I just visited a blog from another one that I read semi-regularly. I won’t put the names of either one on here because I’m not real familiar with them and don’t have a good feel yet for the kind of content on them.
Anyway, all that to get to the point of this post, which is this- The lady whose blog I was reading grew up in a small mountain town. She was reminiscing about the small town life. She was talking about things like knowing all of your neighbors and music playing on the square and walking down to the ice cream shop on Saturday nights. Then she went on to say that while she missed those things, she really loves her big paycheck, fancy car and sushi.
Well I was with her right up until the paycheck, then she lost me.
Point being, I am so thankful for this little town. We moved away from here when I was a kid and I spent all of my adult life trying to get back. I wanted my kids to go to school here and I wanted to walk down to the square and sit at the park and listen to the music being played on the band stand.
When we moved away, I was so sad. Leaving all my friends behind was so hard. But I adjusted in the bigger town and probably had more opportunities in things like sports, which was my passion back then. However, looking back on it now, I realize how much I missed out on here in this little town. I am so glad that my kids can be here and experience all the things that I did and a lot of what I missed.
I see my kids starting in a school system where they are in small classrooms with lots of one on one time with their teachers. Rather than being herded through and lost in the masses. I’m not trying to put down the bigger schools, I think it works out great for a lot of people, it’s just not for us.
And while our little town is not perfect, by any means, it is a quiet, peaceful, friendly town. Exactly the kind of place I want to raise my kids.
I didn’t become a stay-at-home-mom until Katie was 18 months old and I was quite used to my nice paycheck. However, the bottom line was that we knew we wanted me to be here raising her (and any future children) so we just went for it. We really had no plan whatsoever. And it was a major shock to the system learning to live on one income.
We adjusted though and we still struggle A LOT, but at the end of the day, I have been able to spend my time playing with, teaching (hopefully), and trying to create a warm, loving, welcoming environment for my husband and kids. It is a very satisfying feeling.
I really miss my hometown! I miss the small town life. Our present town is growing fast. The schools are overcrowded. I don’t know the people down the road. And sometimes I’m afraid to know them. Atleast in a small town, if the people are bad, you know it ahead of time. I’m with you all the way on small town America!
I SOOO agree with you!! I quit work to stay home when my oldest (now 14!) was 18 months old too! I have NEVER regretted it! We only have a few short years with our children, I want to treasure every day!!! No big paychecks, fancy cars, or sushi for me!! I’ll pass!! It is a struggle to make it on one income, but I agree with you…it is SO worth the financial struggle!! When I put my babies to bed at night and know that I have spent the whole day with them and loved them in every way I know how…that’s a perfect life to me! Great post!!
I envy all of you who can stay home with your kids. I stayed home with my kids when my twins were born. Then a crappy husband and bad divorce ruined all that. I miss staying home with them. My oldest is 14 and the twins are 9 now so they are in school all day but the summers are very hard! I want to play at the park and go to the library with them. Weekends go so fast and there are never enough hours in the day! We do a lot of things together as a family, i just wish we could do more!
I can’t imagine how different our lives would be today if we had stayed in that little town growing up! I miss it! You are a very lucky woman sis! I envy you!
I kind of like fancy cars and sushi. lol JUST KIDDING! Well sort of. I live outside a small town and I would TOTALLY rather live in a small town than a big one (once lived in Wichita, KS). The largest town around here is 25 miles away and the population is probably around 40,000. lol BUT THEY DO HAVE SUSHI THERE!!!
I loved staying home and being broke. Okay, well not the broke part, but I really think people with “little money” can be a lot happier than people with a lot of money. Life is difficult whether you have money or you don’t have money.
Tana, I am sorry you can’t stay home with your kids. I am sure that is tough. I know I was spoiled in that respect but lots of moms have to work, just a way of life nowadays.
I agree Kristi, it is a way of life nowadays for a lot of families. And we’ve had a couple of scares where we thought I might have to get back into the workforce. Fortunately it worked out in our favor, but that fear is always kinda lurking in the back of my mind.
You know where I am at on this! I also agree with you. I have told my husband that I would live in a two room shack so I could stay home with my children. Whatever it takes (short of anything immoral or unethical) I am willing to do. As you can tell by the crazy things I do on my blog (coupon, make my own laundry detergent). It is the most rewarding thing you can do. Because as someone said above, life is short and the time we have with our children is even shorter. Also, I love, love, love small towns. I keep trying to find a small town with a wonderful town square that is close enough so my husband doesn’t have to drive a million miles to work, but I haven’t found one yet. This was a great post!