Stay at home parenting is no joke! How dare these kids not want to do what you want to do all day, eh? Haha. That said, it IS hard work, not to be taken lightly and can definitely be frustrating at times. I just said today to Court, “I need a sick day, but Finn doesn’t seem to notice or care.” She’s like the most hardass boss ever. Routine has saved us though, I think that’s such a valuable lesson for people with or without kids, how important a routine can be for feeling accomplished and somewhat put together day in and day out.

As the SAHM of our family, I can honestly say you couldn’t be more right. It’s a full time job, and actually even more then a full time job, because I’m still working night shifts even though I’m not a nurse anymore (when do kids decide sleep is good?!) I can say that I don’t feel “retired” so to speak, but I am super thankful for having the freedom that FI affords so I can stay home with my little monster. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about living life outside of being formally employed, and having to structure my own days and provide my own motivation in the past year. That’s the main point I’m trying to portray in this post. Thanks for reading and providing your feedback!!

However, I am somewhat terrified of the aspect you discuss here – what happens when we reach the RE portion? I already get bored and lose my sense of self worth if I go a single weekend day without conquering something productive, how on earth will I survive as an early retiree?

I love your insight regarding your efforts appreciate the slow pace of life. This is something I am NOT good at – yet. However, I have been consciously working towards it this past year. Thanks to having you as an example, I now know that, even if this does not come naturally, it can be done!

Communication and compromise… the keys to marriage and FI success 😉

Thanks for reading! Attitude and perspective are incredibly important to leading a healthy and happy life but are SO hard to change because it’s all from within. There is no external factor that provides positivity unless you allow yourself to see it. Excuses are just too easy to find, welcome to human nature. While I do my very conscious best to stop, take a deep breath and consider the circumstances when I find myself down a negative rabbit hole, it’s definitely not always easy, and it’s still something I need to work on daily.
I really like what you said about hobbies, learning and being open to new experiences being so important post-FIRE. I personally tend to struggle with defining my hobbies and interests. They are numerous but it seems there’s not one specific interest that I want to really focus my time and effort on (except my little girl, which goes without saying). So what you say about being open and curious about trying new things is so important. As is the statement “FIRE may not be ideal for all human personalities”.
I can’t find a downside for anyone achieving FI, but the “RE” portion of the acronym might not be as broadly positive. To each their own, and knowing what you need to be happy is a huge win!

I can 100% relate to the lack of role. And as a newly appointed “stay at home mom” (a role I never really envisioned for myself) I still respond with “Nurse” when people as what I am/do. It’s not that I’m embarrassed of my new role, but people nod in understanding when I say I’m a nurse, no explanation needed, and generally no further questions.
As time passes, I hope to evolve how I answer this question by telling the asker of that question why I am passionate about staying home with my child and any other endeavor I may take on in the future.
I feel it’s so difficult to not get bogged down by activities and trying to fill all your free time. I respect your efforts in volunteer work and advocacy campaings, but I respect even more you self awareness to realize you need to dial it back to reclaim some time for yourself!