I Am Confused About Returning to Work???

I also had this problem and I found that after daycare for one child full time and a second child part time I would only be working to pay for child care, gas, food to eat out for lunch if you can not take lunch or go home for lunch. I would suggest on either picking up more houses, or charging more, or even starting your own in home business. So in my case it was really not worth going back to work and just figuring what expenses we could cut back on. Such as cell phone, eating out, movie rentals and so on. I would sit down with your husband and set out a budget and see if it's really worth going back to work.

Depending on why you need the extra money is the Bigger question to me. Will you be losing your house if you do not go back to work. Will there not be enough fod or will utilities not get paid? There are good reasons that you SHould go back and your child will survive. There are loving people in the world inspite of what your imagination will allow you to believe about child care.
You as a mom will be being a good mom by taing proper responsibility to provide financially if the situation calls for you to do. Kids are resiliant and adjust in a safe atmosphere. If you are stressed at home because of finances then that alone is not good for you or the family.

I know it is a difficult decision. If you would like to meet moms who work from home from all types of companies I suggest you attend one of our upcoming WAHM networking nights. We have one Mon. in Lewisville at 7pm and Thurs. in Plano at 7pm. Just email me if you would like the location information.

You can then really look at a lot of work from home options and meet moms who are really successful so you can decide if working from home might be an option for you to keep your children out of daycare.

I have been at home for 3 years and LOVE every minute of it with my 2 and 4 year old children :)

All I can say is that if you are able to stay at home, do it. You're kids are only young once & you'll have the rest of your life to work. It's been hard financially for us sometimes for me to stay at home, but so worth it! I know that I will always have the chance to live in a larger home one day and go on lavish vacations once my kids are grown - but never again will I be able to see my children grow up. We have nice things, go to fun places, and drive newer cars - but we do it on a budget.

There have been several times over the past few years when I almost had to go back to work for financial reasons. When I spoke to some older women I know (both SAHMs and working moms) ALL of them said to stay home if I could. I know it's hard sometimes, but clipping coupons & skipping the fancy stuff is worth it in the long run.

And yes, there are some great daycares but in 20 years will you be glad strangers got to see your child grow up while you were at work? And for the lady who said a 3 year old needs a classroom environment already, all I have to say is WOW. My 4 year old (as of Feb.) is writing and reading short words, doing basic math & counting to 100, plus she has great social skills. She does great in Sunday School & Children's Church, too. Kid's don't 'need' school if they have someone at home who is teaching them and loving them each & every day. I'm not saying I'm super mom or anything, but just that 'school' isn't necessary for 3 or 4 year olds.

I know this is a heavily debated topic, but there is no reason to argue about it. People have their opinions, but since you've stayed at home with your other child I assume you agree that your care is better than daycare. You're 3 year old will be kindergarten in 2 years and then you'll have 7 hours a day to work. Think about what you'll appreciate in years to come, the hours you worked or the time you spent with your children? ****I'll hop off my soapbox now!

I want to give you a free product, a free international business, and a free automatic website!!! All you need to do is go on a free tour @: wwww.automaticbuilder.com/sharonchipman

Afterwards, tell me what you think!
____@____.com

T.,

I do in-home wine tastings. I usually do them at night or on the weekends when my husband is home to watch the kiddos. I get to do it on my schedule...and it really is so much fun! I get to make money while learning more about wine! The whole concept is great...and you don't have to be a wine expert to conduct a tasting! The winery gives you great notes to go from!

You can check out my website at www.FineWinesAtHome.com to get more information...and please feel free to contact me with any questions!

Good luck!
=)S.

I work from home teaching other people about toxins in our environment, and how to minimize our exposure...starting with what we buy for our homes and ourselves. There is very little investment (your time will be your biggest investment here), and there is no need to sell, stock, deliver, or coerce customers to "buy more".

My web site is www.WorkAtHomeUnited.com/hfhm, and my email is ____@____.com have LOTS of mommies who were in the same position as you are, and they are making LOTS more than a J-O-B ever offered them!

I'd love to work with you!
~J.~

T.,
I think Stacy's idea was right on. I sell jewelry in the evenings, and I keep my schedule under control by only offering Tuesdays and Thursdays to the women who want to have the parties.
Be prepared for a "learning curve," like there is with all jobs, and you'll find the job gets easier and easier and the money gets better and better as the months go by. As with any job, you'll be completely comfortable in about 6 months to a year. The key is, don't give up before you're comfortable!!!

If you'd like to know more about the company I work with, I'd love to tell you more... or you can go to my website at www.liasophia.com/jennalang
but remember-- any party plan company can work for you! Just make sure
1. you love the product,
2. the company is reputable and a member of the Direct Selling Association and finally, that
3. there aren't 100s of consultants in your town.

Good Luck!!!
J.

Have you thought about offering in home daycare? You can have up to six kids but that would include your own. There are a lot of us that had to go back to work that look for good daycare. It might be something where you can make money without separation.

T.,

Have you heard of Scentsy "the Authentic Wickless Candles"? It's a safe alternative than candles. Scentsy is a decorative warmer that use a 25 watt bulb to melt the wax. It's not hot to the touch and you can leave them on all day and not worry about something burning. The company has been around for 2 years and is growing daily! The products sell themselve and nothing is over $25. If your intersted in becoming part of this great team please check my website out at www.scentsy.com/DFW and contact me at ###-###-#### or ____@____.com!!!

Sincerely,
C.

Make sure you are willing to rob your 3 year old of the wonderful parenting that you were able to offer your 6 year old. I suggest you tough it out till the younger one is in school.

I stay at home with 2 little ones and one on the way...it was big adjustment finacially. About 6 months ago, I started clipping coupons and have started saving our family hundreds of dollars a month. Because I do not work, the money I save clipping coupons ($400-$600 a month), in gas not driving all over town and by not putting my kids in daycare amounts for a pretty solid paycheck.

If you're lucky enough to find a good WAH situation that would be an added bonus.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions on how to save that much with coupons. ____@____.com

Good luck in what ever decision you make.

working does NOT rob your children of parenting. in some cases, it makes you a better parent. i have worked full time, part time and stayed at home, so i have experience on all fronts. i am a much better parent when i am working and not at home all the time. yes my children have been in day cares since an early age. no they aren't harmed at all. in fact they got great socialization skills as a result. to add to my arguement, your 3 year old should have some type of classroom experience now, such as mother's day out, to prepare him for school. how is that different from day care?

I have to put this out there..you must be careful when signing up with any at-home consulting company/sales. I tried that once with a cosmetic company and with two young children it was difficult to schedule parties, attend meetings, etc. I was spending a lot more than I was making thanks to their minimal purchase every 2 months..my mom and MIL could only buy so much.

I am sure there are other avenues out there that you can pursue aside from signing up to a be consultant, etc. Unless, of course, you are that type of person BUT you sometimes need an extra income starting out just to make the money.

Of note, I do understand where you are coming from but stick it out, it will work out, in my opinion. You would be working to pay for the part-time daycare if you went back to work.

Have you tried cutting back on things such as going to basic TV service, running the heat lower, etc. We have done that and it helps a bit.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are in prayer over it.

J. S.