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My wife and I would work different shifts while the children were younger so we could have more money and still have a parent home with the children at all times. No daycare costs but at the expense of Mommy and Daddy having time together. Once they were older and could only go to a sitter for a couple hours before and after school did we start working at same time.
this post reminds me of when moms stayed at home with their kids back in the day, it seemed simpler. if i had kids, i know i would most likely want to stay at home with them. i give moms that work full-time and have one or more kids a lot of credit, it isnt easy and is a constant juggling act. i dont know how they do it. and so many u.s. cities are so expensive that the extra income helps and to live on one income depending on what the husband makes may not be possible due to mortgage, children, loans, bills, ect. things keep getting progressively harder, i cant even imagine what life will be like in 20 yrs from now!
I don't think there are many people who grow old saying "I wish I didn't have kids"..
Saying it maybe not. Thinking it, I am sure there are plently.
And I was making a joke... Cause fighting over raising your kid with a stay at home parent and putting a kid into daycare while both parents work is always a fun argument. NOT!
The problem here compared to the 50s is taxes: we pay a higher % of taxes and health care now than we did in that era. As a result, a second income is necessary to recoup the deficit. If federal income taxes were shaved to 10%, one income would be sufficient in most areas of the country. Amelia Tyagi and Elizabeth Warren conveniently don't mention this in their book.
Back then, the middle class relied on their employer to take care of them in retirement.
Back then, it was common for middle class families to make due and kids shared bedrooms and everyone shared a single bath.
Back then, most of the middle class did not take vacations or if they did, it was a road trip.
Back then, households did not have computers, DSL, premium Cable channels.
Back then, a lot of the middle class still had inexpensive party lines and a long distance call, was an event.
Back then, ordering in, going out for din-din was a special occasion.
Much of the change in middleclass lifestyle has come about, because both parents work.
At the end of the day, I doubt that improvements to lifestyles, means families are happier.
Back then, the middle class relied on their employer to take care of them in retirement.
Back then, it was common for middle class families to make due and kids shared bedrooms and everyone shared a single bath.
Back then, most of the middle class did not take vacations or if they did, it was a road trip.
Back then, households did not have computers, DSL, premium Cable channels.
Back then, a lot of the middle class still had inexpensive party lines and a long distance call, was an event.
Back then, ordering in, going out for din-din was a special occasion.
Much of the change in middleclass lifestyle has come about, because both parents work.
At the end of the day, I doubt that improvements to lifestyles, means families are happier.
Middleagemom, the problem today is that we are a materialistic society. What is the average cc debt per family? Most people spend before they pay themselves. We as a whole are not satisfied w/"living within our means". We don't buy things on sale, we goto the gap when we should shop at walmart or target, we HAVE to have an Ipod, right? And we CANNOT live w/o DVR or digital cable...god forbid.
To compensate we think we have to make more money to SPEND more money. Thus, instead of sacrificing, more families think they HAVE to have both parents work.
Saying it maybe not. Thinking it, I am sure there are plently.
!
That's a rediculous statement. If you have children, you know that your life changes in a way that is indescribable. You would sacrifice your own life for them.
Don't know why you would say something as silly as that.
I think this thread proved one thing. Having children are a bad idea.
Nah, it's more a question of who makes what in a dual-income household. It's common enough for women these days to earn high salaries in professional occupations. If mom makes $100k/yr should she quit her job to spare the budget of daycare expenses? Probably not. If she makes $20k/yr? Possibly.
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