Overcoming the Financial Challenge of Being a Stay-at-Home Mom

I frequently speak about the lost art of being a stay-at-home mom. Our digital age has forced our families to choose between a career and being at home to be a positive influence to our children.

We have a special opportunity to discuss the importance of being a stay-at-home mom in our weekly interview.

Our guests today; surprisingly, are our wives. My wife, Beth Embry, who is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Shepherds Hill Academy. Also, Rich’s wife, Debbie Roszel, who is a Private Tutor and the Author of two books: From Fortress to Freedom and The Mom’s Guide to Surviving West Point. Both women are mothers of five children, and both chose to be stay-at-home moms for several years.

Overcoming the Financial Challenge of Being a Stay-at-Home Mom

It seems that the pace of life today has brought us all to a place where we don’t feel like we can do without or be without everything or every opportunity that comes our way. Smartphones have now allowed us to bring our offices and our work home with us. It’s also made us available to everyone, everywhere, and all the time; yet, without the same kind of responsibility or accountability. When it comes to raising our kids, how’s that really been working out for us?

With an increasingly “Me” oriented society, the result is like adult kids in an adult candy shop. We have so many options today. But, with all those options comes a drastically reduced down time. We have a myriad of business, pleasure and information options that we naturally want to grab on to—for our own benefit.

What happens when a baby enters the scene? We still want and need the money, but now we are going to have to sacrifice some of it to adequately take care our children. Regardless of all the opportunities and options life offers us today, I think we may have to seriously consider the reality that parenting is going to require a greater sacrifice. If we are truly going to do parenting as God intended, initially and on the surface we need to own that sacrifice. I know this may not be a popular thing to talk about in our politically correct age. But, like a root canal, sometimes it’s necessary. Our wives, and guests, help us make sense of:

Does it really take two incomes to provide for a family?
Why your job is not your provision.
Just because your family is busy does not mean your family is succeeding.
God can provide your financial needs.
The truth about paying for your child’s college.

Picture provided by: Images Money.