Rock and a Hard Place

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Rock and a Hard Place
1524
Thu, 11-20-2003 - 10:45am

There's something on this board that has been bothering me, and I hope I can articulate it.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 1:53pm
Okey-dokey! (And here I thought you were so fiscally conservative.) In most peoples' circumstances their housing decision isn't irrevocable - it's just very painful for most people to have to tear up their roots and downsize to avoid losing their house to the mortgage company completely at the same time they're suffering from some other calamity that caused the financial crisis in the first place - death, disability, divorce, job loss, etc. etc.

I understand you have savings and could cut back on things (church, etc.) you voluntarily put money toward such that it wouldn't be an immediate calamity if one or the other of you were to lose your jobs, er, careers, but many people don't, and that is the kind of situation she addresses. She doesn't advocate living on one income.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 2:05pm
That's exactly why we moved away from the bay area... the day it took me 2 hours to get 15 miles is the day I packed my bags.. LOL
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-17-2003
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 2:10pm
Sure, there's tons of educational software, but whatever the software is teaching them can be more effectively learned elsewhere and in another manner. Computers/television actually hardwire kids' brains differently.

And no, a child who learns later won't be behind. What computer skills do those games require? Probably a lot of point and click. You give any 12 yo who has spent her life reading, writing, exploring, conversing, learning math but never using a computer and introduce her to it and within 3 months, she'll be as competent on it as one who started at 2.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-19-2003
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 2:13pm
>>In most peoples' circumstances their housing decision isn't irrevocable - it's just very painful for most people to have to tear up their roots and downsize to avoid losing their house to the mortgage company completely at the same time they're suffering from some other calamity that caused the financial crisis in the first place - death, disability, divorce, job loss, etc. etc.<<

I understand it's very painful for people to have to downsize, move, etc. but that doesn't make their housing decision "irrevocable." They can do it, it's just not easy.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 2:35pm
That's exactly what I just said. ???

Not only is it 'not easy' for some to do, if you are living close to the edge or your expenses are suddenly very large at the same time your income drops (say, job loss coupled with medical bills not covered by insurance - psychiatric condition, say), it may not be possible to sell the house fast enough to escape foreclosure.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 2:36pm

I personally think you can have a balance between computers and real life learning.

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-04-1997
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 2:37pm
My kids didn't have use of a computer during their preschool years. They learned all the "mouse skills" they will ever need within about 15 minutes, and they have no trouble in the world using computers today (at the ages of 11 and 7). I think the computer as a learning tool/toy is also highly over-rated for the preschool/early-elementary crowd; I think it's dangerously over-rated when computer time replaces hands-on, 3-D active learning for that age group.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2003
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 2:56pm


That's exactly the same for me. I thought that's why it is recommended that one have 3 months of "living expenses" available as "cash." (rather than living on one income "just in case.") Besides, with WOHP, even if one loses a job, s/he is likely to be able to be able to find a job fairly quickly .
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2003
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 3:03pm


Coming in late here....

Obviously I haven't read this book. What *does* she advocate then? I'm curious.

BTW, I heard the score was 37 to 19 ;-)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-24-2003 - 3:04pm
I guess you're another one who hasn't read the book. No one to my knowledge has recommended living on one income just in case - certainly neither me nor the author.

"Besides, with WOHP, even if one loses a job, s/he is likely to be able to be able to find a job fairly quickly." Better hope so if you only have 3 mos. living expenses in reserve. And you'd be totally out of luck jobwise and would burn through money at a much faster pace in the situation I mentioned of being out of work due to a non-covered disability. I know a LOT of people who wouldn't have a terribly difficult time finding a different job w/in 3 mos. time, but it would require a move to do so, which would mean BOTH partners would have to do so, or one would have to live apart from the family for a significant time - not very feasible for most people.

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