I really respect the man who wrote this post. He figured out the most conservative cost for his wife to be a stay-at-home mom and it's a high annual salary than I've ever earned: $73, 960. BuzzFeed notes this is on the low end of the spectrum.
What is even more remarkable is how humble and grateful he is for his wife's hard work. He talks about how he feels guilty when he asks his wife for permission to buy something and how he feels ashamed whenever he's made his wife feel like she needs to ask for permission. I am in awe of how incredibly aware he is of everything his wife and all stay-at-home moms do.
Since I haven't found my career footing, I likely won't be earning enough money to offset childcare costs enough to keep working. I live in one of the most expensive areas in the country for this cost. It is a difficult truth I'm still adjusting to: I'll probably have to be a stay-at-home mom.
There are a variety of incentives like health insurance and retirement that offset expenses but many of the jobs I've done don't offer that incentive. As an outspoken feminist who doesn't have friends with kids, I haven't wrapped my head around what this will mean for me. Logically I know feminism is all about choice but this is not a course I think I'd choose for myself if money was not an issue.
I've got plenty of time to figure it out. I have no plans on having kids anytime soon but it's a big mental shift to come to terms with.
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