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Stay at Home Moms
Craylo
member
If you have a dusty degree...
Craylo
member
I wrote a post about mine on my blog. I don't usually AW my blog, but in this case, I thought you might want to read it.
www.lifefrombothsides.com
What is your degree in? I know we use our education everyday in how we relate to our children, but do you feel like you should be using it for earning money? And what if your marriage doesn't work out and you have an empty resume?
Just random thoughts swimming in my head...
This discussion has been closed.
Re: If you have a dusty degree...
I used to work before adopting DS. Mind you I didn't make a ton of money, but I was completely independent and did not have to rely on DH to provide for me!
Well DS came and we decided it was best for me to become a SAHM. DH got a job making 3 times what I made and that automatically upped my tax bracket, so about 40% of my paycheck was going straight to that. Plus gas to drive to and from work, work clothing, car maintenance and then having to think about day care I was basically working for a negative paycheck.
Now we are expecting our first BIO baby and though sometimes I think I would like back to work I fall off that cloud pretty quickly. I really enjoy being with my son and I know I will enjoy it even more when LO2 arrives. You cannot compare that satisfaction with anything else, not even the best job in the whole world IMO.
I only have a BS in Chemistry though, if I had a masters or PhD then the decision would have been more difficult, not to mention the student loans I would have had to pay!
Brady Phoenix, 8.29.09
Claire Zoe, 10.26.10
If it weren't for my degree (and the good paying career it provided after college) I wouldn't have been able to SAH. We used my income to pay off debt, save a nice down payment, build an emergency fund, stock up on baby supplies, save for retirement, etc.
My bachelors is in fine art, so I don't expect to make much money from that, even if I try!
But I also have a teaching credential that I feel like I can always fall back on if I need to. I also figured it was something that I could do anywhere too.
BS in Family Relations and Child Development; MS in Child Development
Surprisingly, they aren't very helpful as far as parenting goes on a day-to-day basis! I know theoretical things, but things like "why won't my kids eat vegetables" weren't on the syllabus!
I worked 11 years before I had kids so I put my degree to work. I'm kinda sad that I am not working and still paying on my student loans for my Master's Degree, but I got a raise when I got my MS so it all evens out I guess. I have no regrets about not using it to earn money now. This is exactly where I want and need to be and I wouldn't change a thing!!
When my DH and I were in pre-marital counseling, our pastor asked us why we wouldn't end up getting divorced. We both stated that divorce is not an option. I realize that things happen, but we waited until we were older to get married so we had time to do our own thing and not feel like we missed out by getting married really young (I realize not all people go through this but I've known several people that got married before 22 and are divorced). We're both in it for the long haul so I don't think it will ever be an issue.
As for an empty resume, I am trying to stay involved in my mom's group board (over 400 members) and other activities so I will have some things to put on there. I realize it's not work experience, but it will still go on there!
My degree is in nursing and it's not a waste. No matter how long I'm out of nursing, the shortage is so bad that I'll be able to get a job in nursing. It might not be the one I want, but it's an income.
I don't want to return to the profession, so my dh and I are exploring other options. I'm opening an etsy store and we're considering buying a bake shop.
I look at these years, aside from watching ds grow up, as a chance to reinvent myself. Re-evaluate what I want out of life.
My degree is in communication but I never really used it. I was happy at my job when I graduated college and just started moving up there.
I actually just found my diploma the other day, on a shelf. In the bathroom. Literally covered in dust, LOL.
DD is waking up, so I don't have time to read the other posts, which I usually enjoy, so sorry if this is repetitive.
I never thought of my degree as a way to earn money. Even when I was in vocational degree track -- architecture -- I still mostly saw my time at college as a chance to learn. Which may be why I did so poorly in architecture!
I feel like the weirdo on the Nest/Bump in that I've purposely made choices based solely on living in the moment, turning down promotion offers that I didn't feel would make me happy. I've lived communally and taken odd jobs so that I didn't have to work full time. For me, my 20's were just amazing and full of adventure. I wouldn't change my decisions to quit school and stay off the career track for anything. In fact, when I did finally take a managerial job, I was proud of it but unhappy.
If DH died or we got a divorce, I am completely confident in my ability to provide for my family. I've had to be really resourceful in the past and I could do it again. So my dusty english degree and my resume holes don't bother me. I'm a smart cookie, and I think that confidence gets you places no matter what situation you're in.
My degree is in theater and journalism, both subjects I think I will directly never use again. However, I do not consider my degree a waste because my internship experience got me the corporate job I had prior to becoming a SAHM, and that income helped us get to this point. I do sometimes feel sad that I spent less time in the work force than I did in college. Since my career was in Public Relations/Marketing, I do not think I will ever get back into it; it is hard to have a gap there. However, I have been using my editing skills to grade English papers for an online school, and was promoted to an online writing coach for this coming year. I am hoping that job will keep my resume from being "empty" until I am able to get my teaching certification.
My degree is what I like to call a cardboard box degree - since that's where I'd be living if I tried to make a living using it! LOL My B.A. is in History with a minor in Geography (great area to have a degree in, but you either have to live in poverty, have a master's or a teacher's certification.) I started a Master's in Creative Writing; then I realized the more education you get the harder it is sometimes to write creatively. It caused me to focus too much on the official stuff and not enough on the plot, characters, etc.
I couldn't make money with it. When DH and I decided that I'd quit to become a SAHM, I was working as a head teacher in a daycare center. Basically, my working pushed us up a tax bracket which took a good % of my pay and daycare would pretty much take the rest - even with my discount. I became a SAHM to save money. I do feel like I should be doing something, but not what I was doing. Staying home to raise our children will give me time to figure out what I want to do when my job as a SAHM is done.
If my marriage didn't work out, I'd probably go back to what I was doing. It wouldn't be ideal, but when you have children, you do what you need to to survive. But I'd continue to work toward what I wanted to do. Marriage or not, I plan to be doing something I enjoy in ten years.