I left my career to be a stay-at-home mom. I didn't expect to lose my identity.

Tech Insider : Business
mom holding baby

NataliaDeriabina/Getty Images

  • I left my career at 38 to stay home with my child.
  • I struggled with guilt, identity loss, and my changing relationship with money.
  • Over time, I found purpose and connection through shared experiences.

At 38, I faced the toughest decision of my career: whether I wanted to continue working.

As a travel writer, I've stayed in tons of hotels with my kids — these 5 habits make all the difference

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Environment
A young boy reads a book while sitting in a chair in a hotel room.
The author often travels with her kids, and has found that asking for a corner room often gives them a little extra space.

Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.

My dad planned to retire at 55. He died at 52, and it changed how I live.

Tech Insider : Business
Woman posing for camera
The author's dad died at 52.

Courtesy of the author

When I moved abroad, I left my parents behind in Mexico. I didn't expect our relationship to change so dramatically.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Santiago Barraza Lopez and his parents
The author (middle) grew closer to his parents after moving abroad.

Courtesy of Santiago Barraza Lopez

When I became a dad, I experienced postpartum depression. My whole life changed, and I no longer understood who I was.

Tech Insider : Business
Zach Fox holding his newborn baby
The author struggled with postpartum depression.

Zach Fox Photography

We had to pull $20,000 from our retirement fund to stay afloat. It felt risky, but it was the only way.

Tech Insider : Business
Kids playing with sprinkler

Courtesy of the author

I dragged my son to all my work meetings as a single mom who couldn't afford childcare. I worried I ruined his childhood.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
a woman at her desk while also playing with her son
The author (not pictured) brought her son to all work meetings.

Stephen Lux/Getty Images

I'm a college admissions expert, and my students are struggling with basic literacy skills. Their college apps are suffering.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Diana Ha teaching a class with an essay on the screen
The author is a college admissions expert.

Courtesy of Diana Ha

I started a business at 16 to make money. Now I'm building generational wealth.

Tech Insider : Business
Mom and daughter posing for photo
Scout Turner helped her mom open a pottery painting business

Courtesy of Scout Turner

When we got married, my husband and I fell into traditional roles. Now, we're teaching our kids how to be more equal with their future partners.

Tech Insider : Business
The author;s son helps to cook a meal for the family.
The author said she and her husband are working to make sure their kids know how to share the mental and physical load with their future partners.

Courtesy of Kathy Larson.

Subscribe to parenting-freelancer