Starting a Family -- Then and Now
I've recently received the joyous news that both of my kids and their significant others are expecting babies this year. Wow! And it's gotten me thinking...
I was older when my husband (now ex) and I decided to start a family. Well, we didn't really decide. I forgot my birth control pill one day, after ten+ years of not forgetting, and immediately got pregnant. I was 30 years old. After the first, my son Daniel, I wanted another. The decision made, I again immediately got pregnant. It was meant to be. I had Kelsey, my daughter, 18 months later.
In that day and age, we both had to work to make ends meet, especially after kids. We couldn't afford a babysitter so my husband worked graveyard shift and I worked days. Work, work, work. I did, though, take my kids to see me on the job whenever I could, especially when I loved my work. I wanted them to see their mom doing something meaningful that made her happy.
My kids are doing it differently. They want to be more involved with raising their kids than with work. They want to be more hands on. Kelsey and Jesse both worked at a popular restaurant in Madrid until Kelsey became pregnant. Jesse is now making pretty good money cooking so they decided Kelsey would quit to be home with the baby and he would continue working.
Mariah and Daniel are both working but Mariah holds the job with more hours, more responsibility, and better pay. She loves the work and doesn't want to quit once she has her baby. Daniel has many projects that he runs from home online and he will probably continue part time at the laundromat. They plan to have him be more the stay/work at home parent while she continues the job she loves.
I love the way my kids are thinking about all this. They want to put their babies first without sacrificing what is important to them. You can have it all these days with a little creative thinking and making a concerted effort to not go into debt.
I'd love to hear how other New Mexicans are doing it these days. How are you raising your kids so that you have more time to spend time together and learn from each other?
I was older when my husband (now ex) and I decided to start a family. Well, we didn't really decide. I forgot my birth control pill one day, after ten+ years of not forgetting, and immediately got pregnant. I was 30 years old. After the first, my son Daniel, I wanted another. The decision made, I again immediately got pregnant. It was meant to be. I had Kelsey, my daughter, 18 months later.
In that day and age, we both had to work to make ends meet, especially after kids. We couldn't afford a babysitter so my husband worked graveyard shift and I worked days. Work, work, work. I did, though, take my kids to see me on the job whenever I could, especially when I loved my work. I wanted them to see their mom doing something meaningful that made her happy.
My kids are doing it differently. They want to be more involved with raising their kids than with work. They want to be more hands on. Kelsey and Jesse both worked at a popular restaurant in Madrid until Kelsey became pregnant. Jesse is now making pretty good money cooking so they decided Kelsey would quit to be home with the baby and he would continue working.
Mariah and Daniel are both working but Mariah holds the job with more hours, more responsibility, and better pay. She loves the work and doesn't want to quit once she has her baby. Daniel has many projects that he runs from home online and he will probably continue part time at the laundromat. They plan to have him be more the stay/work at home parent while she continues the job she loves.
I love the way my kids are thinking about all this. They want to put their babies first without sacrificing what is important to them. You can have it all these days with a little creative thinking and making a concerted effort to not go into debt.
I'd love to hear how other New Mexicans are doing it these days. How are you raising your kids so that you have more time to spend time together and learn from each other?
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| his Moriarty family enjoys the fresh air together |
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