Dream Job: Stay-At-Home Mom

Salary.com ^ | unknown | Regina O'Brien

[sageb1]

So why do thousands of career women nationwide opt to put their careers and salary-earning potential on the back burner to stay home to care for their children?

A Labor of Love

"I had zero experience taking care of children before I had my own," said Laura Mercer, mother of two boys and professional stay-at-home mom outside of Las Vegas, Nev. "Being a career woman most of my adult life, the thought of being a stay-at-home mom didn't even occur to me."

[sageb1]

"The state required drones and slaves. Besides Hher Hitlary knows how to raise your children better than you. In fact her village factory is made just for raising good citizens of zee vourld"

Yep.

[sageb1]

Look at what the government gets from middle-class working moms: Additional taxes Jobs in the service industries (prepared foods, cleaning services, laundry services, day-care) that employ people who might otherwise be on welfare"

And this is a good thing? If families become more stable, we will see a decrease in the number of single moms, and hence, a decrease in the number of women on welfare.

[sageb1]

"Well, it depends who you ask. On a good day, DH thinks it's a good idea. On a day when there are 2 grandchildren, 1 1/2 students and a couple of dogs running around while two phone lines are ringing....let's just say I've considered working outside the home just so I'd get a lunch hour!!"

lol! I'm with ya :) But I love it! And, more importantly, it's worth it!

[sageb1]

"I've noticed another shift in how we think of money. It seems as if now, your standard of living is based upon how much credit you can get, rather than the salary you earn. I am struck now by how cars and houses are advertised with prices of x dollars per month. I don't recall seeing that when I was growing up. People get roped into monthly payments and then they are trapped financially, with real danger if someone ends up out of work involuntarily. No one seems to think about total cost, it's always "how much can I finance?" They end up upside down on expensive cars that are financed over 84 months and carrying huge mortgages at artificially low introductory rates or interest only payments..."

We now have two generations of children who have learned from society that they don't have to be accountable for much. This includes the things they buy on credit. It comes back to haunt them.

[sageb1]

"We afforded it and we were as poor as church-mice. Home-canned fruits and vegetables go a long way. Also, a take-out burger back then was a real TREAT."

I know. We didn't have things like soda and chips in the house. I made very large dinners with lots of starch :) That was ok back then because kids didn't sit around on their behinds. They were active and worked it off.

We never went out to eat - not even fast food. But I did believe that as long as you had a box of cookies (homemade was better) hding around someplace, everyone would be happy:)

[longtermmemmory]

Teenagers need both. The tenderyears is based on the extreme narrow nature of the learning in those years.

it is not uncommon for children of divorce to switch residential status from mother to father in the teenage years. In those years it is about interacting outside the home and into the real world.

[sageb1]

"Let's say a woman chose to stay at home and raise her family. Suddenly, husband dies/becomes disabled. Catastrophic medical bills (what isn't covered by meager insurance) gobble up small savings, create huge debts. She has no marketable job skills, if she has a college degree it's 20 years out of date. She is completely screwed."

I agree with you and I addressed that here someplace. It is a real problem and I think if we could have some real public discussion about this, we'd be ahead of the game. I don't know what the answer is to this, but I'm working on it.

[OldBlondBabe]

I quit work when my kids were little, thinking I'd go back when they went to school. Now that they're teens, I'm still home and thankfully, I'm here when they're ready to talk....

[sageb1]

"I have enjoyed raising my kids. We have sacrificed a great deal in order to keep me at home, but I know it will be worth it in the long run."

With a tagline like yours, I'm sure you'll handle any obstacles that arise. Congratulations!

[sageb1]

"One of the things we found when my wife quit work (pregnant with our son) was that it had a surprisingly low impact on our quality of life, financially speaking. She didn't need to buy or care for work clothes. She didn't burn nearly as much gas. She loves to cook, and suddenly had the time, so we didn't eat/order out nearly as often. Don't get me started on marginal tax rates... Projecting ahead to daycare costs, we could see that we wouldn't be that far ahead if she did go back to work. Which she didn't want to do anyway. Still homeschooling our ten year old!"

Sounds like you have it made. Your efforts will benefit not only you and yours, but all of society. You have my gratitude.

[sageb1]

"I certainly hope not because I'm going to do exactly that. If it is concidered a bad thing, so what, I'm doing it anyway. God willing, I'm going to have grandchildren to spoil!!"

lol! I have 5. You'll love it!

[sageb1]

"Don't get me started on marginal tax rates..."

Oh believe me, I won't. I hate math. (and according to Larry Summers, it's ok:)

[TontoKowalski]

Sounds like you have it made.

Well, there's a roof over our head, food on the table, we love each other, and we're happy. Lots of families, including very wealthy ones, should envy us.

Thanks for your kind words.

[Xenalyte]

So far, my fiance has shown zero inclination to support my ambition to be a stay-at-home mom with no children.

He's such a pig.

[Age of Reason]

Gee, maybe it's very "21st Century" of me, but I don't have a problem with women working at any point

I remember my Dad saying to me years ago: "Age, you better go to college. You don't want to suffer the disgrace of your wife having to work, do you?"

I guess it's the nineteenth century in me.

[sageb1]

"Yep. Way more marriages like that than most people want to admit. I know women who are dying to stay home, but hubby doesn't want to give up the new cars, boats, ski trips, golf club memberships, etc., etc. It's the 2nd salary that pays for all of that, and those women are awfully resentful."

I'm seeing this in my twin daughters' families. I love my sons-in-law, but one of them has a tendency to beat his chest and roar "I pay the bills!" This attitude just makes it worse and is one of the reasons women listened (sadly) to Betty Friedan 40 years ago. My daughter continues to work, although she does as much as possible from home. (real estate). But if he wants to pound his chest, he could get a second job to pay for his new car. They have two kids and she is already burning herself out trying to do it all.

[Xenalyte]

I would LOVE to be a stay-at-home wife.

The main problem is that I don't much like to clean and my cooking (not to put too fine a point on it) blows.

[olivia3boys]

I work P/T. My husband alternately complains that he wishes I worked F/T, so I'd make more money, or wishes that I were at home F/T, so I could sign our boys up for more "activities."

I can't win! Generally I just tell him to worry about his own career and I'll worry about mine.

[Bacon Man]

I've been trying to get Hap to support my being a stay at home Dad with no kids but she won't go for it either.

[sageb1]

"Most liberals I know complain about the economy forcing women to enter the workforce. Most familys are a 2 income family nowadays."

What the libs forget is that women entering the workforce actually contributed to causing higher prices for everyone. It was a trap. Once they started working, they couldn't stop. One example: Women started working en masse and the cost of women's clothing sky-rocketed. This effected women who were not working, as well. Dry-cleaners, who had almost been out of business with the introduction of good old polyester and wash and wear were suddenly not only back in business big time, but they jacked their prices up. A toy for a child which might previously have cost $5, now cost $25. And why did the prices go up? Because women were now working and they could pay more. And they did - because guilt had them buying more "stuff" for their kids and being exhausted caused them to stop at fast food places, instead of cooking a meal.