4.5 months. I’ve been a SAHM for that long. I left my job, my routine, my paycheck and co-workers. I left them to spend this PRICELESS time with my children. To have fun and laugh with them, to raise them to be honorable, intelligent, and respectful men who will give back into our world, and who will give more than they take. But…. sometimes its easier said than done. Staying home with 3 small children is fucking HARD. No two ways about it. There are some days that I cry and I just hope to make it until Laurie gets home. Going through this transition has been more rough than I expected. Currently, I’m going through the phase of leaving behind friends or feeling like I’ve been left behind. Or where they friends at all?
I worked in a hospital. I had hundreds of co-workers and a few very good friends. Or, very good co-workers. I’m saying it like this because apparently, that is just what we were. Co-workers. Our friendship has not come to anything outside of work. I’ve tried. I want them to stay in my life (more than just Face.book), there were some really awesome people who I saw everyday, I spent more time with them than I did with my own family. We all laughed together, worked hard together but that is just where it has stayed. Is it me? Was I just a co-worker? This is the first long-term job that I’ve left, is this normal?
Where they just apart of my life then, but not now?
I’m having a lot of fun hanging out with some other mommy friends that I’ve made since leaving. So, why do I even care? I don’t know. I just do. I considered them friends and I feel like I’ve been forgotten about. But, I guess that’s just how its going to be. I’m assuming these feelings are normal from the drastic difference in adult interaction.
Mommies Making Miracles 
I worked at the same place for seven years, most of those years with the same small group of people, since I stopped working in June I think I’ve seen one of them once. The person I’ve stayed in closest contact with is the other woman who was laid off at the same time as me. It’s kind of sad, but I suppose in my case I could be making more of an effort too…
I’m on my 7th job since 2000. It’s mostly been not by choice (out sourcing, contracts ending) and some by choice (awful companies.) The longest I spent at a company was 4.5 years. The rest were months to maybe 2 years. I did make some friends that I keep in contact with on a casual basis. We either talk on Facebook or I even meet up with one of them as he lives nearby and they have kids around our kids’ ages.
I think you form relationships with people at work because you see them all the time. But just like with school or other big change sin life, when you move away, you lose touch. Lives are so hectic these days that it’s hard to really maintain contact. Also, it’s different from your perspective being home and being around kids and craving some social interaction (I know, been there too) versus working all day and seeing your work buddies and then coming home and having to spend time with your family/kids and your other friends. It would be hard to prioritze work friends in this way. Did you spend much time with these people outside of work?
Although they probably do care for you and miss having you at the hospital, they probably don’t feel the need to make an effort to spend time with you. Not in a way that they don’t like you or don’t value you as a person, they just didn’t have you as a part of their life outside of work before and don’t feel the need to to suddenly change things up. I know that I find it extremely difficult to find time for my current non-workplace friends and family.
I also know that you tend to move on and leave workplace friends behind. People at work always come and go. You can be good work buddies but your friendship might stay as that, even when one of you moves on.
I just find that these days, it’s so hard to juggle work, life and family/friends. I’d say move on and build up some mommy friends. I think you’ll find that other stay-at-home moms probably have more inc ommon with you now and more time to build up a relationship. I felt like everyone was moving so quickly when I was off work and it was much easier to set up time with others who were off too.
iends
I acutally didn’t spend time with them outside work. Maybe a handful of times. Group things that I would attend… I guess when you start an outside work friendship is when you’ll stay in contact with them when one moves on.