Part-time
or full-time working parents
That
is the question. I would like to say that I have an answer for you but I
don't. With flexible schedules, and job sharing there are more options these days. But each family has their own financial circumstances, or personal or
religious reasons which may or may not allow both parents to work. In my case I
have to work, because I would go insane and there are several other factors
that play into this.
1.
If I don't work I can't spend money frugally or on a whim.
2.
I've noticed that if I have a day off from work, I tend to spend more money
than if I were there, so it actually costs me more money to stay home.
4.
I'm not much of a budgeter, my friend the accountant tried to show me her
spreadsheet of how she categorizes and manages her money to the penny...Eeek, I
can't do that and I don't want to. I haven't balanced our checkbook since we
had our first child 5 years into our marriage. It got to be too time consuming
and I figured out that if the moneys not there the bank will pull it from
savings. Lazy I know. I just don't have the time.
5.
When I am off , which means I have the kids, I want to do something with the
kids, yes we can go to the library, walk to the park, and play games inside,
but let's be honest it gets boring. I want to go to Sky
High and let the kids jump and get tuckered out while I check facebook
or blog for a bit. These things all cost money and for this reason,
even though many families live on a single income I could not, (unless my
husband was a millionaire :).
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
So
this question has been haunting me for years now. When our second child was
born, Carter I wanted to be home more with him then I was with our first child.
We were not financially able for me to stay home with our first son and I
really wanted to stay home more with our second and our first child. So we were
finically in a place in our lives that afforded me the availability to work 9-4
allowing the kids to be in childcare a short while. Prior to this we were working
9am-9pm with daycare and nanny's and that was not how I wanted to move forward
any longer. My thought is why have kids if you never get to spend quality time
with them. So this was great for a long time, then when we moved back to
Spokane and I got settled in with a new job I was working 8-5pm and kids were
happy and we were happy, but there was always something there telling me to
work less.
I'm sure it was my kiddos saying, "Mom, will you come to my
class party today, or will you come to school and have lunch with me." I
was able to make a few events but I always felt bad. So for about the past
year, I just kept praying to God asking - could you please help me find a
part-time job that paid more than $9/hr but allowed a flexible schedule around the
kids schooling? And every time I said this prayer it sounded more unrealistic.
But I always say God has a plan for us and his plan may not always happen or be
what we want but he knows what he's doing.
I
truly believe this from all of the other times in my life when I felt like life
was coming to an end. So finally after a year of praying my prayers came true.
I was offered a job doing exactly what I was doing, with the same pay and
benefits, and part time. I thought it was too good to be true, but it's true. I
started last week and it's amazing. I can't wait to jump in and grow my
territory. It's truly a godsend.
I
will be completely honest, it's not all giggles and smiles around my home where
the family sits around and eats dinner at the table and says our prayers. We
are usually eating on the go, or fixing two different meals, chicken nuggets
and hot dogs for the boys and an adult menu for us. I have 2 boys and they are
FULL of energy and they fight like crazy, so trying to keep my sanity is
sometimes tough. For example yesterday we went to Les
Schwab to get the car checked out and that took a few hours. I got a
nice compliment from an older woman who said, your boys were so gentle and
polite as they grabbed their popcorn. I said, I'm glad they were behaving,
because it's not always this way. She said they are always better around others
then at home, I agreed. The boys were driving me nuts as we went to Fred Meyers to burn time. They were having their sidewalk
sale, tons of stuff for 40% off. They wanted Under Amour clothes and toys and movies etc, etc,
then throwing little tantrums in the store. (A side note, I went to Nordstrom Rack earlier this week and got 4 under Armour kids shirts for $28, hence why I wasn't going to pay $22 for one at Fred Meyer.) I then questioned what I wished and
prayed for. I think our kids are a bit spoiled from us parents who don't want
to listen to them whine so we give into them. But I honestly think it will take
some time for the boys to get used to having a parent around more and I think I
can teach them or discipline them so they grow to be great young men.
So
$450, and 2 hour later a front break job and broken U Joints (whatever that is)
rotated tires, fixed slow tire leak which was a nail in tire, and we were home
free. (Well not quite "free", I spent a little at Fred Meyers too at their
sidewalk sale.) :-)
Thanks for reading my Blog. I hope you enjoyed and keep coming back for more....
Yours Truly,
Rachelle
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