When we decided to homeschool, we concluded that it was me (Mom) that should be the one to lead the effort. Although Dad had been the one at home since our son was born, we decided to swap and send him back into the workforce.
Dad found a good job and after a transition period where we both worked and my sister performed a stint as nanny, we worked on a plan to get me out of work. We succeeded, right around the time our son turned five. The change meant a drop in income, but also seemed a big step towards realizing our dream.
We concluded that it would be easier to make the leap to no outside work from this position and we could continue to grow our new business effort to make up some of the income. (More about that in future posts.)
In general I liked my job. I was there for almost eight years, the longest I’ve ever stayed with any one employer. I was well recognized at work, had been regularly moving up the pay scale and getting promoted into positions of increasing responsibility.
Resigning was the most surreal experience, both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. My boss cried when I told her I was quitting. My team seemed a bit shocked, but not entirely surprised. After thinking about it and planning it for ages, it was odd to have it out in the open.
It was clear some people thought it was a crazy idea or at the very least a leap of faith, giving up a stable job with a relatively high wage. But we both knew it was the right decision for us. That didn’t make it easy though.