What would you give up to stay home?
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| 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.

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Jennie
Jennie
**That's right but what does this debate have to do about chidlren being well cared for? They can and do get well cared for either way.**
Not necessarily. Depends on the caregiver. I was responding to your statement "As long as my children are well cared for, I'll make decisions based on what is best for our family. About the only way I would SAH would be if good care was unavailable."
**Besides, SAH is not a guarantee that children will be well cared for.**
Neither is WOH. It is my opinion that it is more likely a child will be better cared for by their own parent. But, if you feel comfortable letting someone else care for your child the majority of the day, that's certainly your decision.
**Some SAHM's shouldn't be allowed to own a gold fish.**
Neither should some WOHs. Unless of course, they let someone else take care of it.
Sabina
Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
Sabina
Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
If you never had to put your children with strangers, who cared for them when they were little? My school age kids are, of course, cared for by strangers often at school and camp. I'm really only talking about the youngest infants and toddlers here. I also said in my post that I would have felt completely comfortable having them cared for by any one of their four grandparents. That was not a possibility in my family. One of my best friends was practically raised by his life in nanny/housekeeper and they stayed close through the years. I know its possible. But I also know that I would worry that with someone outside the family, caring for an infant, I could never be sure.
Of course, I have always said that the main reason I stayed home is because I wanted to. Taking care of my young children was not a job I wanted to delegate even if I could have had my own mother do it. And with all her experience, she may very well have done a better job.
Perhaps, I'm shaped by my own childhood. My mom SAH and I loved having her there. I loved having her greet me every day as I got home from school. I appreciated it then, and I appreciate it now. Perhaps if I had had a WOHM I might feel differently.
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