Making it Work

My friend Mary likes to send her husband invoices for all the money she saves him by choosing a natural lifestyle. She sends it as a joke, but partially serious too. Recently, she gave him an invoice for the savings of breastfeeding their two children. On it showed all the money they've saved over the last 4 years. You can read it here.

Tongue in cheek, yes. But I think there is a ring of truth to this.

My husband and I have raised 6 kids. Yes, it was hard at times, but we made a commitment for me to be home with our babies, breastfeed them, teach them and raise them up to young adults. I loved being home with them, and I truly miss those times. I made that commitment, partially because, I knew I couldn't be the mother I needed to be and work outside the home.

So we cut back on some things: for years my kids received hand me downs from friends and relatives. We had a garden, I cloth diapered. I cooked from scratch. We ate a lot of beans. We homeschooled, saving money on school clothes. And, I took in day care kids to help off set expenses. To me it was worth the wait to put off some me things for a while.

I write this to encourage any of you mamas out there. If you truly want to stay home with that new baby, it is possible. No, not always easy, but possible. You have my vote.