DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My wife has always way outearned me in a career she loves. When we started having kids (we have two) we agreed it made more sense for me to stay home with them, which I did.
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Our youngest started fulltime pre-k this school year and I finally have time to get a bunch of things done inside and outside the house with both kids being out at school most days.
I’m home with the kids when they’re sick or there’s no school. My wife never has to take time off to get them to doctor appointments or afterschool activities. Not to mention we save a bundle on before and after school care, and with the summer coming, we won’t need to find fulltime camps or daycare if I’m home with them instead of out working.
I think my wife finds it hard to believe I am actually happy doing what I do. I seriously doubt I would find anything with nearly the same amount of job satisfaction. She keeps telling me I need to find something, anything to get back into the working world with other adults, but we don’t need the money right now, so why should I tip our lives upside down? --- HAPPY AT HOME
DEAR HAPPY AT HOME: Hopefully you’ve made the same case with your wife that you did in your letter.
It’s possible she’s thinking that with the kids away from home more, you’ll need new ways to keep yourself busy after you finish your to-do lists.
Should the time come that you feel you’d like to fill your days differently while the kids are at school, rather than discounting your wife’s suggestion of working outside the home, why not consider looking into volunteer opportunities in the schools or elsewhere in your community? You could also explore something flexible or parttime within the school system. You might be surprised at the range of jobs available that follow your children’s school schedule.
If your wife’s object is to give you something to do even a few hours a week, your local school system may be just the place to start.