The surprising thing to Sandy was cost of little things. Morning coffee, afternoon soda pop, a quick spin through a fast food joint to bring home supper, these and a dozen more ways to spend a dollar here and a dollar there added up. When this typical middle class family deducted all costs of having both spouses working, they were shocked to discover that Sandy was contributing only a third of her $14 an hour pre-tax earnings to family. This amounted to only $4.5 an hour, or barely $36 a day to family Spendable income. That amount calculates into $180 a week and $9000 a year. Each family unit is different and you may decide that money is worth effort of leaving home to work everyday. There is no right and wrong answer as we traditionally think of right and wrong. Instead, I prefer to think of it as being a best and O.K. answer. When thinking about adding $9000 a year to your family income, you must also consider intangible costs for earning that money. Intangibles are things that will cost you something, but are not measurable in terms of money. Working parents miss most of child’s firsts – first word, first step, first dirty diaper, first funny face, first four years. These things do not provide money, but they do give you sweet and kind memories to take with you through troublesome teen years. Being away from your child 40 – 50 hours a week and missing this kind of stuff is considered emotional cost of being a working parent. When a child is at home with her mother or father, they will be learning about life from someone who loves them more than any outsider. Children are great imitators, and who can be a better role model than a parent? Considering her career as a Customer Service Manager, Sandy knew she was topped out in both earnings and responsibility. Based on that, and her family’s finances, she decided to stay home when baby was born. She and her husband worked up a Spending Plan and figured out areas where Sandy could decrease costs, like making home made meals and taking time to find best prices for things.

So assuming that you, as a parent who would like to stay home with your child, what steps should you take? 1. Take some serious time to talk with each other about this decision. Reducing your standard of living to fit within a single income can be difficult, and if both of you are not together on this, it will fail and stress on your family could be catastrophic. 2. Plan what two of you would like future to be like. Write down your ideas, you know, live on one income, save for future, pay off debt, enjoy being able to nurture your child at home during early years, find a part-time job after your child goes to school. Write these plans on paper and hang them on your refrigerator door. Why fridge? It is only place in your house you are guaranteed to see them more than once a day. 3. If you have a time period of 2 – 4 months time before you will be ready to stop working, create a Spending Plan right away. This will allow you time to adjust to living on one income and make necessary adjustments to your spending levels such as cutting back on entertainment, or reducing monthly payments for little used services, etc. 4. The parent who will be staying home should prepare themselves for change if they have been working. Start making contact with other stay-at-home parents, talk with your friends about your decision so they will not be giving your grief after change occurs. 5. Keep clear communications open with your spouse, to make sure two of you are in agreement.

Making decision to leave work force and stay home with your child can be daunting. If you prepare for it like you would for any other lifestyle change, this decision can work out well for everyone in your family.

Photography - Let your child use a disposable camera or a digital camera and witness their creativity.

Picnic - Make some sandwiches and eat them outside.

Cooking - Find age-appropriate recipes and let your child help in kitchen.

Tag - How many versions of tag do you remember from your childhood? Teach oldies to your children (freeze tag, TV tag, etc.)

Write a Story - Younger children can write wiggle-worm sentences (much scribbling and pictures). Encourage older children to write chapter books -- your child may surprise you.

Charades - Toddlers can act out and guess their favorite animals (usually with many sound effects). Older children will enjoy acting out movie titles.

Flashlight - Turn off lights & make shadow puppets. Or get two flashlights and chase light beams.

Wildlife - Feed ducks, squirrels, birds, turtles or fish near you.

Abundance - Every day, have your children tell you what they are thankful for.

Dress Up - Give your children your clothes and watch them imitate you.

Treats - Make cookies and decorate them.

Dance - Turn up music and Dance!

Play Games - Teach your child all your favorite board games.

Journal - Present a notebook or diary to your child and encourage them to express their feelings with pictures and words.

Tea Party - Grab stuffed animals and treat them to a delicious cup of imaginary tea.

Keep in Touch - Write a letter to Grandparents, Aunts or Uncles. Teach importance of

family.

I Spy - Come up with age-appropriate clues and let you child guess what you are

thinking.

Be sure to print out this list and keep it handy for next time your children say

"MOMMMMMM -- we're bored!"

*This article may be edited for length*