If they have a career, they will help their family with living expenses at the expense of time with their children. If they are a mom and do not have a career, income will be low and they will have to struggle as a family. It is probably safe to say that your family needs multiple sources of income and expense management in order to be able to pay for everything. But those multiple sources of income should not be from both parents working outside of the home.

Let’s start with expense management or budgeting. Let’s start with the single most expensive money pit we have in our homes: the second car. Seriously consider getting rid of it or at least not driving it every day to work. Use public transportation. You are young—ride a bike. Look at how to cut your vehicle expenses by cutting your vehicles.

Generating any kind of significant income from home is difficult. Don’t believe those claims many make that you can earn thousands of dollars in a short time and do very little work. It will not happen. Honest home jobs usually are found in careers of writing, web design, language translation, and computer programming. And even if you have skills in these fields, you will find that trying to make any kind of significant income from home with them can consume many hours which will rob you from time you’re your children too.

The best is to find your niche and market your own product for selling outside of your home. That takes time too but you can set your own hours as you try to build product recognition and sell it. People working from home have been known to design creations in apparel and jewelry that they can sell from a website or catalog.

So your best bet in shaking off dependence on two incomes is to closely look at and cut nonessential household expenses and then look at ways to generate income from your home in such a way as to not consume too much of your time away from your small children.

Remember that the first years of your child are the formative years. This is a time when you will be able to form a special bond with your child and keep in mind that you will never get another chance to do it again. This is when you as a Christian parent will have the time you need to teach your child about God and be able to do it every day. Keep this Bible passage from Deuteronomy in mind:

Deuteronomy 6:7 (KJV) – And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

The verse tells us to teach the ways of the Lord to our children. When? You teach them when you sit in your house (at the dinner table), when you walk to and fro, when you lie down to rest, and when you get up in the morning (and feed your children breakfast). When both parents work outside of the home, they don’t have time to this. Remember, you do not get a chance to do it over with your kids.

Suggested Reading:

The Working Parents Handbook

Ellen Melinkoff (Contributor). Fireside 1996, Paperback, 320 pages, $2.94

Working Mom’s 411

Michelle LaRowe. Regal 2009, Paperback, 224 pages, $4.46

Be a Family Person

I say “family person” as a general term to refer to husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and adult children. Family person does not necessarily only deal with marriage or parenting. The term also refers to the child who grew to an adult and still has relationships with his or her parents and grandparents. The career of being a family person is a very critical and important one that most employers have very little concern for (in spite of what they say)

Many People Put Family Second and Career First

You’ve heard it before: “Family first.” Yet so many young people in their early adult years ignore it either because of fear of their boss or an overwhelming desire to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as possible.

I attended a funeral a couple of years ago for a friend I had known for quite a few years. In his 50s, he came down with cancer and died in a short time despite efforts to treat it. He was a friend and we also shared the same profession. During the funeral, many got up before the audience and told their stories. His children, now in their teenage years, got up and told us stories about their adventures with their dad. But not one person got up before the audience and told stories about his career pursuits or vocational achievements.

Few will talk about your career when you die

And guess what? When you die, few will talk of your career at your funeral too. No, they will talk about how you shared time with them, how you shared happy and sad moments with them, and how you helped them when in need. Take a moment and try to view off in the future and think about how that will be. What would they say about you at your funeral?

So what if your boss makes demands on you that consistently rob you of time with your family? What do you do? Quit? I’m talking about demands that have been going on for quite some time and give no indication of letting up (not just the occasional overtime).

“You can always get another job but you only get one family.”

A wise, aged, man told a young professional who was working all kinds of hours that, “You can always get another job but you only get one family.” And, he continued on to say, “No one has respect for a ‘yes’ man.”

His point is that you only get one chance at this family thing and you need to set boundaries and limits with your employer. Your most important “career” is to take care of family whether it is being a dad, or a mom, or an adult child taking care of your aging parents. These are the things that after your relationship with God matter first. Taking care of your family pleases God. And if you lose your job because of an employer who is unreasonable then consider this verse from the Bible:

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

To put it simply: God wants you to take care of your family. That is his will without a doubt. Do his will in this area and he will take care of you as the verse says. Someday, you will look back and not have any regrets having made a decision to put the family “career” before your professional career.