Hello everyone. I have been wondering if there are any hsers out there like me who left a career for the pursuit of a greater purpose....raising their children. I worked as a nurse for 9 years and left my job last year when I finally had the opportunity to be a sahm. I had prayed for this opportunity since my first child was born 7 years ago. For those 6 yrs I did have to work, I always worked opposite my husband so our children never left our care. Being a sahm is the best job in the entire world!! There are days when it gets mundane, but then I remember crying out to God and begging Him to make a way for me to come home. He knows how stubborn I can be, so I think that's why it took so long for my time to come....so I wouldn't long to go back to work. It was very difficult to work full time, raise children, run the household and find time for ministry (my husband is a pastor). I'm so thankful to be at home. I was wondering if there are any of you who made the same decision I did. Have a blessed day!!
I have always worked a fulltime job, either away from home or at home( home daycare more like 50-60 hours). At the end of August I will no longer be doing daycare. ( all my dck head of to school this year) I pray daily to the Lord that He will guide me in right direction. I would love to just be a SAHM. I wish you lots of luck and loads of fun.
I have always worked from home or brought my kids with me to work. We own a web based mail order business and run it from our basement. The business requires around 60 hours a week from me. I work the homeschooling and the business together so that I am able to do both. Sometimes I wish I could either homeschool or run the business. It is difficult to take care of the house, cook, clean, homeschool, and be a professional but it is important to us so we do it.
I was a special ed teacher for just over 10 years. I have lost my certification since being home. But it was well worth it to come home!
I was an elementary school teacher. I, too, have lost my certification since choosing to stay at home. But, yes, it is WELL worth it!!! Then for awhile I had a craft business, sold Mary Kay and subbed at the local Christian school, all while homeschooling. That became too much, and God brought us to the point where I could give the other things up and concentrate fully on homeschooling. It was hard at first, to tell the truth, cuz I felt I really should be contributing to the family income! But my husband said we would be fine without it, and that my contribution to the family by homeschooling was worth far more than what I could make monetarily! Wow, what a guy, huh?! I feel so blessed to be able to hs and be home with my children!
Deena, I sure hope you can come to Philly! I think your DH and mine would get along great! They seem to have so much of the same attitudes! I wanted to quit when Rachael was born and he was trying his darndest to make our budget work. But even with all the cuts, we would be running about $300/month short, so I told him that was REALLY stretching my faith a bit and maybe I shouldn't quit quite yet. Then when Faythe was born, he told me straight out that, regardless of how much it would stretch our budget, he wanted me home. "It's time!" And neither one of us have ever regretted it!
Jackie, I'm hoping we can go too! I do have a hard time getting my dh to commit to something this far in advance. Everything has to be quite logical for him to commit fully to something! I will work on him though! I think if I can plan with his family to visit around that time so they can plan accordingly, then we would be able to work it out. He really wants to do what we want to do, but, as I said, he needs to work it out logically in his head first! I don't mind at all....it's good that ONE of us is logical! :lol:
I have a few friends and family members who have always stayed at home with their children, never having worked an job outside the home. I always wanted to be like them but after having the opportunity to minister to hurting and sick people as a nurse, I know I am a much better person for it. Personally, it was somewhat difficult to leave my position because I thoroughly enjoyed my job. It was well worth it, though. There has been a tremendous change in my children since I've been able to devote myself to them entirely. Rebecca, wow. You are a very busy woman. God bless you in raising your family. Amy, I'll be praying for the Lord's direction and favor on your family. I was afraid when I began researching hsing that I wouldn't be able to do it b/c I'm not a teacher. Do you think your educational background helps in teaching, those of you who are teachers?
NO!!! MOST EMPHATICALLY!!! I've even heard some teachers say that it actually works AGAINST them, because the training has taught us to think of education in a particular way, and it's sometimes hard to break out of the box. I'm lucky being Special Ed. There was no one curriculum that worked for my kids, so I had to make my own and individualize everything. And that's what I do with homeschooling! I believe that almost ANYONE is more than capable of teaching small groups of children. Yes, some are better at it than others, but that's NOT because of "training"; it's a God-given gift. And that's NOT saying that a person without that "gifting" should just hang it up! I can clean my house, but am sure NOT "gifted" in it like my MIL is, lol!
No, I don't think so. When you are trained in education, you are trained to teach large groups of kids. Not much one-on-one training comes into play, cuz you just don't have much time for that when you have 30 kids in your classroom. So you're taught a lot of group things, not individual.....It's way different than homeschooling. That was my situation anyway. Even though I'd been teaching in classrooms for a few years, I was scared of teaching my own at home! I had no clue where to begin! Strange, but true! The internet wasn't so prevalent, and not as much was available 9 years ago when I was looking, so I had very little to go on. I finally decided to use a "kit/boxed curriculum" for my ds, who was starting 2nd grade. It came with teacher's guides and lesson plans and just helped me know he was getting all he needed. After a few months I began picking and choosing what I felt worked and didn't work for him, and have been doing that ever since. It helped me a lot to get that "kit", cuz I had a baby and a 4-yo, so starting something new, and NOT having to do all my own lesson plans was a big relief for me! That way I felt I had the time to work with all three children and their needs and homeschool. By the next year I was used to it and did fine
I spent 15 years as a Veterinary Technician and loved every day of it. I also worked opposite my husband. 4 years ago I came home and announced that I was quitting and coming home! My husband surprised me by being totally supportive. If he was concerned about living on one income he didn't show it to me. What a blessing it is to be home with my kids. And even more of a blessing to have them all day everyday as a homeschooling family.
