Switching Gears While Parenting To Be A Stay-At-Home Mom, Author, & Adoption - Kim Patten - S7 E77

Becoming Parents Podcast · Dec 10, 2025 · 25m

I was raised in a traditional Chinese family, where my mother was a stay-at-home parent. Witnessing her profound unhappiness, I made a vow to myself: I would never follow that path. This fueled my intense drive to pursue a higher education and build a demanding career.

The shock came after we adopted our daughter and welcomed our son shortly thereafter. To my absolute surprise, I loved being with my children and yearned for more time with them. This realization triggered a massive identity crisis. Everything I had worked for—who I was, and who I was becoming—was suddenly in question.

The…