Posted on 06/24/2004 11:36:21 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
Real estate sales is good, if you can sell, and hustle. It isupports a mediocre income for most agents, witha few stars actually getting ahead.
It requires a LOT of time, to be successful! (I am a land developer, I have some experience in the field).
There are a lot of housewives filling the void in hubbies income, and using their additional income for their own selfish habits, it seems, for the most part! It may not be true, but a lot of the gals were just trying to pay for their Big SUV, and a little down time at the local spa! Most of them use daycare!!!!
It's true that kids have to learn to be agressive or very assertive when in daycare.
I have family members whose children have had a hard time adjusting to daycare, because they just were not aggressive or mean. And why not, it's every animal in the pack for itself. No mommy, no daddy there to oversee things for them.
How could your relatives think that you are wrong for not wanting to give your child to a stranger? That's crazy thinking. But it's ingrained in our culture now.
I'm waiting to see what she will do with her son when he's old enough to rebel and take drugs etc. (not hoping that he does) I don't think she'll be taking her own advice if he does.
Good for Dr. Laura!
I married young, right out of HS, much to the dismay of my parents. I started college and after almost a year into my education I found out that I was pregnant. I quit schoool to give birth to and raise my son. Since then I have had 4 more kids. My kids have never known anyone other than me as their care giver.I feel that I have missed nothing by making the choice that I made to be at home with them. Through hard times financially I did what I could to help out. I took in others' kids, did housecleaning, got licensed as a mortgage broker and worked out of my home, etc. Now that my youngest is 8, I will be going back to school this year. Granted, it isn't the university that I attended before but instead is a community college. I am going to go to school during the kids' school hours and get my transferring credits then go back to the university and get my degree. I wouldn't trade raising my kids for all of the education or $$ in the world. I have a friend who did just that and there is a huge difference in our kids and the relationships that they have with their moms. I have been blessed to be a mother and I will bless my children with a mother who puts them before herself.
That is very nice. I'm glad it worked for you. I'm glad to I stayed home to raise the kids. I did not listen to people telling me day care was superior to their own mother. It is sad that so many people think a motherless childhood is best.
I do know that sometimes situations prohibit parents from staying at home, like divorce, and deaths, but if you don't have something like that happen in your life, you really should make your children your priority.
Actually, it isn't. My wife doesn't have to work. She chooses to stay home with our daughter.
Dr. Laura does recognize the difference between necessity (your situation) and choice (most situations).
Now I'm a stay-at-home Mom, thanks to his urging.
Hang on to that one!
You're right that in some places it might take more than $55K to live. Here in this region you could raise a large family quite nicely on that much money even with the median home price going over $100,000. Trying to raise a family of several kids on less than $30K without government assistance would be almost impossible --- and to me it's the government assistance that is completely wrong.
If two parents have to work to support the children they brought into the world then that's what they should do. I knew a stay-at-home welfare mother with 4 kids and the 14 year old daughter became pregnant and they had no idea who the father was. That family didn't use daycare but they didn't end up better off.
"Wants" have become "needs".
I'd say it's a bit of both. That and the high cost of living. Gasoline when I was born, 5 cents a gallon. Today, you know the score.
That was kind of my point --- you might actually find a $30k house around here but it's going to be a dump in a gang-infested area yet for so many people here the good jobs pay $10 an hour --- only one out of 3 people makes over $10 an hour --- and with a family of 5 or 6 kids it would be difficult to arrange that without government assistance. And you see an awful lot of that.
Too many parents figure if something happens to the father --- divorce or job loss they'll just turn to the government and let others provide for them. Yet welfare programs are what has destroyed the family the most. The average housing assistance from the government here is $400 a month --- which makes the cost of housing quite high for those trying to earn their own way. The government has promoted the closing of factories here also which leaves a lot of people trying to support families on minimum wage.
I see some men do that --- work two full time jobs so they can have the mom stay home but then where is any family time? Is that really good for the kids to never see dad? And when they do see him he's crashing from fatigue. It seems better when the couple alternates shifts and the kids get some time with mom and some time with dad.
"...but I am scared"
I worked and went to college when my children were small. I wanted to be fulfilled. Every day we rushed. "Get up" "Hurry" "Where are your shoes" "You're going to make me late for work/school" etc. etc. My children hated day care and didn't like it when I was studying instead of playing with them or helping them with their homework. They were never good students in school and didn't want to go to college. Is it any wonder? I regret that I was not there for them when they needed me. We were, and still are, a close, loving family, but I let them down. I can't turn back the clock. I can't go back and make the right choice.....but you can.
This is one instance where the kids are better off away from their mom.
I didn't say that it did. I try to say that there are no absolutes in human behavior.
Not all women are perfect mothers.
Yes you did, or you wouldn't have brought up the example. The whole point of the example was to invalidate the initial premise. Denying after the fact doesn't make it so.
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