Women who want to be home full time usually have to give up some things in order to do this. I asked the women in the chat room what they had to give up and I received many great comments. Here are a few of them:

Kim: “Being a number at a job. Being someone that is replaceable. Being used and not paid for a job well done. Not being appreciated. Enlarging someone else’s wallet. Time spent with family so my boss can go home while I worked overtime to ‘get ahead.’ Not being able to stay at home when my children were sick. Drying cleaning. Working holidays. Getting caught up in the Working Woman’s mindset. Being lied to by SATAN!”

Judy: “Stress, along with a lot of  ‘hay, wood, and stubble.’

Michelle: “I have given up much of my pride. Worldly luxuries that have no eternal benefit. But ooohh, the rewards!!! I have had the blessing of being a stay at home wife and mother for seventeen years.”

Celina: “I gave up free private Christian school tuition, a sizable salary (and the ability to buy what I wanted when I wanted), daily social interaction with solid Christians face to face; I also gave up a ton of stress, deadlines and responsibility, guilt, pride, business clothes and pretty shoes, being a boss, being an employee, pleasing others.”

Jessica: “Nothing. We would be spending in daycare and convenience foods what I was making. I would have had a nervous breakdown worrying about the boys all day between the Aspergers, bleeding disorder, and food allergies anyway. I honestly don’t know how people let strangers take care of their children all day.”

Diane: “Six figures a year. Worth every penny.”

Laressa: “Nothing. We grew up with stay-at-home moms so this feels normal to us. We live within our means. My husband’s salary has gone up and down quite a bit over the years, but we have always had our needs met and many of our wants. We’ve always been self employed and there are extremely good years and some lean years.”

Jessica: “An unfulfilling job. LOL. I wanted a home and family to start with.”

Lynn: “Nothing and lots. Let me explain. Nothing is the fact that ALL of our needs are met. We have all the important things. We have a home, our farm, cars, clothes, food, insurance, etc. Things we go without… expensive vacations, cable TV. Eating out all the time, extra shopping trips, NEW vehicles, NEW furniture. I’m thrilled to be at home. I wouldn’t trade it for all the money in the world.”

Carla: “We would definitely have a bigger home if I worked. Ironically, we probably would not have had as many children and would not have needed more space. I know compared to many around the world my home is a mansion. We pray we will have more room someday, but God knows our needs. He is able!”

Wendy: “My job, my large home, our two cars…22 years ago and four children later and would do it all again in a flash.”

Robin: “My salary which at the time was half of our income. I didn’t care at the time – I would have lived in a cardboard box in order to stay home with my daughter! However, God has always been faithful to meet our needs! Not always in the way I wanted or would have done it or even in the timing I wanted, but all according to His will and plan.”

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Ephesians 3:20