When did you stay home?

[hac1224]

I started staying home right before my second was born. We had already decided that I was going to right after he was born because with my income, my distance to work, daycare expenses, dr expenses because my oldest was always sick, and just other work-related expenses, I basically was going to be in the hole with 2 kids. I left a little earlier than planned, however, because my oldest (then almost 2) developed severe bronchitis and was put on a nebulizer all from the germs at daycare.

[lisathib123]

I've never had a job

[raisingcropsandbabies]

Originally Posted by lisathib123 I've never had a job

Oh man! Motherhood doesn't count as one? I worked a couple months when I got married and quit when I got pregnant with #1.

[lisathib123]

Originally Posted by raisingcropsandbabies Oh man! Motherhood doesn't count as one? I worked a couple months when I got married and quit when I got pregnant with #1.

LOL!! "job" in the "world". Jobs in my world are:
Mother
Teacher
Maid
Chef
Chauffeur
Nurse
Councillor
Handyman
ETC!!!!!!!!!!

[Jedimomma]

I stayed home when our second was born. I went to work when my oldest was a year old because we moved to a place that cost more (figured out after moving that we could have afforded me continuing to stay home, but I was already in the rat race at that point. I regret that a lot, looking back). So anyway, my second child was born when my oldest was 5 and during that pregnancy we decided I wouldn't be going back to work and we would be starting homeschool for our oldest. So thats what happened. My dh went on the hunt for a higher paying job and found one fairly quickly (by the grace of God!) And o started learning how to scrimp and pinch the budget. I now garden and freeze/can to save money, I started cd to save money, I know how to make an entire healthy meal for a family of 5 for under $5 total. There are learned skills that make it all doable, and its definitely not the easiest way, but its totally worth it!

Plus, after doing some research, I've found that if I was working my old job now, we'd be worse off than we are with me not working because the cost of child care for all the kids would be more than my income. I know you said you and your husband were able to avoid that in your old situation, but that is something many families have to figure out, so I thought I'd mention it.

[AmandaR]

I've stayed home since our first (we have four) was born 4 years ago. My husband joined the Air Force to make it work and unfortunately (or fortunately really, I love being at home) my education has been put on hold.

[AcrossTheUniverse]

I stopped working after #3 was born. Prior to getting pregnant with him I worked full-time and my ex-MIL watched my oldest 2. When I got pregnant with #3 I went down to part-time (nights/weekends) and ex-h watched them. About a month before #3 was born I quit and have been SAH ever since.

[court3189]

FWIW-our nanny I don't think charges more for three than she would for one..I should be quiet now! Any thoughts of teaching online? I teach for 2 or the larger for profit online schools and absolutely love it!

[bluecandi]

Ive been having this very discussion with DH. Our #3 is due in June. I work part time right now, dont have set hours....its just whenever they need me. DH is just not getting it that Every now and then care is kind of expensive for 3 kids. Plus, my odd is starting kindy this fall and will have to either go to an afterschool program (which forces me to work in order to pay for it) or I will have to pick her up (which I cant do with my current schedule).

DH doesnt want me to leave work because he doesnt like "not having any options"
He doesnt seem to get that such a haphazard and irregular childcare arrangement would be confusing for the girls, not to mention unaffordable. He thinks switching things up every now and then is good for them. His solution was for me to work weekend nights at the hospital. (So I would miss family time and probably also miss sleeping because he would constantly be waking me up for stupid stuff like Hey babe where is the ketchup?).

Could yall please pray that he sees the light about what a bad idea it is for me to be a wohm at this time? I am just not getting through to him.

[Melinda29]

We lived on DH's income and saved mine, from the day we got married at 21. Even when we both graduated a year later and got higher paying jobs, we lived off just his and put mine toward our house. After five years, our house was totally paid for and we had a fully funded emergency fund, and at that time we started a family.

I quit working 3 week before our oldest was born. It was the same income as always, minus a mortgage . Baby was CD and EBF, so no real expenses other than the birth (meeting the deductible). Now by the time #2 came along two years later, we had the food expenses and such of our older child but DH had also gotten raises every year.

Now we have four kids and the same has continued to happen--our expenses go up but so does his paycheck (some years less than othrs). We try to be very thrifty even though his income is now much much higher.

We also both had the world's greatest parents who funded our bachelor's degrees (with provisions) and cars (cheap, but they ran!) and pastor who would not marry us without attending Dave Ramsey FPU. Best class ever! I got to live my SAHM dream because of it