What would you give up to stay home?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-08-2004
What would you give up to stay home?
1422
Sat, 08-05-2006 - 8:36am

Hi everyone.

I have always said that staying home is so important to me that I would give up many things to be able to do that. We live in a very small home, I have no jewelry and we buy all our clothes at Walmart. I know that if I went back to work, we could afford more. But I would never trade being at home for a larger house or more luxuries.

However, after reading this board I have started to suspect that there are things I would not want to give up. If I couldn't send my kids to preschool a couple of hours a day, if I couldn't afford any after school activities like ballet lessons or if I could'nt afford any kind of summer program for them, I think I would have to find a way to go back to work. So basically, I'm perfectly happy to deny myself "things." But I would not want to take much away from the kids.

Of course I would probably have to find a new career becuase I could never work the 80 hours a week my old career entailed.

Lilypie Baby Ticker

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2004
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 9:13am
How wonderful for you to post that. It makes a world of a difference when the details are included instead of just the "findings". Thank you so very much :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 9:19am

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I don't know, why did you bring it up if you didn't think it was relevant?

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 9:20am
Someone said she stayed home with her step-children.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 9:42am

How often does that happen in today's world, regardless of working status of the parents?

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 10:33am
I know people all along the spectrum.

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Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 10:34am
Well, I understand what you are saying, and I felt much the same way.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 10:37am

"Personally, if I thought our retirement was so precarious that neither of us could ever take a few years off without jeopardizing it, I'd be aking some serious lifestyle changes."


I know you're talking to Kbmamm, but that's an oversimplification of what SAH "for a few years" may do to a person and to a family.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 10:41am
My kids don't need a SAHP either.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 10:47am

Good points however -


"After all, a career can always be resumed, ..."


Not mine.

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Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 08-14-2006 - 10:49am
That is a lot. Last year, I volunteered one afternoon a week in dd2's K class and coached an afterschool activity for dd1 once a week. Although I did other volunteer work outside of school hours, I don't think I would want to volunteer during the day at school much more than that. So if I were still a sahm, I would have quite a bit of time on my hands.

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