To not want to work?

If you can afford not to work and won’t have trouble eventually getting back into work when your children are older, then sure - who really wants to work?

Two days a week doesn’t sound stressful or like it leaves you with no time to spend with your children or catch up on chores, though. It’s really the bare minimum. Maybe you just don’t like your job?

I would say no. It can be difficult to get back to work after a break and you will want some flexibility even when your youngest starts school. Honestly pay for a cleaner instead. That way you keep earning, paying pension and NI.

So as a dental nurse there will always be job surely and easy enough to get back into it. Child benefit pays your NI contribution and you can put money into your own pension these days. I loved being a sahm, it isn't for everyone, it does get lonely and repetitive at times but I would still do it all over again.

I'm a SAHM and will be until my child starts school Sept 25. I worked for 20 years, checked my pension and I don't need to add anything to it to get the full state plus I have a private pension from when I worked. We bought a house we could afford on 1 salary and have lived frugally but it's been fine and I love being at home with my little boy.

My career will start again next year and I'm looking forward to it and feel very lucky to have had this opportunity.

My husband and I have always shared everything so no 'his money, my money' etc. He's actually terrible with finances so I run them and he's relieved he doesn't have to worry!

YANBU

I also gave up part-time work. I wasn't doing it to contribute to the household anyway as my husband covers everything. It was too low paid (not what I worked in as my career pre-children). I felt my time was more valuable being spent with my children than earning a pittance that we didn't need in a crappy job.

I do have other income streams, but again, these are not used to contribute to the household, so even if I didn't have these, I would have still stopped working.

Quit and enjoy spending time with your children. Do not feel guilty about it.

I would just quit and think about maybe returning when the youngest starts school. Spend precious time with them!

Is the issue not that you don't have a job you enjoy? Imagine doing something creative and that fills you with energy. I always find I enjoy parenting more after I've had a break.

Those kind of jobs do exist and if you're doing something low paid anyway, it's not like you'd be sacrifying a good salary to go into something creative

But equally, if you want to be a SAHM and can afford it, obviously go for it!

Personally, I wouldn't want to ask anyone for pocket money. And I also want to be around other adults. I only know one person who didn't go back after maternity pay ended and it wasn't any good for her mental health.

Not true in our house (and with many other posters) - my wife very much out-earns me!

I've seen too many relationships go south to ever allow me to feel comfortable without my own income.

Yes - alive and well

300k in joint savings is a good cushion. Do you own your own home too? If you are going to invest in property outside your home you could do the lions share of project managing that.

If you’re not happy in your current job take the time off and spend it with your kids. You can always get back into the workforce and do something different. See a work coach when you are ready.

Hygienists get paid loads more than dental nurses and orthodontic technicians too. Maybe go back to Uni and do that when you are ready.

You think you will have more energy at home with a toddler?

Another post about a dental nurse who wants to be a SAHM. Weird. I have read several similar ones recently.

What? On here? Whereabouts?

Go for it- nothing better than to be a sahm imo.

Yes on Aibu. Always talks about wanting to be a SAHM or work in a cafe instead of dental nursing.

Are you sure you haven't imagined this ? Can you show us some examples?

I always subscribed to the change is as good as a rest theory with little ones, but if I disliked even doing 16 hours a week as much as you do I can see how it'd be tempting to stop.

Just search for it because I am not imagining it.

I took one year out of work before my youngest started school. I am so happy I did this.
I went back to work 2 days a week again once they were all at school for a year. My contract ended but me and my husband agreed everyone was so much happier when I was not working.
Makes a huge difference if a parent is able to pick them up everyday from school, do clubs etc.
I am lucky to be in a position to do this and it works fantastic for us 5.
You could always give it a try for a year etc.

My mum is 69 and went back to work 2 weeks after I was born.

She was the main earner in the house within 7 years (dad having an 8 year head start on her in a professional career).

The economy was also very different 40 years ago.

I dislike the impact women taking extended time out of the workplace has on the earnings of women generally.

I more or less stopped working for a few years when my kids were at primary school giving up a job I’d worked very hard for and very hard at. Someone older than me and very successful and well known in the field, surprised me by hugging me goodbye and saying if she had her time again she wouldn’t have prioritised her career over her children and that I was doing the right thing.

I haven’t regretted it for a moment, although sometimes the loss of status slightly irks me (not something I’m proud of). But children are only young once, why not try it and see if it works for you all for now? I then retrained and have a job that is more me that I can invest more in now they’re late teens. I’d check you’re claiming child benefit (I think it is) even though you will have to pay it back due to overall household income, so that you can get NI contributions credited.

With hindsight I wish I’d worked a lot less when they were little and been less stressed. Kids pick up on it (like we can be affected by others’ stress hormones) so if you don’t need to work outside the home and don’t want to at the moment, go for it. You’ll still be working hard at home!

There are certain jobs which are grotesquely underpaid for the level of expertise/responsibility/dedication required. Dental nurse, teaching assistant and childcare worker are the three I can think of off the top of my head. I have no idea how these vital workers can feel valued when they are so hugely taken advantage of.

If possible, working should bring you financial independence and some degree of personal satisfaction. If your job is bringing you neither and you don't need it, then pack it in and decide whether or not you want to look for another one.