What would YOU have to do to SAH?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2005
What would YOU have to do to SAH?
2476
Fri, 02-13-2009 - 5:09pm

If you're a WOH/WAH mom, what sort of "downsizing" would you need to do in order to afford to be a SAHM? (SAHM defined here as not earning any money)

For me, I would have to put all our non-essential possessions in storage and move in with my parents.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2009
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:21pm

"OK, it sounds like you are interested in having them master the school curriculum rather than enrich their education through other means such as travel."


Ideally, we'd do both, but since I don't get 10 or 12 weeks off each summer and 5 or 6 weeks off for winter break, and neither does DH, we are much more restricted in our ability to travel for enrichment, versus traveling to see family or for pure recreational purposes.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:22pm

Exactly, both of my kids know how to take notes and review.

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2009
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:23pm

"Official" achievement is the foundation. Enrichment, aka living life pursuing your leisure activities of choice such as theater, is the cherry on top.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:24pm

So, he's not being taught properly so that he understands it,

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2009
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:24pm

I'm about 99% sure you get more time off than I do and have the means to travel way more than I do and yet thisis something that's a priority for me -- we don't go far and we don't go extravegently but the freedom trail in boston, author's ridge at the cemetary in Concord- the Alcott house, the mayflower, the free concerts in the park, the free theater, the street theater of boston- it's all within a 2 hour drive and there's so much to do with a kid that doesn't involved luggage and a plane ticket that accomplishes exactly what we're talking about.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2002
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:25pm

Yes, I agree with your assessment of what goes on in many U.S. schools. I think far too many children are falling through the cracks because of the burden placed on parents to monitor their children's progress.

Swedish schools are very different. School is compulsory up to grade 9 (although over 90% of all students attend 3 more years of gymnasium). No grades of any kind are handed out from K-7, as the entire point of the bi-annual assessments is to determine whether a child is meeting the grade-appropriate goals or not for each required subject. Whether or not a child accomplishes everything exactly on time is not so critical (hence grades are rather meaningless); the assessments are mainly designed to ensure that gaps in knowledge are clear so that they can be addressed at some point (generally sooner rather than later). It is the responsibility of the school to ensure that every child has a proper grasp of the required set of knowledge by the end of 9th grade.

Grades are given out in 8th and 9th grade. The main purpose of grades in those years is to prepare the kids for eventual tracking in Gymnasium (which starts when kids are 16). The grades, along with the 9th grade national exams, help determine which Gymnasium a child may attend (Gymnasia are required to cover a core set of subjects, but otherwise can vary tremendously in emphasis, ranging from a focus on athletics, to marine biology, sailing, flying, mathematics, sciences, languages, business etc.).

It took me a while to really comprehend the system, but all-in-all I think it works well for the majority.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2009
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:26pm

achievement has to be 'official' for it to count?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:26pm

We have done that and brought it to the teacher's attention, because he wasn't asking questions in class...one doesn't need to sit with a child on a daily basis, in order to know that.


PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2009
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:27pm

But then you can complain that the teacher isn't doing his or her job, and your kid doesn't cover the material, or you can step up and do it yourself.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Mon, 02-23-2009 - 4:28pm

Yes, time management and focus....my older does best in school when he doesn't have a lot of unstructured time, he does his homework everywhere, lol.

PumpkinAngel

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