Unless you live under a rock you would have heard the new federal budget has been released and as always it's got everyone talking.
And as always I need to put my 2 cents worth in, because I'm opinionated and because I'm sick of all this "stay at home mum is such a luxury" bullshit.
But first let me quickly get this whole FIFO workers lose their remote area allowance, thing out of the way. All these people whinging about 'FIFO workers do it so tough being away from their families" etc etc can I just say FIFO is a CHOICE. It's not forced upon you. It was a choice we made a few years back-it sucks, it's hard, it's not good for families but it's still a CHOICE. Big deal, you lose $1500 a year. All I can say is if you're a FIFO working and you RELY on that $1500-you really aren't very good at budgeting, your salary is definitely enough to cover normal living expenses.
But on to this child care and stay at home mum stuff.
I'm a SAHM. Have been for over 6 years now.
All these comments on budget articles about how mums would 'just LOVE the luxury of being at home' really annoy me.
I understand that living expenses are high, trust me with 3 kids I understand living is expensive.
And yes I know some of you will think 'well you can do what you like your husband is on a big salary' and yes that's true, he does have an above average income. But my choices would be the same no matter what his income-in fact before we became part of this crazy mining industry his income was definitely average and I still chose to be at home.
To me being a SAHM is not about having the 'luxury.' It's about SACRIFICE. I will gladly sacrifice fancy clothes, expensive furniture, overseas holidays, a brand new house or a brand new car so that I can be at home for my kids.
I sacrifice all this 'me time' I would have by going to work all day. I sacrifice having my 'own money' (although I'm not into married couples having separate money) I sacrifice being able to buy my kids new toys, books, clothes, electronic devices every second week to be able to be home.
For me there is no greater, no more important job than to raise your own children.
Working mums sacrifice too. They sacrifice raising their own children, spending time with their children so that they can have 'me time' at work, so they can have the new/better car. The newly built house, the nice furniture, the fancy clothes/toys. I'm not saying that's wrong or that these people are bad parents, it's just a different lifestyle and different priorities.
All mums sacrifice. It's part of being a mum.
But if staying home and being the main role model for my children means that I have to keep my TV cupboard that was probably 100 years old when we brought it from the good sammy's and has paper sticky taped over where the glass has broken, then that's what I'll do.
I'll keep my dining suite that was given to us, I'll keep our free hand me down computer desk, I'll keep buying second hand clothes or (God forbid) Kmart clothes for my kids.
Next time you think of stay at home mums, don't think 'luxury,' try to think of 'sacrifice' because that's what I do. I sacrifice all those things for my kids. And I'll continue to sacrifice living the 'high life' so that I can ALWAYS be here for my children.
