30F, MSW/Therapist choosing to be a stay at home wife but affected by family views.
I’m a 30F social worker/therapist, but I stepped away from work a year ago due to severe burnout. Since then, I’ve been living as a stay at home wife with no plans to return to work. We don't have kids yet, though we plan to in the next 1–2 years. My partner is happy for me to stay home and we’re doing well on one income.
I finally feel like I have my life back however, I am drowning in guilt. My parents are both high achievers, and they won't let up:
My mum constantly pushes me to get a job out of fear that my partner could leave or get sick. She’s hyper focused on financial independence and "not relying on a man” and she brings it up during every phone call like a broken record.
My dad scoffs at the idea of being a housewife, claiming my partner won't respect me if I don't bring in an income. He tells me to find work and not to waste my youth.
I live 5,000 miles away in a different country now, so it’s easy enough to tell them what they want to hear on the phone just to protect my peace…but the distance hasn't stopped their voices from living rent free in my head.
I understand where some of their fears come from, but I still do not want to return to work.
I haven't been able to fully lean in and enjoy this new era of my life because deep down, a part of me keeps thinking that I’m doing something "wrong" by not making my own money.
Has anyone else stepped away from a high pressure lifestyle to live a quieter, domestic life? How did you tune out your family or societies projections? Has anyone decided to keep that aspect of your life private to protect your peace?