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Should a wife work?


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Another thread has me thinking about something.

 

If you are a man, do you expect your wife to give up her job and stay at home to look after you and any kids you might have after you get married?

 

If she does work, would you hold it against her?

 

Do you think a w who chooses to work opens herself up to her husband having an A because she around the home a much as a SAHM?

 

Personally, I think that either the mom or dad staying at home with the kids or working is a choice each individual family needs to make based on their own situation, and that having some sort of career to fall back on is important.

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There should be no special expectations on wives simply because they are wives. Married partners are a team and should have a team approach to meeting family needs, utilizing the strengths of each partner.

 

Women working is no reason or excuse for cheating. That's absurd.

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I cannot believe there are people, these days, who think a working parent is a bad thing. These days most couples have to work if they want to ensure their children have a good quality of life. I earned far more than my husband, worked my bum off, but we also balanced our family life to suit all of us, our child too. My husband used to come and watch while I gave talks to 200 and more people and said he found nothing sexier than seeing me up there in my power suit holding an audience in the palm of my hand.

 

I worked because I had to, because I wanted to and because me and he discussed what was best for us, all of us. Nothing wrong with being a SAHM either, if that is what works for you and your family. It felt for a bit like I had slipped into Victorian times all these SAHM assumptions and prejudice.

 

I find it rather small mined that a lack of libido is nearly always laid at the feet of a woman, a BS. In any relationship things happen when sex isn't at the forefront of a couple's mind. For sure some people take their eye off the ball and sex becomes less, but the other can talk about that, there may be reasons, there may be a lack of woo'ing, nothing is sexier than making love with the person you are sharing a life with. But if it doesn't happen, if one is impotent, well I didn't marry my husband just to walk away if he couldn't have sex. I fell in love with all of him and if a part is broken for a while, well I just help him to fix it.

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Married for 32+ years to a wonderful goal oriented lady. We agreed that by having children, we together made a commitment that our kid/s would have a better chance at success and happiness if she was home to nurture and love on them through their high school graduation. Kids need the nurturing of their mothers and the guidance of their fathers...SAHM's is the ultimate sacrifice made for the children, not the husband. It is a career if your really boil it down. You cannot quit, go on strike or really take a vacation from being "MOM". For us, we made it work. We could have had nicer things, bigger houses etc but instead we together made the sacrifice in unison....I did not require or request her to do this and I did assume the sole responsibility of being the wage earner and still am.

 

Now, as empty nesters (which btw is awesome) I treasure the fact that she and I together made this choice. Her job today is to enjoy her life and to be with me as my lady as we engage whatever adventures come our way.

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I think if the wife works is a personal decision between the husband and wife of each couple. Every couple has different circumstances. Many times the wife has to work just to made ends meet. I think it is much harder for couples to make it on a single income anymore, at least at the lifestyle most want.

 

 

 

 

I have never cared one way or the other if my wife worked. She has worked most of our marriage, but, that is her decision. She was a SAHM the first several years we were married and always worked around the kids schedules even as they got older.

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I expect my wife to work. Not just work, but have an education and a career. If we had several children, there may be a period of time when it would be more beneficial for her to be a SAHM if she wants to be.

 

 

Eventually, children will be in school or go off to college. A woman may have another 20 to 25 years beyond that when she could work and help the family in that way. She should have a career that she enjoys pursuing, IMO, not just low/unskilled jobs because she has no experience or training.

 

 

Earlier on, having a second income protects against either spouse losing a job, or financial problems if forced to take one with lower pay.

 

 

Let's not forget that many marriages fail at some point, and a woman with skills and a career is in a far better position to live well than one who has none. BTW, all of the above concepts applies to men as well.

 

 

As for either spouse cheating - that's only slightly affected by either/both working. If the relationship/marriage is not neglected and both have integrity, cheating is a distant concern. IMO, it's shouldn't even be part of the same discussion.

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I agree that it is a choice that each couple has to make based on their own circumstances.

 

It's a "team decision".

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In our case it wasn't a case of 'should' - I had to work. H never earned enough to pay for everything. In fact I have almost always earned far more than him. So I could have 'stayed at home' but we'd have been without that home pretty damn quick!

 

We could have chosen not to have kids but didn't want to, and as nothing much had changed financially I had to go back to work after all three of them were born.

 

H 'could' have stayed at home. H could have chosen to do more about the house but as it is I had no choice to be chief cook and bottle washer as well as the main breadwinner. Bugger all to do with 'should'. Hey! Go me..... :rolleyes:

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In our case it wasn't a case of 'should' - I had to work. H never earned enough to pay for everything. In fact I have almost always earned far more than him. So I could have 'stayed at home' but we'd have been without that home pretty damn quick!

 

We could have chosen not to have kids but didn't want to, and as nothing much had changed financially I had to go back to work after all three of them were born.

 

H 'could' have stayed at home. H could have chosen to do more about the house but as it is I had no choice to be chief cook and bottle washer as well as the main breadwinner. Bugger all to do with 'should'. Hey! Go me..... :rolleyes:

 

You should tiddled off about that.

 

Do you think you would have been happier if you as the high earner worked and he stayed at home to do the house work etc rather than you both work?

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H would have been far happier being at home, he would have had to learn to cook first, but my ill health saw me medically retired. he loves that he comes home to a cooked dinner, but he also knows that I was happier with myself when I worked. I miss working, we would share our days over dinner, laughing at who said what and sharing what we had done during the day. I felt, for a while, that I had little to contribute when I had to end work, but it is what it is and now I tell him about what things I have done and seen during the day.

 

When our son was little I worked part time, my career was on the up, we enjoyed the money, our son never wanted for anything and when I ask him about his memories of that time it is always about what we did together, so we did something right.

Had me and he chose that one of us stayed home when our boy was young, then it would have made better financial sense for H to be the one to be a SAHD (stay at home dad). being at home all day is damned hard work and I think that whatever choice is made, no one should be taken to task for their decisions.

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Mrs. John Adams

I did not work outside of the home until my children were in school but I did babysitting... Sold Avon... Gave music lessons...

Mostly to help with a little extra grocery money. We were quite poor the fist several years of our marriage.

 

After the kids went off to school I worked outside of the home part time so that I could always be available for my kids and grandkids. I don't make a lot of money ... But it helps and I do enjoy my job.

 

When we were younger ... Most of our friends had two incomes... And we knew our choice for me to stay home was worth the sacrifice... We were content in our little home ... It was more important to me that I raised my babies instead of a day care.

 

I was the one that cheated... So working outside the home only offers more opportunity for cheating... It certainly doesn't mean you will take the opportunity.

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Another thread has me thinking about something.

 

If you are a man, do you expect your wife to give up her job and stay at home to look after you and any kids you might have after you get married?

 

When I got married, I set it up so either of us could stay at home with children. I gleaned a lot of value from the constancy of at least one parent involved consistently as a representative of the team, though of course I didn't process it in that manner as a child. It became more valued later.

If she does work, would you hold it against her?

No, and didn't, consistent with my view that married couples are a team.

Do you think a [wife] who chooses to work opens herself up to her husband having an A because she['s not] around the home a much as a SAHM?

IME, that's a double-edged sword. Depends on the team. If the man is predisposed to have affairs, he will. If the wife, she will. Working, for either, is merely one avenue. I met a lot of MW's as a young man, working MW's with children. They met their affair partners at work or adjunct to work, just as men often did and do. Again, IMO it's the individuals.

 

Personally, I think that either the mom or dad staying at home with the kids or working is a choice each individual family needs to make based on their own situation, and that having some sort of career to fall back on is important.
Yep, team choice and agree on the value of skills. In my case, my SAHM worked for nearly 20 years before I was born and she and dad chose for her to stay at home to keep an eye on my insolent butt. Smart move :D

 

She brought value from having worked, having lived alone, having budgeted and watching the family finances carefully. In the practical sense, even though her name wasn't on the paycheck, she was responsible for managing it on a day to day basis and, looking back, pretty darned good at it. Does that skill have value compared to earning a paycheck? Like you stated, each family decides.

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Working parents is the norm these days. People just can't afford not to work. The discussion should be about whether one partner should be a stay-at-home considering it is not the norm. Not saying it's wrong, saying we are having the wrong discussion here. Having one parent (and I use the non-gender specific term because stay-at-home dads are increasing) stay at home is a luxury for most Americans.

 

Also, working women's daughters grow up to be higher earning women themselves.

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Mrs. John Adams

My daughter is a sahm... And she home schools her children. Her trade is cosmetology... So she too has made the choice to sacrifice material things to be with her children. I am glad my sil has a good job that allows her to stay home.

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It should be up to the wife whether she works or not, but also it's an important subject, so though things do change, it would be best to at least have some understanding before marriage and make sure you're not worlds apart on how you both feel on the subject.

 

I'm 63, and from what I have seen with my friends' marriages over the decades, it is VERY important for a women to keep her career going and have her own money. Decades ago when we were both young, my mother told me a woman should always have some money tucked away (this was in the 50s and 60s when women rarely worked and were reliant on the men) because if not, the men have all the advantages if there is a breakup. Times have changed, but this friend of mine, though happily married back then in the 70s when I repeated that advice to her, took it to heart and stashed some money away.

 

I didn't see her for about 20 years and when I did she was divorced and had a nearly grown child. Her husband had gotten a couple of brain injuries in car wrecks and the like and didn't go to the doctor. Over time, his behavior degenerated to the point where he became a drunk and someone she didn't know, and ran off and became homeless part of the time. In other words, the unexpected happened. She thanked me decades later because she was really up the creek had she not saved some money of her own.

 

And of course, being out of the workplace for any length of time can really mess up your career. So before you have kids, you want a good solid career and employer who will wait for you to come back and reinstate you. And of course, the big deal is trying to make enough money to get by AND to hire childcare, because even on my own with two jobs, it's scraping by much of the time. But you have to remember that even the best husband can get laid off, and your savings sucked up in no time. It's always better to have two incomes because the cost of living, at least in the US, is astronomical. And it's better to share in the house duties and child-rearing as well.

 

yes, a lot of men would prefer to support their wife so she can do all the house cleaning and child-rearing, but it is risky to do that for the woman in the long-term. There are many women who would love that, but the thing is you can't count on it lasting. He could be laid off, or he could trade you in for his admin assistant when you hit 40, leaving you with little except the child support -- or if the kids are grown, literally nothing: no career, no financial support, nowhere to go.

 

So with the divorce rate still right around 50 percent, a woman MUST think about those things, unpleasant as they are.

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I agree that it is a choice that each couple has to make based on their own circumstances.

 

It's a "team decision".

 

My "issue" is that we have a lot of self-centered people who make decisions cuz it suits "them" and not what's best for the family.

 

Some women actually believe that they can just dump off their kids with anyone (a relative, baby sitter, daycare) and that the child is going to receive the necessary nurturing, development, and/or care from strangers while she's out there pulling a check.

 

I mean, look at the recent threads...lots of women who took on working, but when working left them spent with no energy/desire to engage sex with their husband and/or be there for their kids, their answer is "tough, my job takes priority". How is taking a job in that case good for the "team"?

 

Mind you, the "team" should include what's best for the children....PERIOD, and IMO.

 

Yes, it's good if the father can co-parent while the mother works, but what kind of marriage is that? If both couples are working and they are like ships passing in the night, again, we have a situation of "partners" and "roommates" rather than husband/wife/lovers.

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I did not work outside of the home until my children were in school but I did babysitting... Sold Avon... Gave music lessons...

Mostly to help with a little extra grocery money. We were quite poor the fist several years of our marriage.

 

After the kids went off to school I worked outside of the home part time so that I could always be available for my kids and grandkids. I don't make a lot of money ... But it helps and I do enjoy my job.

 

When we were younger ... Most of our friends had two incomes... And we knew our choice for me to stay home was worth the sacrifice... We were content in our little home ... It was more important to me that I raised my babies instead of a day care.

 

I was the one that cheated... So working outside the home only offers more opportunity for cheating... It certainly doesn't mean you will take the opportunity.

 

And, I respect what women like you did ^^. You didn't diss your family, and you were creative and motivated to incorporate working and family.

 

But again, some women's priority is their job and family is second and that's sad, IMO.

 

Now, I think the workplace for men and women opens up the door for cheating cuz think about it, you spend like 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week with people. When you come home, how much time are you actually spending with your spouse/kids? You pretty much would be putting the kids to bed, feeding them and although you're under the same roof with them over night, you're all sleeping - not interacting. And, people get complacent in their marriages, so the workplace opens up the door to make connections with other peoples and affairs can get started.

 

My mom was a "working mom" cuz my dad was deadbeat bum. We'd see her in the morning when she took us to school, and again, when she picked us up from school. Between that, grandparents watched us - but they pretty much let us just do what we wanted. We were all like just "roommates" living under the same roof.

 

I see the difference in my brother's family. His wife is a SAHM/SAHW. IMO, she isn't the greatest one and kinda did it to not have to get a job, but still I'm grateful and support them cuz I see the difference in the mental, physical, and emotional development of my brother's kids in comparison to how we were raised. Sometimes it makes me want to cry...as I type this I'm sorta tearing up.

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Working parents is the norm these days. People just can't afford not to work. The discussion should be about whether one partner should be a stay-at-home considering it is not the norm. Not saying it's wrong, saying we are having the wrong discussion here. Having one parent (and I use the non-gender specific term because stay-at-home dads are increasing) stay at home is a luxury for most Americans.

 

Also, working women's daughters grow up to be higher earning women themselves.

 

Yes, I know the economy sucks and the cost of living is ridiculous if you ask me, but sorry, I see where many couples can make changes in their budget and make ends meet without dual incomes.

 

My gf, she claims she "has" to work...but her husband drives flashy cars, she every time she pays off her car, trades it in for a new one (another new car payment) and she also drives luxury cars. Although it's just him and her, they always rent or buy big houses. He has a 4-wheeler, crotch rocket, harley. He dresses flashy. So, trust me, there's room to cut expenses but people don't want to.

 

Also, we live in different times...With modernization, we no longer need big families to work the land (i.e. farming, trading). So, computers and machinery took over the need for humans too. So, we can't have ten kids now a days and make it, plain and simple. Amazes me how people wanna have three kids and can't afford it. Some people can't even afford one kid.

 

Geesh, and also, people spend so much on baby stuff. When I was kid, you didn't have like that cloth thingy you put in shopping carts. You didn't have fancy child seats....it's all freakin' expensive. But, there are some consignment places where people can probably re-sell their stuff as the baby grows out of it, but they want their own new, expensive fancy stuff.

 

I mean, the narcissism is off the charts. Now people celebrate each month the baby is alive. That costs money too. I know of a couple who buy TWO cakes every month to celebrate their baby's "month-birthday":rolleyes:

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Mrs. John Adams

My children have always been my top priority. They are my children. I did everything for them. Mr Adams was the king of his castle. He came home to dinner on the table and relaxed after dinner. I never resented that because it was the way I wanted it. If I had asked for his help with the children he would have given it to me. I didn't.

 

And just for the record... I have always taken care of mr adams sexually. In 44 years I have never refused the man.

 

I have never understood women who will not have sex ... unless of course there is some kind of physical reason.

 

My family is and has always been my priority. I am richly rewarded with beautiful grandchildren and a beautiful home and a beautiful life.

 

I have never regretted my decision to only work part time. A career was never important to me... My family was.

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acrosstheuniverse

Gosh, I can't imagine ever not working. I'm 28 and I've been working nonstop since I was sixteen. The thought of relying on someone else for financial support makes me feel sick to my stomach! I like knowing that I can take care of myself. I earn more than my partner, but if we had kids, I don't think we could afford to have one of us stay at home. Even on my higher wage, to run a couple cars, rent a small flat or house, and expenses, it wouldn't be manageable. To be honest, I know for a fact neither of us would want to.

 

I love my job, I love my career, I earn well, I enjoy what I do, and I do a lot of good in the world. Nothing could ever make me give that up. It seems so outdated and old fashioned these days, the idea that the woman in a relationship doesn't work. I don't have a single friend who'd ever entertain the idea of staying at home with the kids long term. Most people have six months to a year off when the child is born and that's that. It's actually difficult here in the UK, on one hand it's really, really hard to survive on one income, but on the other hand it can be hard to afford to go back to work! My best friend had a baby six months ago, and the nursery fees for her little one to go three days per week pretty much equal what she'll earn at work. She's only going back to keep her job and keep her career going as it'll be easier financially when the child is at school in a few years time. But she'll be working for nothing.

 

So yeah... hard to afford to go back to work sometimes, and that makes sense to me. If you're a very low earner, minimum wage, then without family support you'd struggle to get a nursery place you can afford. But once the kids are in school, I can't see why someone wouldn't work, unless it's 'traditional' or religious values at play, with aren't a feature of anyone I know socially or even come across in my day to day life.

 

Although it seems we agree, OP, I actually find the phrasing 'should a wife work?' pretty offensive (I'm not personally offended I just see glaring problems with it). Firstly, why 'a wife' and not 'a spouse' or 'a husband'? The phrasing 'should a wife work' just rubs me up the wrong way, like once you have that ring on your finger, you cease to be who you used to be, with your own career and interests and money, and become someone's wife. There's no such thing as 'a wife', just a lot of very different women in unique circumstances. It's down to the individual to make the right choice for their family... but I feel it's incredibly risky and dangerous to place your finances and income in the hands of another person, especially if you have kids and therefore have dependents to take care of. A lot of women find it really hard to get back into the workforce in a job that enables them to support themselves after years of being at home with the kids.

 

However, I understand I'm in the fortunate position of loving my job, having a great boss, flexibility, a good wage and doing something I'd be doing for free even if they weren't paying me. If I was doing one of the many jobs I've done before that I hated, maybe I'd be keener to quit. But I still don't think I could shake that sense of risk or feel degraded by not bringing any income into the home. I guess it's just how I was raised, if I'd been raised by a SAHM or knew anyone who'd made that decision perhaps I'd feel differently.

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Gosh, I can't imagine ever not working. I'm 28 and I've been working nonstop since I was sixteen. The thought of relying on someone else for financial support makes me feel sick to my stomach! I like knowing that I can take care of myself. I earn more than my partner, but if we had kids, I don't think we could afford to have one of us stay at home. Even on my higher wage, to run a couple cars, rent a small flat or house, and expenses, it wouldn't be manageable. To be honest, I know for a fact neither of us would want to.

 

I love my job, I love my career, I earn well, I enjoy what I do, and I do a lot of good in the world. Nothing could ever make me give that up. It seems so outdated and old fashioned these days, the idea that the woman in a relationship doesn't work. I don't have a single friend who'd ever entertain the idea of staying at home with the kids long term. Most people have six months to a year off when the child is born and that's that. It's actually difficult here in the UK, on one hand it's really, really hard to survive on one income, but on the other hand it can be hard to afford to go back to work! My best friend had a baby six months ago, and the nursery fees for her little one to go three days per week pretty much equal what she'll earn at work. She's only going back to keep her job and keep her career going as it'll be easier financially when the child is at school in a few years time. But she'll be working for nothing.

 

So yeah... hard to afford to go back to work sometimes, and that makes sense to me. If you're a very low earner, minimum wage, then without family support you'd struggle to get a nursery place you can afford. But once the kids are in school, I can't see why someone wouldn't work, unless it's 'traditional' or religious values at play, with aren't a feature of anyone I know socially or even come across in my day to day life.

 

Although it seems we agree, OP, I actually find the phrasing 'should a wife work?' pretty offensive (I'm not personally offended I just see glaring problems with it). Firstly, why 'a wife' and not 'a spouse' or 'a husband'? The phrasing 'should a wife work' just rubs me up the wrong way, like once you have that ring on your finger, you cease to be who you used to be, with your own career and interests and money, and become someone's wife. There's no such thing as 'a wife', just a lot of very different women in unique circumstances. It's down to the individual to make the right choice for their family... but I feel it's incredibly risky and dangerous to place your finances and income in the hands of another person, especially if you have kids and therefore have dependents to take care of. A lot of women find it really hard to get back into the workforce in a job that enables them to support themselves after years of being at home with the kids.

 

However, I understand I'm in the fortunate position of loving my job, having a great boss, flexibility, a good wage and doing something I'd be doing for free even if they weren't paying me. If I was doing one of the many jobs I've done before that I hated, maybe I'd be keener to quit. But I still don't think I could shake that sense of risk or feel degraded by not bringing any income into the home. I guess it's just how I was raised, if I'd been raised by a SAHM or knew anyone who'd made that decision perhaps I'd feel differently.

 

And there's nothing wrong with wanting what you want...

 

IMO, the women's movement was about "choice".

 

My issue is when "choice" affects others.

 

Me, I never married, never had kids. As others can see by my posts, I kinda sought out certain types of relationships due to my limitations in time and attention that I would be able to give.

 

My "issue" is with women who get married, have kids - yet wanna diss the family and kids to continue with their "careers", "dreams" etc. - which IMO, is the equivalent of a man who gets married, works all day/night and just expects to come home and boink his wife as if she was a call-girl and then go to bed.

 

If you're not the maternal type, then don't have kids. But, with this self-absorbed society, some women see kids and/or husbands as "accessories" and/or "accomplishments"...something they got on their "check list" of things to do. They wanna be called "mother", "wife", etc in title only and they actually think being a "mother" is popping out a baby from their privates and being a "wife" is putting on a white dress (even though they're not virgins) and having a big day where they get a ring.

 

In life, when we make choices you gain/loose something. There's no such thing as "balance". You can't "have it all". If you want a career, then keep your career. If you want marriage and kids, then don't diss them for your career. I'm a single and childless woman and juggling a full-time job, immediate family, etc. leaves me spent. Don't know where/how/why some women think they can have kids and full-time jobs, studying, etc. and pull it all off where the job, education, husband and/or kids get 100%.

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My children have always been my top priority. They are my children. I did everything for them. Mr Adams was the king of his castle. He came home to dinner on the table and relaxed after dinner. I never resented that because it was the way I wanted it. If I had asked for his help with the children he would have given it to me. I didn't.

 

And just for the record... I have always taken care of mr adams sexually. In 44 years I have never refused the man.

 

I have never understood women who will not have sex ... unless of course there is some kind of physical reason.

 

My family is and has always been my priority. I am richly rewarded with beautiful grandchildren and a beautiful home and a beautiful life.

 

I have never regretted my decision to only work part time. A career was never important to me... My family was.

 

I like that and I respect your decision.

 

Some women consider working a critical part of taking caring of their family.

 

The biblical Virtuous Woman passage (Proverbs 31:10 - 31) contains several lines that suggest a woman earning money to provide for her family's welfare is beneficial. Not necessarily a job, but doing whatever it takes to secure the welfare of her family.

 

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer as long as the family is taken care of.

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In my opinion there is no should as it is individual, and one without a husband or children may not make a declaration for others.

 

My "issue" is that we have a lot of self-centered people who make decisions cuz it suits "them" and not what's best for the family.

 

Some women actually believe that they can just dump off their kids with anyone (a relative, baby sitter, daycare) and that the child is going to receive the necessary nurturing, development, and/or care from strangers while she's out there pulling a check.

 

I mean, look at the recent threads...lots of women who took on working, but when working left them spent with no energy/desire to engage sex with their husband and/or be there for their kids, their answer is "tough, my job takes priority". How is taking a job in that case good for the "team"?

 

Mind you, the "team" should include what's best for the children....PERIOD, and IMO.

 

Yes, it's good if the father can co-parent while the mother works, but what kind of marriage is that? If both couples are working and they are like ships passing in the night, again, we have a situation of "partners" and "roommates" rather than husband/wife/lovers.

 

I must ask if you have any children or are married.

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In my opinion there is no should as it is individual, and one without a husband or children may not make a declaration for others.

 

 

 

I must ask if you have any children or are married.

 

I believe she states 'no'.

 

"Me, I never married, never had kids. As others can see by my posts, I kinda sought out certain types of relationships due to my limitations in time and attention that I would be able to give."

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My gf, she claims she "has" to work...but her husband drives flashy cars, she every time she pays off her car, trades it in for a new one (another new car payment) and she also drives luxury cars. Although it's just him and her, they always rent or buy big houses. He has a 4-wheeler, crotch rocket, harley. He dresses flashy. So, trust me, there's room to cut expenses but people don't want to.

 

My professor in college would say, don't talk about the N of 1. Dual income family homes being a necessity is an economic fact based on research. Not a "my one friend does this..." Trust me, I see the over consumerism everyday and the families with lots of kids. But I am talking about overall facts and averages. Buying too many kid toys is not what necessitates dual incomes. Have you seen the cost of college these days! The average cost of an in-state public college is near $25,000. Multiply that by 4. And to give my kids the best opportunity, I will encourage them to go to grad school as well. Costing more.

 

Also, if you follow the recommended financial planning guidelines, you need to be saving 10-15% of your income on retirement, have 6 months worth of expenses in savings while saving for college. Considering the median household income in the US is about $50,000, it is easy to see why both parents often need work.

 

Considering 76% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck, having a non-working parent is a luxury or poor financial planning for most.

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