Affording to Stay at Home

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-01-2007
Affording to Stay at Home
1968
Wed, 12-12-2007 - 12:20am

Ever notice that those moms that SAH are usually (although not always) more well off than mothers who WOH? It seems to me, based on what I have seen, that while most women enjoy working their jobs and having a professional life outside of the home, some women prefer to stay home with their kids for a certain amount of time - whether it be 1 year or 10 years - and those women have the option to do so, while other women wouldn't even consider the option because they feel they can't afford it.

Well, it has been my experience that most women who do stay at home have

1) husbands who support the idea

2) Husbands who probably earn enough (or almost enough) to support the family.

3) Enough money to support themselves without working.

**Now I am not talking about people who get help from government agencies, I am speaking about women who do it with no outside help - just seems like most women can't because of financial reasons. So, is being a SAH mom now an "upper class" phenomenon - in general? Of course there are many SAH moms that are middle class, but if they chose to have paying jobs, they'd probably move right back up into that higher income bracket.

Blythe

http://beaworkathomemom.blogspot.com/

Working on being...Supermom!

Blythe http://beaworkathomemom.blogspot.com/ Working on being...Supermom!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:33pm
If you continue to read her posts, she was concerned with what I was speaking about.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:34pm

Many people do though.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:34pm
Because she was concerned on having a mortgage and rent. She might be concerned that the rent would be more than her mortgage.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:36pm

Why keep getting them then? If they are that disposable to you, dont own one.

Dj

"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:39pm

I have to agree with you. There are many different types of "apts". There are ones in people's homes, lower priced complexs, section 8's, middle of the road complexs and higher priced ones.


I am sorry if I sound snobbish too but you are not getting the quality of

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2005
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:40pm

I posted - I taught them how to read. Someone else posted their child taught themselves how to read.


I misunderstood her question. You failed to read that I totally agreed that SES and education level of the mother is a predictor of a childs sucess in life. There are too many variables in re: to SAH and WOH. Some moms work 60-80 hours a week and some work 30-40 with very supportive employers. Some moms are able to work at home. Some households of SAHM are so financially strapped their child's main activity is watching TV. Some SAHMs spend a ton of time with their kids and don't care if their house is messy and some clean all day with their kids parked in front of the tube. In my case my kids benefitted more from me and dh sharing child care duties.


This is a very tough debate because every situation is different. I am usually not here but I really hate to see one side being inflamatory about the other. As a PT working mom I am sort of sandwiched between both worlds. I have lots of contact with other WMs and totally understand their issues and where they are coming from and I have great SAHM friends that are really work hard taking care of their kids and homes. They are not necessarily working harder. I find WMs to have the harder life and make tons of sacrifices. WMs have to give up their free time to spend it all with their kids. My SAHM friends love to plan mother nights out and weekend getaways with eachother. Their dhs support that so their wives can have a break from the kids. My friends took a trip to South Beach last year - I could not go because I did not want to use my vacation time and take the weekend off(plus I am not as rich as my SAHM friends hence is why I work). If I take a weekend off I like to spend it with the family.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:42pm

So you say.

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:43pm

She is not the only one, I have known many different types of people and different types of apts. and the lower ones were never a desirable place to raise your children.


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:44pm


Who is *all of us*? No complicated feelings here. My feelings are simple. If I get a pet, I go into it knowing that I not only have that pet for the duration of its life, I am willing to take proper care of it-which may sometimes mean outrageous vet bills. That is part of pet ownership and while I think it is very important to weigh quality of life when treatments are needed, I also think its outrageous to consider euthanizing a 2yo cat for no other reason than being too cheap to spend the money and not particularly liking the cat. There are times when euthanasia is the best option, but your reasoning seems pretty weak.


I'm not much of a cat person and while the cat we have now is a perfectly nice (albeit annoying) cat, I won't be too heartbroken when he is gone. That does not mean, however, that it would be okay for me to have him put down for no other reason than he needs some expensive vet care.

Dj


"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~


Dj

"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Mon, 12-31-2007 - 12:45pm

Didn't your dh buy your house over 20 years ago? I am sure your mortgage is not high either. Why do you think my assumptions would be wrong? Many people have bought their homes over 10 years ago when the prices were much lower.

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