So the last couple of days I have been out of commission. Sarah has sacrificed so much to take care of the kids, and myself. We even went to a storage facility auction, and bought a storage shed full of stuff. Just like on the cable show Storage Wars. It was a lot of fun and we got a lot of fun stuff. It was worth it and we got our money back plus some. But since I was down and out her brother Josh came and helped clean out the shed before the dead-line. While I was down I have watched way too much TV. But I have picked up on a reoccurring topic. Family. I was watching that wife swap show, which I would never want to do… and one thing this lady told her temporary family was “You can’t put your children’s well being and future on a spreadsheet”
It was said during an outburst of a homeschooling mom toward a family where both parents worked strictly due to the want of more money. Not that they needed it, but they said they wanted a high education for their children and a nest egg for their children when they are older. A high education is always a good thing, but I do have some problems with the method of accomplishment that this family followed. An education for children at an Ivy league school is always one of those awesome accomplishments. But forfeiting a grand childhood to parents that both work 50-60 plus hours a week, to me, in my opinion, is a sad failure.
“No other success can compensate for failure in the home” – David O. Mckay
I have mentioned, in prior post, jobs and a career that I have forfeited to be around for my family. Other things I have given up is Quality of life verses Quantity of life. I have a handful of autoimmune disorders that would normally start with a medication routine that includes drugs that block cancer fighting elements in your body. Now by taking these combination of drugs that my insurance even approved me to take and are quite expensive, they pose an even higher risk of complications. So I had a choice. Taking into account my combination of autoimmune disorders, I choose a life of pain and discomfort and gradual increase of pain medications then my other choice. See, I run a very high risk of developing Hodgkins and or Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. So I choose of a life of becoming crippled, bent over, joints fused, and pain. But this way I will be around for a long time with my children, rather then end of life cancer that potentially will shorten my time with my family. So I hope your health choices as well now will benefit not only you but also your children as well. The risk of second hand smoke is almost worse to others then the smoking habit itself to the smoker. Even if you smoke outside, for almost a day after one puts out the cigarette, that person still excretes harmful chemicals just as bad as the smoke itself. How about sugar, diabetes, fatty foods, lack of exercise, the list goes on and on.
No matter how much planning you put into your childrens future and no matter how much you work and struggle at your job now, your childrens well being will suffer in the long run. It will not matter if they have a nest egg or not if they have not built family memories while they are young. A family will never be a solid family built on love and compassion when children spend more time with a daycare provider instead of with Mom and Dad. If there is any thing a family can cut out of their spending to stay at home with their children, then the family will have an easier time growing together. I understand some parents must both work just to stay afloat. But if cable TV, cell phones especially with all of the fluff like txt, data plans and everything can be cut back on. Eating “IN” verses eating out will save sooooo much!
What have you done in the past to make the life of your children a higher quality of life with their family?
What can you do now to better it?
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