Choosing Time Over Treasure: Why Staying Home with Kids Matters More Than Money

twitchy.com

A 'Reel' is circulating Twitter of a Mother feeding her young child. In it, she shares her thoughts as she feeds her child the night bottle. She decries the mere two hours she gets a day with her child and how both of those hours are rushed. The first hour is rushing out the door to get to daycare and Mom's work. The other hour is getting home after work and doing dinner and bath routine before the baby is ready for bed. Kids grow up so fast and losing so much time with them is devastating for a mother. 

Another Mom quote tweeted the Reel and discussed the sacrifices she and her husband are making for her to stay home with their child and not miss these hours. 

When my first son was born, I dreamed of staying home with him. I did—for seven months—until my marriage ended and I had no choice but to return to teaching. My grandmother lovingly stepped in to care for him while I was at school, and I was home by 4:00 p.m. every day. Still, every morning I left with a broken heart.

With my daughter, I managed to stay home for her first year. Family support meant she never spent a day in daycare, but I still felt the ache of missing moments. When she was three, God opened an unexpected door: a work-from-home job. It wasn’t easy—balancing deadlines and diapers, conference calls and cuddles—but it was a sacrifice I gladly made.

Since then, I’ve pieced together remote work as our family’s sole breadwinner. It’s not the storybook version of motherhood I once imagined, but it’s the closest I’ve come to having both: providing for my children and being present for them.I know how rare this path is. Too many mothers want to be home but can’t afford to. That’s why I believe the Republican Party should champion policies that make it possible for more families to have a parent at home—because children thrive when a parent is there, and families shouldn’t have to choose between love and livelihood.

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It’s not about politics. It’s about what’s best for kids.

One option is for spouses to work alternating shifts; another is for the dad to take on a second job. My son, a firefighter/paramedic, is getting married soon. His fiancée currently works, but I’ve told him clearly that she may choose to stay home once they have a child. I’d happily watch the baby if needed, but as the mother, she might prefer to be with her child full-time. I’ve urged him to plan ahead so she can stay home if that’s her wish—it builds a happier, more stable family.

Those years are gone in a blink. Parents have the rest of their lives to chase success through an occupation. Don't lose sight of the most important things.