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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Avatar for mkatherine
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 12-23-2007 - 7:03pm
Please. you don't see life as anything but a battle or a contest or some kind of grim long haul.... I've never once seen you post anything happy , joyful, funny, tender, loving, etc...
"If gay Americans are not allowed to get married and have all the benefits that American citizens are entitled to by the Bill of Rights, they should get one hell of a tax break. That is my opinion,"

- Jeane "Dear Abby" Phillips, in an interview with Lisa Leff.

 

Yes. We. Did.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-23-2007
Sun, 12-23-2007 - 7:19pm

<<but I just don't see how my working status plays into how they turn out.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-30-2007
Mon, 12-24-2007 - 8:39am

You just nailed my point.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Mon, 12-24-2007 - 10:11am
ITA with you!!!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 12-24-2007 - 11:36am
Our teachers have to teach summer school as well. And they are required to be in school more than the 180 days that kids are in school for various other tasks. Just as doctors continue to work after the patient has left the office, teachers continue to work after the kids have left the classroom.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 12-24-2007 - 11:37am
The 180 days are days that kids are required to be in school. Teachers are working even when kids are not in the classroom. And our teachers teach summer school too.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-29-2004
Mon, 12-24-2007 - 3:00pm
You've completely understood at least my point, which claimed nothing at all about the sizes of houses.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-29-2004
Mon, 12-24-2007 - 3:01pm
And you're so good at it, too :-)
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2005
Mon, 12-24-2007 - 3:44pm

Even though I woh, money is NOT my top priority either. WHY would you think it was?

I didn't know I thought that...did I actually type that I had any knowledge of YOUR priorities what-so-ever? (Didn't think so.)

I give up material things yes, I never said I don't spend every dime of my income on my kids activities. We do Scouts, Karate, Choir, Basketball, Gymnastics, Awana's, Chess Club, Robotics Club as well as homeschool co-op's, competitions, science demonstrations and two or three field trips a month. That's my salary, that and chemicals for our pool, those are the only reasons I work. There was a time when I enjoyed the work and I enjoyed the challenge, not to mention the adult conversation but now I could still have the adult conversation and be more than willing to give up ALL work. Balancing it all is hard and since people just assume you *have it made* then there's no one who understands. The point is that we had a plan, it got tough at different times and we had to adjust. At least we (and others like yourself) planned. The standard of not planning is just immaturity.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2005
Mon, 12-24-2007 - 4:17pm

I have to agree with you on the part that people think if there are 2 salaries you "have it made". My dh and I make less combined than some one income families.


I would also give up work in a second if I could. I could find things to do or nothing to do if I wanted to.

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