Do you work to bring in extra income for the household? What do you do? Does it require any special training or certification? Are you hoping to go back to work when the kids reach a certain age? What age? What do you want to do?
I do not currently work to bring in extra income. In the past, I taught piano lessons throughout the week. But after #3 was born, nap time was too precious to be interrupted. Maybe I’ll pick that up again in the future, but things are a bit too busy now for that. (Plus, that’s at least 30 minutes of unsupervised time for the kids, which can be dangerous!)
This fall, I may be caring for a day care baby. I’m already on a young child schedule, and I love having babies around. If I just take in 1 baby, then I will not need any additional licensing or certification.
I’d really rather not go back to work when the kids are older. I specifically remember coming home from school (when I was in middle school and high school) and feeling a difference in the house between when Mom had been home at least for the afternoon and when Mom had to work full time. When Mom had been home at least part of the day, there was a peace. Don’t know how else to describe it. And she was eager and able to really pay attention to us when we talked about our day. When Mom had to work full time, she was stressed when she got home because she had to cook dinner and tackle all the housekeeping tasks as well. The house didn't have as welcoming a feeling.
If I have to work, I’d hope to only have to do it part time. Ideally, I’d find something I could do from home – day care-ish or dictation or SOMETHING. Or maybe work part-time to accompany the school choirs. While I have a degree in education, at this time I’m not interested in getting into the classroom to teach.
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10 comments:
i've wanted to be an active artist since I was 5 years old. i'd still like to create from my home studio, but right now, that is the last priority, which is sometimes frustrating, and other times, I don't miss it really. we'll see, i guess, but i definitely would prefer to not work out of the home.
I do work part-time here and there using my degree; heck, I have a master's & bachelor's in athletic training, so I have to do something, right? ;) I do VERY LITTLE...just events here and there when I am able, and if life is too crazy when I get a phone call, I decline. That's what I like about working PRN.
I watch a friend's daughter when needed; sometimes is two days a week for weeks in a row, and sometimes I have a break...it's nice, because she and Jacob are two weeks apart in age, and they were both born seven weeks early. They get along wonderfully!
I also sell Pampered Chef. Yup...all that education, and the biggest income I have personally is from selling kitchen stuff! I love it, and I can work when I want, and if I don't want to work, I don't have to. It's a nice fit...and, when I have a party, the boys have their own time.
I do not plan on going back to work full time - I think that a home needs a parent there when they are home & when they come home. I never had a time when my mother did work. She went to work after the youngest was in school, like 3rd or 4th grade...I know it was different for him than it was for me!
I love not working right now! It gives me so much time to spend with my little one and I'm glad to say that no one knows him like I do! I've thought about going back to work when the kids are in school but being home when they get home. I don't know though, we'll see, it's a long time from now. Hey meghan I've wanted to be a photographer too! Maybe you and I could open a home sudio together =0) It's a relativly new love for me but I'm not too bad at it. I've thought about trying to sell some framed photos in local places before, but haven't gotten around to it yet. It's not really a priority and since we don't really need the extra income it would just be more of a hobby. But my husband is very supportive of the idea. I don't want to do anything that would take a lot of my time or take me away from home.
Meghan and Tanja -- How fun if you two could combine your passions to work together and bring a really cool studio to town!
Melissa -- Wow, you are a busy, busy woman! You must be very good at multi-tasking and organization. Just reading through these things you do overwhelms me! For Pampered Chef, do you have to sign a contract for a certain amount you'll sell or purchase all the supplies ahead of time or anything like that? How does it work exactly?
My husband told me tonight about an aunt of his who stayed at home full-time until her youngest (of 5) was a sophomore or junior in high school. Even then, she only worked part time at a quilt/sewing shop; apparently, she was/is a master seamstress. Just thought it was cool to hear about others that have gone before as stay-at-home moms.
Karen,
And, I feel so very free, because my husband's grandmother was in my care for two and half months & she just went home (I think I mentioned this in another comment)...I really feel like I don't know how I got anything done the last two and a half months, because right now, I can do anything! :)
As for Pampered Chef - you sign up to be a consultant (which costs between 115-155 for the kit & comes with everything you need to "try out the business")...you do not have to keep an inventory (all orders are shipped directly to my host to disperse to her guests)...and, to stay active, you have to submit $200 in sales every two months. NOT a big deal! I can honestly say, I probably spend 3-5 hours for a show & make 100-150 on average for that time. Worth my time! And, I get a bunch of stuff FREE! Hopefully, that gives you a better picture of the business...it's definitely a blessing God has given us, because I need to make some money so we can live like we have been used to living with two incomes (although, my income is less with this), but it's easy & flexible! And...I get to write off so many things because I'm an "independent contractor" - I own my business...that's a huge benefit!
I am always getting ideas in my head to get some extra money but nothing really that I would do as a major income- like selling stuff on ebay. I would love to be able to cook meals for people and get paid for it, but I don't know how to make that work. I am going to homeschool so I will be at home every day with the kids for the next 18 years! After that, who knows!?
We are part owners in a business and in the beginning I offered to do the books and payroll. That was 2 years ago and I still do it. I get paid a very small amount which is fine but it doesn’t really make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. I started from scratch and learned as I went. I’m pretty sure I will go back to work at some point but haven’t really given it a lot of thought b/c it would be a long way off. If/when I go back, I would love to get back into banking although things will have changed a lot! There are time that I struggle with being the “at-home” parent. Since we have been married we both worked full-time and so there was a sense of shared responsibility when it came to things like laundry, cooking, cleaning. Since I have been home, all of that responsibility has fallen to me and I still have a hard time dealing with that. I appreciate that my husband is the bread winner and he works very hard (physically and mentally) but I feel that a lot of times I have a fulltime job as mom as well as the additional responsibility of the household and it can get stressful! That may be why I have learned that I can only do so much in a day and if it doesn’t get done that day, oh well! I probably make it sound worse than it is!
I do daycare for one child to help out with extra income. I have one child that is in the age range of my kids. It works out well, but I have known others that it doesn't work out so well for. I think it depends a lot on the family that you find and the contract you write up. I am doing it for a friend, which I thought would be kinda weird with the contract and stuff, but we just have the understanding that the contract is there to protect us both and it's totally a business transaction, completely separate from anything we do as friends. It works out well for us.
I also am an educational consultant for Discovery Toys. I have enjoyed doing this for myself, but I'm not really a home party person. When you start, the cost is $99, and DT gives you the opportunity to get back all the money you invest if you sell so much in product value in the first 3 months. THe amt you have to sell is pretty easy cheesy, so I did that just to earn my kit for free and make some extra $, and then stopped doing parties. There is no inventory, or minimum parties to do, or minimum amt to sell, so I just put in orders if I need stuff for gifts or for treats for my kids or my friends' kids. You get the same discount either way. It's an awesome company, and every time they come out with a new catalog they have a new products pack that you can purchase, and you can earn all those for free also if you keep selling. It's not a huge income maker for me, but it can be at the drop of a hat if I need it. I'd just schedule some parties.
I also do a ton on craigslist, making a few bucks here and there on stuff we don't use anymore, and I save a ton of money for us by getting stuff we need from there too.
I love staying home and feel that being a full time mom is something that the Lord called me into....I have struggled (and sometimes still do) with wanting to work, as I loved my line of work. But my job can be dangerous, though not routinely, and I feel strongly that even a slight risk of serious injury or death and leaving my small kids to fend for themselves and putting that pressure on my hubby isn't worth the paycheck.
I can't imagine a more important job that raising my kids anyways. There aren't that many that do it well, or in a godly manner these days it seems. This is the hardest job I've ever had, and it doesn't come with very good training! And not NEARLY enough vacation. :) Still, I wouldn't trade it.
Tonya - I think you are right on...you have a full time job & the responsibilities of the house now when it used to be shared. It's a hard thing! I would definitely at least approach the subject in a nice way with your husband, because it might make a huge difference in your relationship; I know that my husband certainly doesn't do much around the house, but when it's a really busy week for me & the going gets tough, he picks up a few things & that makes it soo much easier. Even if it is just getting the dishwasher unloaded & loaded back up & clearing the table. It means the WORLD to me...and, it gives YOU a chance to be thankful to him for even doing something simple & mundane to you!
Jenna - You are a BUSY woman...I don't think I come close to being busy in comparison to you! Three children & you willingly take on a fourth...that's awesome! ;) And...I'll have to look at the DT website...we might have to get "more toys"!
I work full-time in Boulder, about a 50-minute commute each way, and it's not a 9-5 job. I love what I do and the company I work for, but we waited a long time to have kids and now I want so much to be home with them! My husband is currently not working and with the economy we're facing, I'm struggling with how to make this transition. I'd like to start some kind of business that will mature enough in the next year or two to allow me to stay at home, or at least in Estes. I just don't have any ideas for what that business is going to be.
Like Jenna said, there is nothing more important to me than my kids. Sometimes I wonder if I've made them too important and God is, therefore, asking me to wait. I believe that He gives us the desires of our hearts in His time. In the meantime, I guess I continue to work to honor Him, be open to many possibilities, and love my kids with every spare moment.
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