Putting Your Children First

Why and how, do people complain that they can't afford braces for the kids teeth, or the cost of a private school, or the ability of having mom stay home with the kids, all the while living in the McMansion and driving their bmw's? How about NOT going on vacation? How about NOT shopping at Neimen Marcus and check out the sale at Target? How about NOT going out to dinner every weekend? How about NOT buying all name brand products, and give generic a try? Sacrifice people, sacrifice. Forget the glam and remember why you had children. Really, do you think your children are better off in a daycare? Lets do the math shall we?
You get up at 6am and get ready for work.
You wake your still sleeping child up and take them out into the cold at 7am to daycare.
Maybe you fed them breakfast, maybe the daycare will
You go to work all day, and drive through traffic to pick your child up at 5 or 6 pm.
You go home and try and figure out whats for dinner...or maybe (probably) you picked up something on the way home.
You eat, you clean up the kitchen.
Its now about 7pm. Your tired, but you still need to do a load of laundry and other chores. Still have to have bath time for the little one.
8pm Put child to bed.

WOW...so exactly how much time did you spend with your child? Maybe 3 hours...and half of that was in the car. The other half was getting them ready to drop of at a day care or to get into bed. So by Friday you 've spent a total of maybe 15 hours with your child. BUT you've spent 40 hours with co workers that you probably don't even like. Oh but you'll make up for it right? You'll spend every waking hour of the weekend with child and overload them with presents and let them get away with murder because of your guilt. And then on Monday you'll start the cycle all over again.
Why did you become a parent? Why would anyone WANT to live like this? I totally understand a single mother having to live like this out of necessity. I don't get the double income parents doing it. Especially when they say they can't afford to do it. Yes you can. If you want to. But unfortunately people don't put their children first. They don't want to give up the goodies that come along with two incomes. The big overpriced and underused home. The two new cars in the driveway. The bragging rights to the fabulous vacations. The designer clothes, and bags and shoes. The must have cell phone for child, ipods, laptops, flat screen tvs, most expensive cable package, club memberships, gym member ships, new furniture, and general keeping up with the Joneses.
We are at the football games from start to finish. We don't have to rush there after work and miss the first quarter. We aren't on our cell phones for the whole game either. We really are there rooting on our kids and enjoying ourselves. We are there to kiss them goodnight and tuck them in without the thought of "thank God their in bed finally" in the back of our minds. We love to spend time with our kids. Sacrifice. Its something that people just don't want to do anymore. And your children are suffering for it. I know that many people (working mothers) will disagree with me. Of course they will. They think JR. is just fine. They think hes balanced and getting good grades and they have a great life. Well, sorry but your life is a mess. Your house is a mess, your marriage is a mess and your kids are a mess. Or at least one of those things are. You can't keep all those balls in the air. Eventually one will drop. And then the others will follow. Go home. Stay home. Try sacrificing for your children. See the difference that it will make. You will be calmer. You will be happier. Your children will be thankful and less stressed.

Maybe as a bonus our economy will flourish if women went home and became mothers and housewives. Think about it. Less income means less shopping. Prices will go down. The job market will be wide open for men. Women will control the purse strings. We would have less cars on the road too. Means less damage to the environment. Now if we can get the government to pass a tax credit to sahm's..all would be perfect!