Almost five months ago I was laid off then brought back and put on a one day work week. It has been and still is a huge adjustment for our family budget. It took me a while to actually see the good in this and now I’m secretly praying it lasts another six months.
Yes, we’ve made some real sacrifices, like putting our travel trailer up for sale and staying in instead of going out to dinner on the weekends, or to the theater. On the flip side some great memories have been made over the last few months.
I mean our back yard “staycation” weekends rocked this year!
There has been a lot of great discussions and laughs during dinner around our table, playing board games, watching movies on dvd in our pj’s and sharing popcorn. These are the memories I wouldn’t trade for anything. These are the things I hope our daughter remembers of this time in her life, not that we couldn’t afford a summer vacation or to take her horse back riding every weekend. I hope she remembers having her mom home to see her off to school four days a week and being here waiting to hear about her day when she returns.
I love my job and some days I still really miss it, a lot. But I’m finding being home much rewarding then I expected it to be. I feel a lot of pride in spending my day keeping the house clean and moving smoothly for my family.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all about being the mom, being home has some pretty good selfish perks too. Like staying up late with out the worry of rushing out the door in the morning, being able to enjoy a little me time during the day. I know the day is going to come and I’ll have to spin back in to that busy working mom routine but for now I am trying to focus on the surprising good that has come from being laid off and filling these days with good memories.
These are the memories
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WONDERFUL attitude and I can totally relate!! We check our movies out at the library and have become homemade pizza pros. So glad you’ve gotten this time.
I often think that working part time would be the perfect compromise – you get to get out there, but still have plenty of home time, too.
I’m glad you’re making the best of it – sounds like you had a wonderful summer.
You make excellent points about staying home. I am glad my hours are such that I can be around for my kids after school, too. The boys and I have never been on a real family vacation since I divorced their dad, but we’ve managed to have some fun doing local-ish things. I hope they remember such things fondly as well.
you’ve got to make the most of what you’ve got, ya know!?
some of my best memories are playing board games with me parents while eating bbq ribs from adams rib!
I’m all about simplifying my life lately. Well, OUR lives. This year, for the holidays, we’re going homemade – and I’m totally excited! I’ve always felt pressure to compete with the high dollar price tags on holiday gifts exchanged with my brothers (with deeper pockets than those of my firefighter husband and I, a teacher). But this year, I’m genuinely excited to present my homemade gifts. And, some of my best memories are of the time spent with my family right after my parents hit the financial rock bottom. We made “Texas Trash” and packaged it in miniature trash cans (really intended for food) and mailed it off to family members for the holidays. We baked at home and stamped butcher paper to wrap presents in…it was fantastic. Today, I enjoyed making holiday cards with my girls – and can’t wait to get started on the projects I’ve planned for everyone. It’s a good lesson for us to teach our children, and continue to reteach ourselves year after year.
Enjoy!
I love this post and how positive your attitude is. I remember a time growing up when my dad was out of work. And though I was aware that there were things we couldn’t afford, what I remember most from that time is my dad standing on the balcony watching me walk safely to and from the bus stop. And how he was there every afternoon when I came home from summer school, ready with lunch and eager to watch the OJ Simpson trial with me. While I didn’t get everything I wanted because of the financial strain, in hindsight, I know that made me appreciate things more, and I wouldn’t have traded the time I had with my dad for all the clothing in the world.
I love our weekends at home. I like to travel but those cozy dinners by the fire with a home cooked meal are hard to beat. No driving, no spending money…and the Labs are here! I think it is amazing what we can cut out of our budget and end up making it just fine and being happy with less stress.
I have been on maternity leave for the last 6 weeks. I am not looking forward to going back to work. Don’t get me wrong I am thankful to have a job, but I have enjoyed the time at home with my family. I cooked more than I normally do and I got to spend time with my husband.
Successful Parenting
I was laid off for 2 weeks this summer, I loved it, would be a stay at home mom again in a heartbeat. But alas, if I don’t work, we don’t eat.
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