Would You Quit This Job?

If you have stability and that kind of flexibility, I'd keep working. I have the same kind of flexibility and the same kind of salary...minus one of the 0's :) and I would never quit my job because my husband has the same kind of instability in his jobs too. Being a mom is best - but I also know that for me, I am a better mom because I work.

People who say they wouldn't for all the money in the world are either lying or have never had that much money LOL If I could get a job for 800k I'd give up being a stay at home mom in less than a heartbeat. And I'd have done the same thing when my kids were little too.

You honestly have the best of both worlds, in my opinion. You have a job that pays extremely well AND gives you plenty of leeway to do the things that are most important to your kids. Class parties, school events, being home at a reasonable hour every night, very little travel, great boss.

Will you adopt me? Seriously .... please. Pretty pretty please.

Look at it this way, your kids are getting to that stage in school where they are gone most of the day anyway, so you would just be sitting in an empty house doing what? If they were younger then I could see where you might be considering but now it doesn't make much sense. Stay with your job, it sounds like it's working just fine for you. PS As a stay at home mom, hell yeah there's an amount I would go back to work for, and 800,000 would be it! :)

800,000 a year HOLY SHITT!!!! I would not quit that in a million years!
Ok, crassness over. Your children are a little older now, and so are past the stage where they really need you to be home, they are more than likely in school, and so are gone most of the day anyway. They have a nanny who is a constant in their lives. You are able to go to their school, give them whatever they need and desire.
Nope I would not quit.

Sounds like the BEST job ever.. Where do I apply?

hell yeah, i'd work for 100k. for 800k, i'd be compelled to sell my soul, let alone work :)

I would keep working... Staying at home is always nice, and I'm sure kids love having their parents at home... but it sounds like you are able to be there for them. They are being raised in a stable, loving home. Good enough for me!!!

if you like your job...why quit?? I say if you're happy now keep going forward. If you're not happy...stay home. Ultimatly the decision is yours....

I stayed home the first year then opened my bussiness last July...it's very hard both ways. Staying home...you don't get any time off, working and coming home and being with your kids...you don't get any time off either.

honestly...if I had a job that made that much money I would probably continue working for the financial security!

I would stay with the job. It sounds like you get to have the best of both worlds. I would keep saving money to give yourself and your children a cushion if needed in the future.

With that kind of vacation you can be at their schools/events when you need to be. I absolutely would not quit that job unless the job itself was causing you stress & unhappiness. Ditch the guilt and forget what other people would think or do, we all have different situations and priorities, and that's ok. We all have things we can feel guilty about, SAHM, WAHM, WOHM. Look at your kids....are they happy? Are they healthy? Do YOU feel like you are missing anything? Look at your marriage....is it happy? Is it healthy? If the answers to those questions are positives and YOU don't feel like you are missing anything then you have your answer.

Personally - if I were in your situation and I enjoyed my job there is no way I would give it up. You are in a position to provide for your kids all the way through graduate school, provide for an early and long retirement for yourself and your husband. Your working now is investing in all of your futures; and it really doesn't seem to come at a huge cost since the job is so flexible.

ETA: Mom2KCK has the best quote of the year right here in her response, "Being a mom is best - but I also know that for me, I am a better mom because I work."

No way in hell I'd quit given all the facts you have laid out. Only if you added "oh, and my parents left us millions when they died" would I say you should quit.

Your children will be happy, well-rounded kids who were raised BY THEIR PARENTS and will have no student loan debt hanging over their heads, will know what a real family vacation is like, and will know they have a strong mom who could "do it all." Sounds like a dream. =) So long as you know your children are happy, that is what matters. I have a feeling that since you have remained at the job thus far, home life is going quite well.

Trust me, I know your dilema - I also make good money at my job and at the same time would love to stay home with my kids - but I am off at 5 most days, never miss an event, etc. I know my children and my entire family will be better off in so many ways because I choose to have a career, and not just financially. I don't know what your debt situation is, but I assume from your facts list it is minimal or nonexistent. I incurred school loan debt....

So, I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go. =)

I am curious to know what your job is making $800K per year that doesn't sound very demanding given what you described above. I don't mean to sound skeptical, but if it is for real-yes I think I would feel compelled to keep it, live modestly and then your family would be set for life.
A.

honey they would be in daycare YESTERDAY! and that's keeping it real!

No I would not quit a great job when I am the main provider of the family. I wouldn't trade anything for my kids, but do I need to be right next to them 24 hours a day to feel like a good mom - NO! They get plenty of my love and attention and a whole lot from dad too. The people that say they wouldn't trade for any amount of money, I'm willing to bet, have husbands with good steady incomes. They are willing to make some sacrifices and do without luxuries, commendable, yes. But, faced with eviction, losing the family car, the possibility of having to go to a shelter, the thought that you might even have to put the kids in foster care because you can't provide for them, if that doesn't motivate one to get a job, I don't know what will. It's the luxury of having a husband with a good income that provides sahms the luxury of choosing not to work to provide for thier children. If thier husband does not have a good steady income and they stay home anyway, well, I dont see anything commendable about that at all. I would think that's selfish, irresponsible, and foolish. I hear people say they dont have a passion for thier job and they arent fulfilled. BS! Feeding my kids is my passion. Providing for them fulfills me. I get to leave 8 hours a day and miss them. They get to miss me. When I get home every aftrnoon, its a joyful reunion that everybody looks forward to. And I bring a nice paycheck to the table. I would never give that autonomy or that ability to do for my kids what my parents couldnt do for me up, under any circumstances.

I can understand the quandary that you are in. Until you said "husband's job isn't that secure" I was thinking you should go with your heart on this. No one can tell you what is right for you. However, with that fact, I would NOT quit!
When my first was born I quit my job. I was making $600,000 a year so high up like you and working 5 minutes from home! Dream job! However my husband is a corporate lawyer working for a prestigious law firm so he was/is making more than me in a very secure job.

I’ve never regretted it. If my husband had been in an insecure job I never would have quit, NEVER. Wouldn’t have given it a second thought.

From what you’ve said you are more involved in your children’s lives than most SAHM’s I know =-) (no offense to anyone else on here).

Wow, you are very lucky. We are struggling to make ends meet, so for you to have a job that doesn't seem to stressful and where you like your boss, AND you make that much money! I say keep it. I think that for me, I would start thinking about quitting if the job became too demanding for me to balance it with my family; or if I really hated the job because it isn't what I really want to do with my life. But you say that you are able to volunteer at school and never miss a school event, so if I were you, I would keep the job and count my blessings! :-) Don't think about quitting unless you really feel unhappy with the work you do, or if something changes in your work situation that keeps you away from your family more and more. From the way you describe it, you have a great work/life balance and there's no need for you to change anything (unless you really want to).

Is this for real I'm curious what kind of job do you have and get paid that kind of money and have all the benefits that you listed? Sounds like a dream job, I want to apply....lol

JP

Frankly if WE had a household income of 800k plus, it would only take a couple of years of frugal living and smart investing to be at the point where we'd be living comfortably off just the RETURNS of investments.

I'm assuming you do what you do because you love that part of yourself? It is not about income. For some reason you seem to think it's a BAD thing that a MOM continues to be the woman she WAS prior to motherhood, and that I don't understand.

If we were in your exact situation, I would stay at the job and my husband would stay home with the children if we felt that they needed a parent present.

I'd have a hard time walking away from a job that paid $800,000 a year that was secure, that I liked, that had great hours, that had a great boss, that had flexibility so that I could do things for/with my kids after school...this would mean so much for my family because their college would be paid for, all of our needs would be met (not wants...wouldn't spoil them).

Did you mean $80,000 or did you mean $800,000? At 80,000 if I felt a strong pull to be with my family I'd struggle with it. At 800,000 I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

That is a good amount of money to make and save every year...your hours seem reasonable (home by 5p), they have the same nanny they have had since birth, husband's job not as stable, 5 weeks vacation, not a stressful job, you never miss any school events, honestly it sounds like you are very involved with your kids lives already...and most importantly you sound like you love it...

I would keep the job.

If you want to be home, then do it...but you shouldn't quit out of guilt, lots of parents have to work. Period. End of story.

I would think having the 'security' of $ in the bank, for in case of emergencies would be a big draw for me to keep working...for as long as I could.

First of all... WOW!!!! I would love to get that much.

Now to get real..... If you are finanially secure, have a backup for unseen emergencies, and are not happy with your job... do what you think is right.

Yes... most of us would say you're crazy to leave a job like that BECAUSE most of us could not even dream of having a job like that. To make that much money... just for one year... would make my life so much easier. But you have had that job for awhile and have played it smart and saved.

In the end money is just money. Only you can say when enough is enough.
But answer me this. What do you plan on doing with your time when the children start going to regular school? Do you have a backup plan if you findout this path is not right for you?

Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck and happiness!

Wow! I'm one of those people who say I wouldn't trade my job as a SAHM for the world, but I would eat crow and take your job in a heartbeat ;-)

It sounds like you are happy, your kids are happy, and your husband is happy. So I don't see a problem with you staying at your job. I don't even have time to volunteer at my daughter's school once a week! Good for you for being able to find a good balance for yourself and your family. You sound like a good role model for your children.

I love staying at home with my kiddos- but sometimes I do wish I had a job! Here are some things I would consider if I were in your situation.
Are you debt free? including the house? because with your income, you should pay off everything. Have you a substantial savings?(I would do a years worth of expenses because of your husbands not so secure work)
How is your retirement? Is it fully funded? and what about your kids college? do you have enough set aside for them?
You also have to think about if you are going to continue with the nanny or not and whether or not she will be full/part time.
Since both of your kids are school age, is there a way that you would be able to work part time at your job? Just while they are in school?
You should also be aware that transitioning from full time work to being a full time sahm can be difficult. You are no longer paid for what you do and sometimes it feels like you aren't contributing to your family because we measure things like that in money(not fair, but we do). Make sure you pick up a hobby for you to do- art, exercise, cooking, something. And don't feel like you have to cram in every childhood experience for your kids- take time to just relax and be with them. Sometimes we just need to play with our kids and not have any structure.
If you have got all those taken care of- and you can live on your husband's salary(try it for a couple of months- no dipping into savings)then you guys will be fine and I personally think it would be worth it to stay at home with my kids. BUT, if you feel that your job is something that is more of your calling(not that being a mom isn't also- but you seem to have great hours with your work) that is fine too. My mom is an artist and I grew up with her teaching art classes all the time and she was always painting and drawing. She wouldn't get home until around 6, but we would help out in her classes after school- I never realized until I already had kids that she wasn't a sahm because she was always there for us even though she was working full time. It might be the same for you . Art is her calling(along with being a mom- she has 7 kids!) but I don't think she would have been as fulfilled and happy if she had quit her teaching and her art to be with us.
Just some things to think through!
Good luck!
~C.

I haven't read all the responses so I may be redundant, but my first question would be-if your kids are 5/6 and they are in school f/t, does it really benefit you (with them), to stay home now?

I'm a working mom with a husband in the construction industry so I can totally empathize. I'm always torn too.

Maybe you should decide on an exit plan. If you think it is important to be home when your kids are older-then set a date. I'll work for XX more years and in the meantime save XX to compensate for when I quit. If you feel you need to be home earlier when they are older, (right after school), could you change your hours?

From my working mom perspective I think you have an ideal gig. Even if you work-you are alway home by 5, your kids are well cared for, you can take the time to attend their events, you make an amazing income, etc. Is it maybe that you are just burned out and desire a change?

I totally agree that staying home with kids is awesome-but again, if your kids are older and in school...what would you be doing all day?

If you are happy at work I would stay... but in the end it has to be something you and hubby discuss and figure out.

It seems you have the "dream job" because you can still be involved in your kids life, school and so on yet have a great job. If I was in your position I would stay, you can NEVER save too much money nowadays in this economy. In a few years your kids will be in school most of the time but if you can still be at their events, have a great vacation or two I would no give up the job.

Honestly since your kids will be in school full time you might feel bored at home while they are at school... my daughter is start full time kindergarten and I am already trying to figure out what to do, I have worked part-time after maternity leave and I LOVE working but am there for my daughter when she needs me or school event.

Staying home today, in this economy, is a real luxury more so than when I was able to with my first two. I feel the pull, understand the pain. With your kids being 5 and 6, I'd say no since they will be in school soon. And you are right, it may be hard to find this ideal a situation again. I would focus on spending quality time with your kids. Perhaps Fridays off or leaving work early in the summer plus taking time off.

My husband and I each work two jobs just to make 1/16 of what you alone do and that's with both of us having college degrees. Come live in my shoes for a couple weeks, living paycheck to paycheck. I'll bet you'll decide you really like your job.

I am a working mom (I can only dream it was that kind of money though lol) I tried staying home when my son was little and while it was great, I enjoyed the time with him it was when he was home all day, once he started school I found myself bored.

I would guess that you are a very high acheiving woman and to drop that and end up staying home while your kiddos are at school may very well leave you feeling unstaisfied. Like one of the moms below said, many say they wouldn't give it up but for that kind of money and the chance to set your children's futures up, I think most would.

I stayed at a static level so that I could have some more flexibility when mine were younger, now that they are older I find myself wanting to move up the ladder more but fighting with the younger people with more current degrees etc. Think of the future as well, once they get older and are not around as much, what will you do....

Wow, I would love to be in your position right now! I would count your blessings and keep your job. You have a good work/home life balance and $800,000 per year is a great nest egg to be building toward your kids' futures and to maintain your own lifestyle. Keep the job-----By the way, I am curious...what industry is this and are there any job openings???

We are living modestly but are very thin in the bank....would love to be able to provide like you do!

M

I didn't read the other responses, but I wouldn't quit that job. Maybe your husband could consider being a stay at home dad since you are doing well and you mention his job is not really that stable. Don't feel guilty - as long as your kids are happy, healthy, and loved and secure then you have a good thing going!

Yes, I would take the position in a heartbeat... wouldn't even have to think about it.

I would quit, but I really think I will be in the majority. It has always been our heart to home school, so I need to be home. I actually love staying at home, and money really means very little to me. We were dirt poor growing up and I was happy. We don't have much now, and I am happy. I don't want to mess with contentment.

P.S.
We work hard to stay out of debt, and we nothing. I imagine if we had a ton of debt, my thinking would be different.

Give up your job, stay at home with your kids and I will fill the position for you. I'm like that ; so unselfish LOL
WOW that kinda money usually comes with a 150hr week. I just wish you told us what you do to eran that amount AND have so much flexibility (OK you don't want to tell but I'm still so curious ;-)
Honestly suck up the guilt for another year or too. Try and live off one salary and stash the $ away.
Your either extremely clever or gifted at what you do. Good luck to you.
If you still feel guilty then random acts of annonmous kindness/giving will benefit everyone

My children are 4 and 6 and I think that question(whether to quit) has been put to pasture. If I was to quit, it would've been before they entered grade school. I have similar flexibility and vacation and yet I totally hear you about having no time for myself. But, I would not quit because I love my job. I've always told my husband I wouldn't quit even if I win the lottery. What would I do when they're in school? I couldn't stand the boredom.
But it sounds like you don't like your job. So, maybe you need to calculate how much money you need to support your lifestyle until you die and quit when you have enough. This is what my husband is doing because he doesn't like to work. He has lots of hobbies to pursue. My husband's goal is to retire when the girls hit their early teens. You know the troubles teens can get into w/o supervision. :-)
BTW, the Wallstreet Journal had an article that of the millionaires they surveyed, only those with assets greater than 7 mil thinks they're rich. Maybe, that's where you should aim. LOL.
As far as your worry about something will happen and you need to go back to work. You should talk to a financial planner. That's what these people do, help you figure out how much you need to put away for certain contingencies. You should see the spreadsheets my husband has for all kinds of formulas!

I'm curious as to why you are asking the question as it seems a no brainer. Is this a real scenario or a JFF question? Anyway,The 800K a year for the time you are spending and flexibility is just not found ANYWHERE. Not a stressful job and you seem to like it or atleast not hate it. Usually women decide to stay home because they can't make much or enough more in childcare than they are earning to make a significant difference as WELL as wanting to be with their children. My thought is you aren't gone much longer than they are in school. I find it hard to believe that 800K isn't significant as far as your lifestyle is concerned and would be missed if you quit. If you didn't say you had a boss and couldn't work from home I would suspect this was a scam for stay at home work. Add the fact that your husbands job isn't stable and it seems the best thing to do is to work, even if it means you're saving all the money you make for college, retirement and the possibility your husband loses his job.

Added: Just saw your what happened. DON"T Feel guilty (no matter what you do)! Do what YOU and your Husband think is right for YOUR family. All the best!

I'm a stay at home mom. With that being said, I'd love to have a job that allowed me to make good money, have the freedom to make it to all of my children's events (including volunteering and such), that gave me nearly a month or so of vacation time.

The only time I said I wouldn't give up being a stay at home mom for anything was when my children were still home. Now that they are all in school, I want a job. There's only so much house cleaning and errands you can run!

I say, if you're happy there and your kids are happy and healthy, stay a working mom.

Hey you managed to find what most women are looking for. Balance of work and home! I would stay where you are. Also, it appears that job is the lifeline for your family. Since your children are school age, you'll be sitting home without them and get them at around 3pm. Only two hours from when you would normally see them. If they were babies I would say possibly yes, but I think everyone has adjusted to the routine. My sister makes about that much. She's actually a single mom. Her son is now 19. He had a nanny all while growing up as well. She went to school for her profession (physician) and it's one of those things that our parents put a lot of money into at an Ivy League school and she said if she had stayed with the dad, who's a lawyer, she would have worked anyway.

Anyway, no one can judge anybody who works or chooses not to. It's all relative to your life. I make 40,000 with the same criteria you have minus the dollars : ) and my husband job is secure. He just got a promotion and will make a considerable amount more. If I choose, I can stay home. We are going to pop out one more little one to have 3. I will be going back to work part time when he/she is about 6 months old. I just do better when I have a job. I feel balanced. Part-time will work perfect. When I am on vacation for long stretches at a time I think too much and drive my husband crazy. I think my kids too. Mom needs to be happy. I like the adult interaction.

You mentioned you had money saved. After the money runs out will your family be ok financially? Will you have to live a different lifestyle?

Yeah, no need to quit. Sounds like an ideal situation. You seem to have a great work-life balance. I think on of the most important times to stay home would be when they are babies/toddlers and home all the time. Otherwise they have a good situation with a nanny and you are very financially secure and involved in the family.

Unless you are ready for retirement and good financially for life then I would keep working until you can afford to stop for good.

I am trying to answer the same question except I make only about 1/3 of what you make and my hours are worse. I don't think I could quit your job either. :-P Mine is a harder decision though since I don't have as much vacation as you and work about 50-60 hours a week (and have an hour commute each way). Good luck mama!

I would not quit unless you are unhappy. Your kids are old enough were they are not missing out on you as they are in school most of the time you are at work anyway. It sounds like you have a perfect situation. My favorite is the short commute. Plus job security is always so important to me.

Money can not buy happiness or well rounded children but it sure makes life easier.

People only work for 2 reasons--they want to or have to. The "want to" is a personal choice. I have always been a SAHM, but never had a salary like yours.

HONESTLY, there is no way in hell I'd quit THAT job, especially with kids that are already school-age. If they were infants that required round the clock care, that would be a little tougher for me, but even at that, I'm pretty sure that I'd stay with the job, especially given the amount of flexibility you have. There are plenty of mom's who do not stay home with their kids for a whole hell of a lot less than you are making. And while money isn't everything, the amount you are earning is allowing you to provide for your children's futures in ways that many of us can't but would love to.

I applaud those moms who do sacrifice an income to stay home with their children, and I'd LOVE to be a SAHM, but given the exact circumstances you stated, I would continue working.

Just curious what field you are in... that's a really wonderful income... and with you saying that it's an unusual profession where you'd have a hard time reentering the workforce, you just piqued my curiosity... if you don't want to post that here, maybe you'd PM me? I guess that's nosey, but I'm just curious what type of field you're in...

Keep your job. Let hubby quit.

If it were me, I would keep the job until I & DH have enough money saved/invested for the lifestyle you want for retirement and for the kids' college. Then, if you still want to want to quit, you can do so with much less worry. And frankly, it should take too long to do that. You should be able to be mortgage free and if you're living frugally (even frugally but a really nice lifestyle), you could quit in a year or two.

Frankly, if you're concerned about having the stay-at-home parent, you could have your DH be at home for a couple of years, till the kids are a bit older. (If, of course, he was willing).

Well. Sounds like an awesome gig.

What about your satisfaction level? Do you enjoy it? Does it fulfill you?

If you live modestly, you are in a place to set up a position-changing future for your children. You've gotta consider that. I'm sure you have. As in if you wisely invest money for them, they will be sitting pretty.

Obviously, in your case, you're not working to "pay the bills" so I think it's a matter of priorities and personal preference for you & your husband.

If I didn't get satisfaction from the job, I would quit. But only after I had done enough financial planning to pay down my home, buy new cars, set up reasonable college funds, and saved up for a rainy day (a year's expenses). Even if I were quitting my 100K job, I would do that. If you truly live modestly, then I would think you are very secure in your ability to leave your job without fear. Also, keep in mind, if you enjoy working in theory, then there is no reason not to try something new. Maybe you went to school to be a lawyer, that doesn;t mean you can't become a preschool teacher or open a bakery if that woudl give you fulfillment. But I would never advise anyone to leave any job without making sure their families were secure first.

Well I am too jealous and bitter that you literally make what it would take most households 8 years or more to make in one year to feel your "pain" of making this decision. LOL. Sorry, just being honest. I disagree that being home "later" is more important as I think it is more important to be home in the early years when your children are actually home but that is just my opinion. If your kids are in full time school starting next year then why would you quit now? You would only be missing like 1-2 hours of their day if you continued to work. Its not like you have to do housework or cook I am sure... with that much money coming in, so its not like school nights should be stressful as far as those things go.