wants me home, I am DYING to be home. When I'm at work my heart is here at home, its not in it. ITs such a short little window, its the least I can do for dear hubby and my dear kids. If I can't get work, after sitting out for a few years, I'll flip burgers, its worth it to me to be at the Cub Scout meetings and horse shows and church activities, and organize their lives and make a safe, warm and inviting home for hubby and kids to come home to.

I struggle a little with staying home. We do without fun stuff with me staying home, but I do know it is best for the kiddo's. It would be nice to have more vacations and more "stuff" but can you really get two weeks off in a row to take that nice vacation when you work in nursing? I had an awful time getting time off for my wedding and honeymoon. I had to beg people to trade days with me so I could work like 13 days in a row to get 2 weeks in a row off... I can't imagine doing that around my dh's work schedule, the kids schedules, etc. I really want to be working right now, I miss it, my mind misses it, etc. but... These years are going by so fast. It won't be long before they are in school and I will have more opportunities to work. I am trying to picture myself at 75 years old... Will I be wishing I had 5 years to spend completely with my kids, or a few thousand dollars in the bank extra... I figure I can work a lot to make up for the financial loss when the kids are older... I can take a second job or whatever to make up for the loss of retirement funds then, I can't ever get a chance to be there for my kids again. Working very part time will at least give me a little bit to the savings account so I don't worry TOO much. I don't go "out" without my kids, so 8 hours a week or so won't be a lot of time away from them, and it will give them a chance for 1:1 with their father/my dh. Once they are in school, their days of staying home will be gone forever. When I remind myself of that, I know what the right decision for my family is.

[loricatus]

Husband's job is as recession proof as you can possibly get. We have never borrowed money our entire marriage, we bought everything with cash so that helps. My Grandma was one of the feminist pioneers (she's 90 years old) I am her POA, and I take care of her too, she can't drive and she broke her hip a year ago, but was able to return home. But she has no clue what it takes nowdays to raise kids. I only have a tiny little window in my life to actively be there mom and be there for them.

I dunno maybe something less stressful would help. In the last 11 years, I've had enough adrenaline to last a life time. I'm burned out, and I desperately want to be a mom and wife. I think that motherhood is a valid career. Its just scarey to quit what I've done for the last 18 years. I LOVE being a mom!!! And DKS are at the age that they still like mom (7 y.o. and 9 y.o.) THeir activities are insane and the homework is crazy, what they expect out of those little tykes. We live in an extremely competative school district we were number one in our state for the state achievement testing. Geesh, My sister and I didn't have homework until 6th grade!

All I can think about while I'm at work is how I'm trashing them and my heart is not in it. My heart is at home with them.

Well, I think you answered your own question here.

Go where your heart is. If your husband's job is secure and you can afford to lose the income, then go for it. I will bet that you will be wanting to get back to work after they become teenagers