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Main Page Site Index Getting Pregnant Pregnancy Parenting Pregnancy and Parenting Journals Fertility Nutrition Pregnant Moms Morning Sickness Women's Health Child Health	Time Flies When You Are On The Run by Cheryl Gochnauer I think we can all agree that the best way to get to know another person is to spend time with them. That's especially true of our children. I found it very tough to build a strong relationship with my daughters when I only saw them for a racetracked hour in the morning and two harried hours at night. I suppose there are families that flourish in the dual-working-parent scenario. But boy - most of the time I felt like I was meeting myself coming and going and hardly meeting my kids at all. So it became increasingly important to me to find a way to spend less time at work and more time at home. There are a lot of factors that determine how much time Mom can spend with her children. Finances are often cited, and it's true money can be a stumbling block. But is it as big a barrier as you think? Before you say, "Well, I married for love, not for money; so now I have to work," be sure to do the math. Tally up all the expenses you have that are tied to your work: childcare, transportation costs, work clothes, eating out, taxes, etc. Now, subtract that amount from the net paycheck you bring home each week. How much are you really making? (In my case, it was $39 a week.) Is it worth it? (I had to say, "No way!" Less than a dollar an hour definitely falls below minimum wage.) Now look at how your financial picture would change if you went part-time. Some parents of young children find that they actually end up clearing about the same amount of money as they did working full-time, since they don't have to spend as much for daycare. Keep your options open. What would happen if you worked four days a week instead of five? Twenty hours instead of forty? Even working one hour less a day adds up to five hours a week. I know lots of kids who'd be joyfully jumping on the bed at the thought of spending an extra five hours exclusively with Mom. If it's your dream to become a full-time stay-at-home mom, don't become demoralized if you can't quit work right away. Instead, take heart in knowing that you're doing what you can to expand quality time with your family now, as you work toward your goal. You can e-mail Cheryl at cheryl@homebodies.org or visit her website at www.homebodies.org. Her new book, "So You Want to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom," is available at your favorite bookstore or online at www.ivpress.com. Copyright 1999 Cheryl Gochnauer.