WOH/Kids/Feminism: WDYT?
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| Tue, 02-08-2005 - 9:06am |
Okay, let's debate something else. One morning a few months ago, I was crabby to DH about having to get ready for work. DH said, "Well, if you don't want to go to work, quit!"
Later that day, I told him I was just venting, and then I told him some of the reasons I really do like WOH. One reason was something to the effect that I wanted to WOH as part of at-home feminism for our DD's. He said he had no idea what I was talking about.
I thought about it some and decided that although this is a heartfelt idea for me, it's still fuzzy. I suppose I meant that I want to show my DDs how to live independently of a man, in the sense of income, ability to make one's way in the world, and so on, even if they choose marriage & kids. My feelings of pride in my own mom, who was a WOH mom, come into it, too.
Caution: I don't mean in any way to suggest anything the least bit negative about SAH moms. That's not what this is about. Nor do I mean to suggest that anyone has to WOH to teach their kids feminist or gender neutral values. That's not what this is about, either.
Do you think there's any value in WOH as part of raising kids? Please help me clarify my thinking.
Sabina

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The original discussion was regarding a widow who went from 110,000 to 37,000 with a 350,000 insurance payout. I responded that wasn't a stretch and that one *could* comfortably live on that and maintain the house if one had managed their finances responsibly. Somehow that got us here, 1000+ posts and a huge tangent later.
Wytchy
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It is your *opinion* that at those incomes one is one emergency away from financial ruin. You seem to be assuming that one has no savings to cushion them and is living on an impossibly tight budget.
Wytchy
Vision and dental aren't 100% coverage, to be clear. The provider is Qual Choice (HMO) and is offered through DH's government benefits. Not sure which dental/vision plan we have though. (They're seperate) We also have prescription coverage through some mail order company, express-scripts I think it's called. $20 copay for 3 month supply of ongoing meds. $5-10 for one month or one script @ the pharmacy.
Wytchy
Yes, everyone keeps complimenting my hair (it's a little short for me, but it will be awhile b/f I get back to get it cut again).
Nice try, but unless you're living on one of the coasts, or a big city (an actual big city, not just the biggest city in your county), an hour's commute is NOT considered "reasonable commuting distance" in the majority of middle America."
No, you are right. Here's some interesting info on commute time. The average American commutes about 25 mintues.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/001695.html
"The whole commuting thing? That's what "big city" people do and it's the quality of life issues that folks in smaller towns and the far out burbs count as happy to give up."
Not always. I now live in a small town about 1 1/4 hours from San Francisco (non rush hour). There are loads of people who, like me, commute from small towns around cities, to higher paying positions in cities. While its not the norm, its certainly very common. I meet people on a regular basis in my line of work who commute not only a few hours a day, but sometimes commute via plane...I've got one CEO who works in Austin, and lives in Utah. Another who works in Chicago, lives in Dallas....
An hour's commute in the midwest and other middle America areas is NOT considered "fairly reasonable"...heck 30 minutes is considered outrageous. You may have actually moved to the small burb like you say, but you're still thinking like you live on one of the big coasts."
Again, I know plenty of folks who arent on the "big coasts" who have very long commutes. Not the norm, but it happens. Usually there are great quality of life and financial reasons combined to make it the best choice for them...
In MD, liquor stores are privately owned, not state-run like in NH.
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