Discussions with my wife have begun!

Just recently, I shared with my wife my strong desires to switch roles of income provider and stay at home parent. We are indeed fortunate to have a choice to maintain a single income household and she has maintained the role of stay at home mom since our daughter was born ten years ago. But, with the youth of our children fleeting so quickly, I really want to have the experience of being the full time stay at home dad now. I've laid out numerous reasons on this blog and I shared those with my wife. I asked her to read them and for us to discuss her feelings on this significant life change. I shared that I am envisioning a change in roles next Spring allowing almost a whole year for discussion and transition.

I know this is huge change for all of four of us and I've been seriously thinking about this for a few months. It is only fair to allow my wife time for self reflection to sort out her feelings. Initially, she sees how much I want to do this and my points that the change would benefit each of us. She has some trepidation about updating her skills to return to a full time professional position. And, she realizes that she has had a great experience of being home. I've asked her to take some time and write her thoughts down so we can discuss in the near future. I've been doing the same including listing the things I'll miss about my corporate job of eighteen years. Like I've done, I've asked my wife to consider the positive as well as the challenging aspects of this change for her.

While no timeframe for a decision has been set, we discussed the benefits of coming to a decision sooner than later whether it is to maintain our current arrangements or to make the role reversal. So I'll be patient and fair but a bit persistent. Left to her own devices, my wife would procrastinate on this. I can't blame her considering what is being asked of her. In the meantime, I am actually quite thrilled with just the thought that this could take place a year from now. It is a big relief just to share my feelings and desires. We'll see where it goes from here...