Article for Women Issues

Can we really have it all… a career
the good life and parenthood? Can parents afford to raise a child on one income? How can new parents decide whether to work or stay home with the kids.

Kristie Tamsevicius
author of I Love My Life: A Mom’s Guide to Working from Home says that the answer has never been clearer. Since September 11
2001
people are going back to basics. Fueled by frustration with their current work environments
people long to spend more time at home with their families. This desire has led millions of parents to say “goodbye” to corporate America and “hello” to a work at home career.

One of the toughest decisions you face is whether you will stay at home with the children or go back to work. Financially
it can be difficult to make the switch to living on one income. Additionally
women often wonder if they are sacrificing their career by choosing to stay at home.

New parents are overwhelmed with the onslaught of child relating expenses including baby gear
clothing
diapers
and medical bills. In fact
according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
raising a child from birth to age 2 costs $13
400
a year. So how can families cut back and survive on less income and endure these added costs?

The common myth is that if both parents work
there will be more income.

But this is not always the case. If you add up the numbers
oftentimes you are not getting ahead financially by working and paying daycare.

When you subtract childcare costs
auto expenses
dry cleaning and other work related expenses many find they are not making that much by working outside the home.

The truth is that we trap ourselves into thinking that we need two incomes to survive. Whether it’s keeping up with the Jones’ or buying high tech toys
it seems when you make more
you spend more. When our income increases
instead of banking the difference
we raise our standard of living.

The pressures of dual working parents can weigh on a family. Sometimes working mothers feel guilty for wanting to work away from home. Then there is the issue of balance. Juggling the pressures of work and home can be tough. Trying to make sure meals are made
the house is clean
and the bills get paid between running kids to soccer practice is trying.

We have to ask what we are teaching our kids with our busy lifestyles.

Are we teaching our kids that this pace of life is normal and desirable?

Will daycare teach your kids the values you would?

No one will love and teach your kids the way you do. Daycare will attend to the physical needs of your child
but are they teaching your kids the values and lessons you would? In situations such as the bullying kid at daycare
or the fight over toys is the daycare provider shaping your child’s character in the same way you would?

Children reap vast benefits when moms stay at home. Mothers can provide care with love. They are there to discipline and teach proper behaviors. While spending quality time
mothers can develop a lasting bond with their children. This bond creates a stronger sense of security and well being within the child.

Kids enjoy other benefits too. Moms can provide a more varied diet and better nutrition. And children receive more mental stimulation when one on one sharing time with mom.

How can moms learn to live on less and stay at home with the kids?

Shopping smart saves money. Thrifty minded moms cut coupons
look for sales
and buy in bulk to cut costs. Many families are learning that a simple life beats the pressures of trying to keep up. By setting a lower standard of living
you can learn to enjoy the simple things. You teach your children that wealth lies not in material possessions
but in the joy of living.

Working from home can help parents to have the best of both worlds:
precious family time and extra income.

Statistics show that today’s working people are eager to say “goodbye” to corporate life and say “hello” to the joys of working from home.

Working from home offers a variety of benefits including being your own boss
flexibility
the ultimate office space
no commute
increased control
time with family
and the sheer joy of designing your own business and life.

Entrepreneurship offers thrills
stimulation
challenge
and a new powerful choice-driven reality. It provides an option for single parents and families struggling with family and career concerns. It’s allowing dads to quit the 9-to-5 grind and stay at home with the kids.

It’s providing a new chance for people who have been laid off or kicked out of the corporate system. It’s providing a new income-earning opportunity for people who can’t live on their retirement funds alone.

At-home careers offer an income for people with disabilities who have trouble finding jobs in the traditional workplace.

So realize that as a parent
now you don’t have to decide to work or stay at home
you can have both: a career and time with your kids.