Ladies: Would you work if you didn't HAVE to?

[crjack]

I work part-time even though we can easily get by on DH's income. Both of my children are in middle school now so it's a great solution. I like being home after school and evenings but I know at some point (probably when kids are in college) I will go back full time so this lets me keep up my skills and contacts.

It also makes me feel more secure in case something happened to DH's job and I get to keep my 401K going as well as his. Our plan is that my 401K will help us to do more things like travel in our retirement.

 

[The Three Cabs]

My dream job would be to be a stay at home mom. I have no choice but to work because I am a single mom and I rarely get help from their father. I am blessed to have very supportive parents that help out a lot. Both of my children are homeschooled (by my mother) and I go to work misty eyed some days when the other homeschool moms are taking there kids to different activites and I have to go to my job. Don't get me wrong I have a great job and I enjoy what I do, but I would drop it in a second to stay home with my guys.

 

[runwad]

I actually consider working outside the home less work in my experience.

I SO agree with this. Although I work hard at my job 3 days a week it is a totally different kind of work then my housework. Housework and taking care of the house is PHYSICAL work. Most of the times I don't sit down till 8 at night, I'm up and moving at 7:30 am, it is definetely most tiring. Thats why i don't think I could do it full time. But then again maybe it wouldn't be like that if I was home everyday because I would get my housework all caught up instead of only having 2 days to get it all done. Yes it's hard to be a women no matter working full time in or outside the home!!

 

[Freyja]

I am currently a SAHM while I finish my masters degree. My husband makes enough money for us to afford me staying home but I WANT to work after I finish my degree. It´s just a personal choice.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I went to work after college and LOVED it, everything about it. Loved the $, loved dressing up, loved to commute, loved NYC, seriously I LOVED everything about working. BUT, When it came time to have kids I just couldn't handle getting up at 4pm and getting in at 7pm to commute. Also, to work near our home would have meant a 50% pay cut when I looked into it So here I now sit, I've been home 10 years and don't regret it a bit. We have a nice home and everything we need so I can say we are comfortable. Sure, we would have 'more' if I was still working but so far 'more' just doesn't cut it as a reason to go back. I suppose I will do so when its time to pay for college but for now no worries .

 

[mexican-mouseketeers]

I voted "other" because I would do some volunteer work that allowed me felxibility in case my dd was sick or we wanted to travel.

 

[kandb]

I would love to be a SAHM.

I work full-time but my job is very flexible and I get a lot of time off. My cousin came to my home to watch my children full time who are now 4 years old (twins). My husband works for the government and also gets a lot of time off. Now that my children are growing up, I really feel like I missed so much time with them. I know work is important, but spending time with my children would of definetely been my first choice. We couldn't afford to live on just my husbands salary, so I could not leave work. If we could of afforded for me to be a SAHM, I would of jumped at the chance. Linda

 

[missmun52]

I selected other because I consider myself a SAHM but I am also a full time student at night. My Dh works in the day while I stay home with my son and i combine online classes with going to class about 3-4 nights per week and sometimes on the week end for about 3 hours per class. When I do start working I do not plan on working full time, probably just 3 days per week. Maybe more (not days...hours, 12 hour shifts instead of 8) for the first year or two as we get established , but I like being home and wont give it up all together.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

I'd stay working, even if we could afford me to stay at home. I really like my job (FF/paramedic), and I only work 2 24 hour shifts per week, so I'm still home 5 days a week while still working FT.

We've talked about it, and if one of us had to stay home, it would be DH. I'm also a PA (although not working at that right now), and could make far more than my husband could. Right now, it works for me to stay at my current job (1 more year until vested in the retirement system)

Jen

 

[Princess_Michelle]

Nope I'm a SAHM, and while I could easily get a job matching DH's salary and we could FINALLY afford a house, it's just not the lifestyle for us. DH makes more than enough for our "needs". I should say that if we hadn't spent our "dual income, no kids" years, prancing around Hawaii like royalty; we'd be in better shape financially and COULD afford a house. But, oh well, C'est la Vie!! We may live in an apartment, but it's only temporary and I'll never forget the memories/experiences that we had blowing all our money.
Also, just b/c I'm a SAHM doesn't mean I don't get brain stimulation and adult interaction. I am getting my degree online to better myself and "just in case" I should NEED to get a job. I go to the gym and attend Mom's Night Out stuff, not to mention all the playdates and "outings". I'll be homeschooling our son and any subsequent kids, which means we can pick up and take a road trip to learn about anything we want, whenever we want. I'll be signing myself up for most of the "extras" that I plan on signing the kids up for....piano lessons (I've always meant to take), Horse riding lessons (always WANTED to take), and anything else that strikes my fancy.....Why in the world would I want to work instead??????

I should add, that my DH loves that he can support me and our kids in this way. It makes him feel good. He does not resent the fact that I get to stay at home and do cool stuff with our son all day. It is the one of the biggest reasons why I continue to work on my degree(s). When the time comes, and the kids have flown the coop, DH can totally hit a mid life crisis and/or retire, and I'll have no problem taking over.

So, NO, I would not (nor do I) work if I didn't HAVE to.......but, it's possible there will come a time when I WANT to.

 

[grlpwrd]

Yes, I would work if I didn't need to because I already do it now as a WAHM.

My dh is a senior design engineer and because he works by contract his job is unstable. In fact, he has been laid off 7 times within the past 9 years. It's the nature of his career. He doesn't work by salary and he gets well compensated, but there are no guarantees.

I have been ebaying and Craigslisting for years and I am restarting my home daycare. I used to have a daycare back in WA state when my oldest was a toddler and now it's time to start back up. I homeschool my 2 youngest kiddos. I am also a volunteer and part time student. I love my life and I want to contribute financially, too. I am fortunate to have the best of both worlds.

My mom worked since I was in the 4th grade and when my youngest brother started 1st grade. She got her first WOHM job as a recess attendant at our school. I admired her for it. She also picked up extra jobs along the way, like ironing and house cleaning, and that is how we survived.

Sorry for the novella (lol), but I still work for financial reasons (to help our family and relieve some stress onto my dh), to keep my skills current, and to be marketable because I plan to continue working even in my old age. (lol)

 

[eliza61]

I would work part time. Even with the kids, I like Adult conversation with the outside world.

 

[vettechick99]

I love teaching, but I would quit in a heartbeat if we could afford it. Even though I give my kids 110% at school, I've never been career oriented. And since having DD, I love just being with her so that makes me want to be at home even more. At least I have a good sitter and I don't have to worry about her during the day.

 

[flipflop]

I'm another who'd work part time. I work full time outside of the home now in a profession with very unpredictable (and sometimes very long) hours. I would love to cut my hours down to 60%. Working full time outside of the home and raising three children is extremely frustrating, challenging and exhausting. I feel like I am never giving 100% to either.

 

[Merriwind]

A month ago I would have answered this question differently. I was a SAHM for a long time. I did do a lot of freelance writing when DD was younger, but I've been a dedicated volunteer for years and thought that was perfect.

Well, I started subbing at DD's school this year and I LOVE it. I'm averaging 2-3 days per week, although it's more like 3 or 4 days in a row and then several days off. I love it so much, I'm thinking of applying for alternative certification and applying for F/T next year. Not positive I'll actually take that step though. As much as I love being at school, it is great having days off here and there--to do more volunteering at school, of course.

It's great to see how many different ways parents have found to keep their households and themselves happy!

 

[abolanwoski]

I would work M-F 40 hours a week, instead of the "on-call 14-days straight, work full days, go in at night and on weekends if needed" schedule I currently have. But, you know what they say - when you pick up one end of the stick, you pick up the other! I love my work, and it supports trips to Disney, I just wish I could spend less time loving it.

 

[crjack]

I'm another who'd work part time. I work full time outside of the home now in a profession with very unpredictable (and sometimes very long) hours. I would love to cut my hours down to 60%. Working full time outside of the home and raising three children is extremely frustrating, challenging and exhausting. I feel like I am never giving 100% to either.

I felt the same way when I worked full time. My DH also traveled for work, leaving me alone a lot, and my Dad had health issues and needed me.....truly I was a "Calgon, take me away" commercial if there ever was one!

I think a lot of our answers may depend on the ages of our children and what stage we are in our lives. In addition to children and finances, my DH and I had to consider aging parents and how to handle the uncertainty of their health and needs.

I feel comfortable working more part-time hours now that my youngest is in middle school. I have fewer school events and activities during the day but I still want to be here after school and on vacations.

There certainly is a lot to think about these days!

 

[bellebud]

dh and i own our own business and both worked full time there. then when dd was born, it became a real struggle for both of us to be at work all day (we took her w/ us), then both trying to do the household stuff late at night. as soon as we could afford it, we hired someone to replace me at our store, and i stayed home w/ dd and did the bookwork from home. that worked wonderfully for years, and now both kids are in school full time, so i brought my "office" back to our store and pop in a few hours every week, whenever is good for me. dh and i had to say to each other when we decided I would stay home "ok, you take care of 90% of the business, I'll take care of 90% of the kids/house". It was the best thing we did for our marriage, because boy was it stressfull for a few months w/ both of us trying to juggle everything together. BUT dh and I would both *retire* in a heartbeat if we won the lotto or something. I'm sure we'd goof off for a few years, then do something we really enjoyed for 'work' or volunteering. I also volunteer in the school every day for an hour (lunch/recess) and I LOVE that (seeing my kids in the middle of the day everyday). So even if we hit the lotto, I'd definitely volunteer at their school everyday anyway (or pull them out and homeschool and travel the world for a few years)!!

 

[kinntj]

I would choose to still work part time even if we didn't need the money. I love being a SAHM, but I really found a career path that I would love. Currently in college to pursue my dream of being a Dental Hygienist. They are always working part time, so this fit perfectly for us. The program is a difficult one, but it's worth it for the perks afterward.

I always thought of the "what ifs" and I wouldn't want to regret anything.
I'm greatful that DH makes a great salary so that I have this option and I can go to school.

 

[CEDmom]

I don't have to work but do for many reasons. First off I was able to scale my schedule down so when DD was very young she was in daycare 3 days and home with me the rest of the time. Now that she's in school I work M-Th from 9-3. On Fridays I volunteer at her school, I'm also a class parent and adjust my schedule to be available when needed.

Secondly, DH and I are what you'd consider older parents. I think having him be the sole breadwinner would put too much stress on him and there's always the concern of corporate downsizing. With my situation I could go back full time if the need ever arose.

Finally, I like that DD sees a woman can have a career and be a mom at the same time. She knows my 1st priority is her and I'd quit before I ever let that change.