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Entrepreneurship:  Farm work and "pay" work - can we do it all?  |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 08:03:21 AM
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I am wrestling with the decision of whether or not to go back to work at a big manufacturing facility in our area - for the past 3 years, I've been at home on the farm and loved it, but I havent' been able to make any $$. This plant offered me my former position (HR/Safety compliance manager) back at a good (OK, great for the area) salary, and I am having such a hard time figuring out what to do. I almost get weak in the knees when I think of the farm improvements that I could afford if I went back "out" to work, but then there's the question of my babe (2-year-old boy - the SWEETEST one!)... What do you gals do, and how do you balance it all?
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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Kate
MaryJane's Farmgirl
135 Posts
Kate
Moscow
ID
USA
135 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 09:21:22 AM
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Libbie~
Although I don't know what it feels like to struggle with work and a family (I'm not married and I don't have kids)I do know what it feels like to have a stay at home mom. I can speak from your little boys view and say all the treasures in the world couldn't replace the experience of having my mom home with me when I was small. I think it's very understandable to want to improve your farm/home but maybe you can take the job when your little one is older. Hope my view point helps your decision it isn't an easy one. xoxo Kate
Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.....unless they are spelling mistakes. |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 09:42:29 AM
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Anne .. follow your heart .. sounds easy enough to do .. but you will have to do a lot of 'weighing and measuring' .. and remember the world (or your own personal world) won't come to an end if you choose one path and after awhile decide to amble down a different one. I've been both .. a working mom and a stay-at-home mom and i very much enjoyed both. Wouldn't have traded my work or full-time mom experiences for anything!
True Friends, Frannie |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 10:00:37 AM
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Libbie -- I certainly feel for you having to make this decision. I have worked for 30 years and when my youngest daughter was born I went back to work. She was only 3 months old. I worked full-time until she was two and then said that I had enough of juggling work, home, and daycare. Stephanie is now 11 and I've only worked off and on during that time. When she was in 2nd grade I decided to go back to work full-time because we really needed the money. I worked for 6 months and got laid off. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. About 6 weeks ago I decided to venture out and try working full-time again. I was miserable and so was Stephanie. She told me that even though she is older she really missed me being at home, especially after school. She went to my oldest daughter's to stay until I got off work but she didn't like it. I also hated trying to cram all my housework, shopping, etc into the few hours that I had off or on the weekends. It was only a temporary job and it ended after two weeks -- thank God!
Your little guy is so young and they are only small for a short time. My oldest is 35 and it seems like yesterday that she was little. I worked the whole time she was growing up and she told me the other day that most of what she remembers of her childhood is me being gone all the time. I never knew that and it just cut a knife through my heart.
Being a stay-at-home mom is hard because of the financial sacrifices that we have to make. But those sacrifices are worth it to be able to be the one to raise our own children. I agree with Kate -- maybe the farm improvements can wait until your son is older. Maybe when he's ready to go to school you could go back to work. Or you could do something from home to generate some income to make the improvements.
Just follow your heart and you will know what the right decision is.
The only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary!
http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - therusticcottage on Nov 29 2005 10:02:57 AM |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 12:26:22 PM
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Oh, ladies - thank you so much for the heartfelt responses. I am just going to keep reading, weighing options, and thinking. I am right in the middle of the storm it seems, right now.
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 12:46:19 PM
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You know, there are no easy answers to this question! I have been a stay at home most of the time, except for a 1 year period of extreme financial hardship, but then I worked an opposite shift from my hubby so he could be home when I wasn't.We have struggled with that very thing since we bought our property...but we have done without a second income for 10 years now, just doing what we can a little at a time. Now my kids are grown... but I have 2 elderly parents to care for, grandkids to care for when they are sick, so I am STILL at home. There just isn't anyone else that can do for the people in my llife what I can do.That IS a full time job.And one I am proud of.
My suggestion is try to find something you can do at home..take in another 2 year old in daycare to give your son someone to play with! That is what I did a lot of the time.I have sewn for money, cleaned houses at night,ironed clothes for people, done yard work.
My advixce would be try and stay home if you can..although the days with a toddler can sometimes seems NEVER ending, you will be amazed someday at how FAST his childhood went by and regret alot of things even if you DO stay home. My daughter tells me it is really hard for her to feel like a good mother when she only sees her kids three hours a day, one hour in the morning which is SO tense trying to get out the door on time, and then 2 hours after work , trying to get dinner fixed, laundry started, and be with the kids. There is NO quality time available.You don't want your son to be like Kay's daughter and have his childhood memory of you as being gone all the time if you don't have to!!
And Kay, that is hard as a Mom to hear, but remember what Maya Angelou said "We did the best we knew how to do at the time. When we knew better, we did better" that is SO true of motherhood. |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2005 : 7:56:25 PM
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I am tossing around so many ideas about this now - I have a very strong feeling that I don't want my little birdie (that's what he calls himself! - except last night, when we were having a pot roast, he said that he was "mama's little pot roast!") do go to daycare. As I was talking this over with my husband, we decided that it would have to be opposite shifts or nothing. So, I'm thinking that might be a good compromise for a while - I just have to keep mulling stuff over until I come to what I feel is the right decision, I guess.
I LOVE the Maya Angelou quote - it's so true for all of us, all of the time. I also am thinking of things that I could do at home/the farm to bring in some extra income for us. We are feeling a bit pinched right now, and there must be something...
I have the land, I have the energy, I have the time - I suppose that what I'm lacking may be the ideas and the confidence.
I feel like you all are a bunch of sisters talking this over with me. Thank you.
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
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Krisathome
True Blue Farmgirl
90 Posts
Kristin
Iowa
USA
90 Posts |
Posted - Dec 01 2005 : 9:07:36 PM
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| I'm a sahm even though my kids are all in school fulltime. I have tried to work outside the home and I am just not made to do it. I got very stressed about it and took it out on my family. We live on my dh's paycheck which is sometimes VERY good and other times there is NO extra at all. BUT I wouldn't trade being home for my kids for anything. I am also available when my dh has a bad day at work and I can be there for him. Before, when I worked, all I could think about was work and how was I going to get everything done. Not a fun time in my life. |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Dec 02 2005 : 9:16:12 PM
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OK, ladies - here's the new twist to the story - I took a pregnancy test today (I just had that "feeling")and....YAY! I believe that I am expecting a little one - I know it's probably a bit early to announce, but I am so excited - and now more confused than ever...
Here's my latest thought - I work part-time out of the home for 6 months while I get some sort of farm-based entreprenurial thing going (my husband said that we can work this out with his schedule so he can watch the pot roast), and then I'm living the good life at home on my farm with my babies.
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
Edited by - Libbie on Dec 02 2005 9:19:14 PM |
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Krisathome
True Blue Farmgirl
90 Posts
Kristin
Iowa
USA
90 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2005 : 1:08:51 PM
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| Congratulations!!! This is great news!! |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2005 : 5:18:02 PM
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How exciting Libbie!!!
Jenny in Utah
It's astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen...Frances Burnette |
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Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2005 : 11:23:54 PM
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| I think the man upstairs gave you your answer...congrats on expecting!! Another cute little Pot Roast!! I just LOVE pot roasts... |
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Juliekay
True Blue Farmgirl
237 Posts
237 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2005 : 05:23:12 AM
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Congratulations Libbie!
When are you due?
Julie |
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Lavender Cottage
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Ellen
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2005 : 09:24:52 AM
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Congratulations Libbie! Wonderful news! All the best! :)
Ellen |
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celebrate2727
True Blue Farmgirl
989 Posts
Beth
MJF
Farmgirl
989 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2005 : 09:32:24 AM
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What sort of home based business are you thinking of? I have always wanted to start my own party planning business. It is so rural out here and there isn't much to do for kids birthdays and such. I always planned all the parties for my school when I was teaching. But then I am also interested in crafts and organics so I don't know. I bet if you put down all your talents and interests, the farmgirls here can help you get a plan together.
I too stayed home for most of my kids, but times as they are have forced me back to the office. I started with just a few hours weekly but soon was given almost 40 hours a week. I enjoy the work , I work with great people but long to be home. My youngest is almost 4 and my oldest is 16. i spend most of my life either working or driving. I would love to make the change to sahm. I am going to look at all the ideas here and hopefully find a way to do it. All I need is to make what I am making now minus my daycare expense. I can't believe I spend 125.00 a week for someone else to raise my child. So I am with you on how hard of a choice it is. But with the baby on the way, it seems the choice is made for you. I have four and they are my greatest accomplishments.
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
-Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)
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Entrepreneurship: Farm work and "pay" work - can we do it all? |
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Farm work and "pay" work - can we do it all?
