The Case for Staying Home - More Women Are Sticking With the Kids

Time (via AOL news) ^ | 3/16/04 | Claudia Wallis

[rocky88]

I went back to work for only two months when my son was three months old, and it was the hardest thing I've ever done. After some nitpicky accounting, I'm happy to say that I'm a stay-at-home mom now and I've never been happier, thanks to my incredible husband.

We've reworked our finances, cut down the cellphone, cable and ISP bills to the bare minimum, turned down the thermostats and put on sweaters, only make long distance calls at night or on the weekends from the cell phone, enjoy dinners out only if we have a coupon, buy baby clothes at consignment shops, food shop in bulk, and there's much more. IT'S ALL WORTH IT to be able to rocky my son to sleep in my arms during the day if he's upset.

Funny how when we started making these changes, I realized most of them were all the things my mom and dad already did in the 70's so mom could be home with us :-)

[chance33_98]

Ping

[ladtx]

Three men were sitting together bragging about how they had set their new wives straight on their duties.

The first man had married a woman from Pennsylvania. And bragged that he had told his wife she was going to do all the dishes and house cleaning that needed done at their house. He said that it took a couple days but on the third day he came home to a clean house and the dishes were all washed and put away.

The second man had married a woman from west Virginia. He bragged that he had given his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes, and cooking. He told them that the first day he didn't see any results, but the next day it was better. By the third day, his house was clean, the dishes was done, and he had a huge dinner on the table.

The third man had married a Texas girl. He boasted that he told her his house was to be cleaned, dishes washed, the cooking done and laundry washed. And this was all her responsibility. He said the first day he didn't see anything and the second day he didn't see anything but by the third day some of the swelling had gone down so he could see a little out of his left eye!

Gotta love those Texas Women!

[tbird5]

Now if more women who are married would have children, all of this would be great. I'm shocked at the late age women are choosing to become moms.

[tiamat]

Staying at Home Bump!

[Bigg Red]

Good for you. Your child is lucky.

There are just too many spoiled parents out there who think about what makes them feel "important" instead of realizing that the most important job they will ever do is that of raising their children, a task you can't do over once it's done.

[French-American Republican]

Too bad so many married women can't afford to take care of their children. MTV is what ends up raising them sadly.

Liberals like to talk about feminism like it's something great, but the truth is that feminism was and is an excuse for employers to drive wages down because now it's "normal" for a child to be left at home watching the perverted filth of television after coming home from school with no parental supervision.

[French-American Republican]

In this day and age those who can afford to have children often kill them in the womb while those who can't crank one out every year to collect more checks from the government.

[buffyt]

I quit work in 1978 and we had our first child in 1981. We were in our thirties. Then we had a daughter in 1983 and another son in 1984. I am still at home. This week, our daughter is home from UT on Sprink BROKE as she calls it. Our sons had theirs last week. I wouldn't have missed any of this time with my kids for all the riches in the world! It has been a sweet time of life! And THANK GOODNESS I was home during those teenage years!

[TXBubba]

Now when she joins her husband Raymond, who works at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, at work- related dinners, she feels sidelined. "Everyone will be talking about what they're doing," says Towle, "and you say, 'I'm a stay-at-home mom.' It's conference-buzz kill."

I got over this a long time ago. You can only feel sidelined if you don't value what you do. You have to say with confidence that you are a stay at home mom. Or tell them you are a life investor or something. Say it with pride and not like it's some dirty little secret.

[buffyt]

I quit work in 1978 and we had our first child in 1981. We were in our thirties. Then we had a daughter in 1983 and another son in 1984. I am still at home. This week, our daughter is home from UT on SPRING BROKE as she calls it. Our sons had theirs last week. I wouldn't have missed any of this time with my kids for all the riches in the world! It has been a sweet time of life! And THANK GOODNESS I was home during those teenage years!

[RandallFlagg]

Happy Husband to a stay-at-home Mom here!

It's worth it!

[TXBubba]

Ping

[olivia3boys]

Great article! I should have been interviewed for it. I'm a Gen X mom with three small children (ages 7, 5, and 17 months) and I've worked P/T since I started having children.

I *love* working P/T. I work two 10-hour days and the children go to their grandmas' house after school (in the baby's case, he's w/ grandma all day). I really like the balance and I like working so I can afford to put my children into Christian school (no government schools for my children!) and afford vacations.

I nevertheless primarily see myself as a stay-at-home mom as I'm with them for 5 of the 7 days each week. I never think of my job when I'm not actually at work.

When all my children are in school I'm going to switch to four 5-hour days instead, or five 4-hour days. . .

I think more employers should offer P/T arrangements. I know LOTS of really skilled and educated F/T stay-at-home moms who'd like P/T work. And I'm VERY productive when I'm at work, as I'm happy to be there (not burned out or bored).

[buffyt]

That sounds like a GREAT set-up for you! Good luck in the future and God Bless you and your family!

[thackney]

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was,
the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...
but the world may be different because
I was important in the life of a child."

[Choose Ye This Day]

Same here. We don't make much, but we make do, and my wife is ALWAYS there to help the kids.

Everybody we meet reacts the same when they find out my wife stays home: "You are SO lucky!"

We don't think it's luck. We just think it's necessary. The kids are more important than the income.

[WV Mountain Mama]

I was so happy to quit my job when I had kids, and I have never regretted it. I learned how to cook, too!

[French-American Republican]

Yeah, that's also a problem. Women who don't need a job who just neglect their children because it makes them feel important and by doing so steal those jobs from people who need them. Absolutely disgusting.