Good for You!!!

I don't know any other stay at home moms near me. I live in the Bay Area, where it is expensive to live and not many can just choose to stay home and not make a second income to support the family. Additionally, the economy is not so good right now. People are struggling to pay the mortgage, lay offs are common and belt tightening to pay for the rise in grocery and utility bills is universal. So, when it comes to me saying, "hey, I'm quitting my job," the responses are not as overwhelmingly positive as one might think they should be, given how great it is. What makes me most uncomfortable is the feeling of dollar signs that seem to appear in the eyes of the person I just told. It's like I have money hanging out of all of my pockets by the way that they look at me. Thankfully, my husband makes enough money that we can do this, but it doesn't happen without a budget. I'm probably extra sensitive about it because I'm sensitive about money, but I definitely get a strange vibe. It makes me feel uncomfortable about telling people that I'm not going to work. The responses are too unpredictable: "nice for you!" "Do I congratulate you or tell you
I'm sorry?" "oh......(silence)" I just don't know what to do with some of these responses because really, all I want to hear is "good for you!"
There are also many moms who look forward to getting out of the house to go to work every day. It does feel very nice to go to a child free environment where you can get things done without interruption, go to the bathroom whenever you feel like it and eat sitting down. "I could never stay home" is a common thread among working moms and I totally get it. Understanding my choice to be at the mercy of my two year old when I'm exhausted and stir crazy is probably difficult to figure. Addressing how I handle that will have to be another post...after I figure it out. The bottom line is that I need to find other moms in my situation. If I'm going to do this well without losing my marbles, I'll need to set up a local support system. And when I meet the other marvelous mommies who have decided to stay home with their kiddos, the first thing they'll hear from me is, "good for you!"