I am just wondering, what are the parameters for a real job? Is having a shop on Etsy a real job? How about being a stay at home mom?
I was recently talking to my husband and I mentioned "There really isn't that much traffic on Etsy today." Thinking to myself, that it is of course a holiday weekend and people are probably busy.
His response, "That is probably because they are all working at their real jobs."
You see, he wants me to get a "real job". Believe me, I want that too, because getting up every 5 seconds to attend to my child's needs and picking up the house a thousand times a day is just too much work. All day I hear, "Can I have some water mom, Look at this mom, can you read me a book mom" and I do these things because I love my child and want him to be happy. I also spend hours a day making items for my Etsy shop, doing listings, working on things for the team, and now working on the blog. Not to mention the work that has to be done in my home. I am starting to think that getting a "real job" may be just the break I need.
So, what exactly are the guidelines for a real job?
- 40 hours a week? I put in way more hours than that right now.
- What should the pay be? As a stay at home mom, I save us well over $1000 dollars a month. (We live in small town Minnesota, good paying jobs are scarce. So my income potential out of home would probably be $1200-$2000 a month)
- Where does the job have to be, to be a real job? Does working from home count?
The last time I had a "real job", full time/paying that is, I spent more in gas and benefits than I made from working. That doesn't seem like the best plan...Hmmm
Let me know what you think!
Katie
I'm also a stay-at-home mom, and although it's not a "real job," it's definitely what works for our family. With the medical issues my oldest son has, and the PM Kindergarten schedule my youngest has, plus my daughter's after school activities, no "real job" would be flexible enough. So, for us, the extra money I make on Etsy and I'm trying to get in a local shop, that has to be good enough for this stage of our lives. I love every minute of it, and my kids appreciate having me there. Luckily we can afford it, so for me, staying at home is priceless.
ReplyDeleteSo here is my answer to men....Ladies/Moms add up what you make per hour doing a "job" you are qualified for. Add up gas and time for "job" commute and don't forget day care. Taxes you will have to pay on the "9 to 5" now split ALL HOUSE CHORES with him because you are still a mom and working just like the man. So does he do the house work or does he do the shopping and cooking? it has to be fair and he will have to do it because you can not do it all and be functional too. In the end are the children better off with another care taker in their life, does daddy really have alone quality time with the kids and alone quality time with his wife??
ReplyDeleteEtsy is a real job if you work it like one.......so if your numbers come out to be you are really making $200 a month make that your online store goal to make just that and grow from there.
MsFoodies 2 cents oxox with love
I have a "homesteader" style household, yes I work the typical "job" outside of the home to pay for household expenses, mortgage, electric, etc. At the moment I work 6 days a week (which is typical for me) My husband works outside of the home 3 nights a week, when I am home. We split our own wood to heat our house in the winter, can foods, work on our garden, hang our clothes to dry on the line when able, make our own laundry soap, the list goes on. Everyone in the household helps, including my children. Just because its not income producing doesn't mean it's not income saving. Someone is always home so we take care of our children, and if something comes up, (kids get sick, or kids have a week off from school, a car breaks down etc) we don't have to worry about possibly losing our job just because life happens. Etsy is a great way to help contribute to the househol income while still providing all of the "income saving" that is necessary in today's world. ~CosmicCauldron
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your posts. I love my husband, but he can be so frustrating! LOL
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young, I never had a "real job" except ocassionally a seasonal thing, and it worked. My kids are now all healthy functioning individuals with families of their own and they are better for the time that was given to them--invested in their lives. Money isn't everything!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou DO have a real job (on your hands) and while hubby would love to see the added income, there are minuses as you mentioned. There is another draw back to working outside the home in addition to missing milestones in your child's development. Hubbies tend to expect their wives to work TWO jobs: the outside one and the inside one.
ReplyDeletePraying it all works out for you. Love ya.
Totally agree! Though, I do have to give him some credit...he works away from home and when he is home he does help out. He does his own laundry and the dishes when he is here, but when he is gone, I am pretty much a single mom. There are so many task you have when you have a child and he doesn't do many of them so he just doesn't understand. i.e.. baths, extra laundry, taking him to daycare and preschool, ect...
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Couldn't have put it better myself babe!
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I'm on what's referred to as "medical leave" but basically I have a severe case of PTSD which causes me to have seizures and other unhappy things when I'm around too many people. Working from home by selling on Etsy and Tophatter has not only allowed me to pay my bills while I can't work, it's been a wonderful form of therapy!
Being a Mom is a real job. Arguably, the most important job. You're raising a child to become a competent human being who will contribute to the world in the way they can do it best. It's not just a job, it's a noble profession.
ReplyDeleteEtsy is also a job! You earn some money (some of us more than others LOL), put a lot of effort into building a product, marketing, managing inventory, and that all sounds like "real" work to me. So really, you should tell hubby to get off his duff and get a second job, to catch up to you! :)
LOL Robin that is great!
ReplyDelete