Being inspired to change your life from reading a book isn't that unusual. There are plenty of self-help, coaching and other generally inspirational books out there (or magazine articles for that matter) that can appeal to one's sense of excitement at starting afresh. Get your finances in order! Find a job that you love! Get fit! Stop eating crap!
My inspiration came from an unlikely (and rather embarrassing) source: a rather trashy 'chick - lit' novel by Irish author Cathy Kelly. She's one of those authors that churns out novels where there are several women with different issues with their jobs/partners/families who make a big change to their lives. Each of the character's stories come together towards the end of the book. Everyone lives happily ever after in their reinvented lives.
I borrowed the book from the library years ago and didn't realise at the time that a seed had been planted. You see, one of the main characters was doing the manic full-time work with two young children in childcare thing. It comes to a head and she quits her job to try being a stay at home mum. She loves it, but towards the end of the novel gets a part-time job at a rather lovely day spa. Happy in work-life balance land.
I would read this novel on my commute home from work each night. I only worked 3.5 days a week, but my youngest child hated being away from me at childcare, and the drop-off and pick-up from said childcare was harrowing on each of these days. And 3.5 days felt like 4 days, which at times felt full-time. I was over it!
My bus home would take me past the local sessional kinder. I looked jealously at the Mums (and the odd Dad) with their kids at the park next door. I assumed they must all be stay-at-home parents as the sessional kinder hours were so bizarre that holding down a standard hours job would be impossible!
I realised that I longed to pull both kids out of childcare and send the oldest to a sessional kinder. So I came up with a plan to do just that! It took a lot of planning (and wangling to actually get my son into the kinder program!!) but I did it.
And I also got lucky in two ways. I fell pregnant with my third child, and my work made me redundant! I felt like I'd won the lottery as I'd already decided to leave anyway.
My first year as a proper stay-at-home Mum is just over. The oldest is now at school and the younger two hang out with me. I've joined a playgroup and we have a pretty good life. I'm fortunate to still have some redundancy money left over plus we are trying to live more frugally. I'll probably have to get a job at some stage before the girls start school, but am planning an extra frugal next 12 months to delay this for as long as possible.
