Desperate to Be a Housewife

At a very young age, I wanted to be a business woman and wear a suit to work. I couldn't wait to be one of those women who had a job in a big beautiful building. No one told me to be careful of what I asked for. They didn't say how challenging it is to raise a family (raise them well) while working full-time outside the house. No one said that I would have guilt and sadness from spending only 30 minutes with my newborn in the morning because on the way home from day care, she would be fast asleep. They also didn't tell me that leaving my quiet subdivision in the suburbs I'd endure the stress of traffic and I would spend dollar after dollar at cheap fast food restaurants just to get some air. Breathe…

Is there a way out? Sure! Just quit, says my wonderful hubby. But then the burden of mortgage, electricity, water, gas, and food is thrown on dear hubby while I sip cocktails between All My Children and Ellen. At least, that's what he thinks I will do all day. He is more comfortable for me to slave in my cubicle than he is concerned that the dirty clothes will have a mind of its own if piled a day longer in the laundry room. How do I change his mind?

Determine the needs and wants

One of the many fears of a one income household is that the little things will be terminated. Surprisingly, he's not worried that the lights will get cut off or that we'll foreclose on the house. He will really miss the hot wings, beer and Netflix on Saturday nights. Honestly, I will too. But there are things that I am willing to sacrifice; weekday beer (Mon-Thur) McDonald's filet of fish, red paint, and useless trips to Wal-Mart. He's paying the real bills anyway. My money really doesn't go to the house. Not unless you count the power scrubber and the strawberry scented candles. I don't need those. Really.

Show him the good stuff

Take a week off of work and be the dutiful housewife. Show him how nice and pretty the white baseboards are when the dust is wiped off. You will have to actually point this to him because he may not realize what the baseboards are. Finding something more important to him may have a stronger effect; be it a drawer full of clean underwear and towels. Not his bag either? Show him a nicely stocked refrigerator full of his favorite drinks and a cupboard full of his favorite snacks. Have the family room cleaned with perfection with his slippers waiting and the remote filled with new batteries. See what I have time to do because I'm not at work? Big kiss.

Whine and Complain

Unconsciously, the thought of work on Monday ruined my Sunday. I would have a bad attitude all day Sunday because I was rushed to do everything that I didn't do and try to schedule everything else that needed to be done. I was not a happy camper. The complaining was not done purposely to irritate him at all but it did show him that I was genuinely unhappy and that it was not just a phase.

Pray

All day and everyday! If you believe in prayer, do it. I pray that somehow I can be delivered from this madness and still pay the bills. I know that patience is essential and that one day I will be home with my children but the waiting is horrible. So I pray for patience, a work at home job, and an outlet to not hate my job so much. Writing seems to help.

Find Alternatives

Basically, other than God granting a wonderous miracle very soon, nothing is going to get you out of this situation but an alternative for income. Unless you are financially able to pay the note on the Hummer plus indulge in hot wings and beer on the weekend, you'll probably need to look for a work at home job. Now, these are not easy to come by. Finding legit opportunities on your own can be frustrating. I highly suggest finding forums of other work at home moms and network. The process is not overnight, but get the wheels turning and with all of these ingredients, something is sure to happen. At least, I hope they will for me soon.