To Be a Working Mom or Not?

by Maressa Conover - special guest contributor

My husband and I have a decision to make that will affect both our family life and our finances.

Two years ago, when our only son was three months old, we had a decision to make: sell our house or find a way to make ends meet. I loved our house so I wanted to do anything to keep it. I started a small-home daycare so I could have the best of both worlds: working full time (45hrs) and staying home with my son. Sounds great doesn’t it? Well after two years of doing this schedule, I realized that it was taking a toll on me.

I know Dr. Laura would be yelling at me right now, reminding me that being a mom is the most important job! Although we’ve been able to pay the bills, I don’t have peace about my current situation of dividing my time between raising my son and having a business in my own home as a long term solution. My son alone demands a lot of my attention and my patience is wearing thin trying to juggle all the kids, the home, paying bills, and getting enough quality time with my family. I remember this quote (I heard somewhere), “kids spell love: TIME.” Time, that we don't have.

When my husband comes home from work, we are both beat and we wonder who’s going to take care of us? We’re so tired and at the end of the day we end up eating out a lot, even though I enjoy cooking; sometimes I just can’t do one more thing.

Raising a young child is hard, non-stop work, let alone running a daycare as well. Now I am pregnant with our second baby who will arrive sometime early fall. I will then be a nursing mom and will want to end the daycare, but it’s so hard letting go of something we’ve worked so hard for, possibly, our home. If I ended the daycare, there is that risk of losing our house and consequently we would experience more financial stress. On the other hand, if I do end the daycare, my husband and I would also have more peace and more TIME with our son and with each other. And with more time, maybe, just maybe I would start cooking again.

What would you rather have, financial stress and a great marriage and family life, OR good finances and a stressed relationship? That is, if you HAD to make a choice. If the right decision is made, do you think the peace of that decision would balance out with the new financial issues to deal with?

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