are there any other single SAHM mamas here

Another single SAHM here. I haven't worked outside the home since
dd was born. While I was pregnant my Mother became very ill, and
my Dad would have needed to get a nursing company to come into
the home daily to help care for her. To help my parents and to help
me in my situation I moved back home so I don't have to pay a rent
or utilities. I help my Dad with the care of my Mother and the house
chores, and now I am taking care of the paying of bills (Dad is not
keeping up, and I am taking over so that he can save money. Too
many late fee's).
I keep a small income with Ebay so that I don't have to ask my parents
for money. I also keep my dd clothed with buying on Ebay.
(Side note-GREAT TIP FOR PARENTS- People like to clean out there
homes and get rid of stuff off season on Ebay. From buying Winter
coats in the Spring for dd, her wearing them the next Winter, then I
sell them the next Fall, I have actually made money. If it's a well made
brand name.
One Example- I bought dd a red holiday Gap coat on Ebay in
Spring for $7.99 including shipping. She wore it to church, and
holiday gatherings the next Winter. This fall I sold that same
jacket for about $22.00. It all helps.)

When dd starts going to school full time I hope to start working or go
back to school. That is two years away, so SAHM I will be for awhile.
No regrets just would like to work part time again.

I'm a single SAHM too. Yes, I'm on state assistance. No, it's not a pretty life but it allows me to be home with my one and only child. I will probably not have any more children so I really wanted to do the best I could with ds.

I DO have to get a job soon BUT I'm looking for a nanny position where I can bring my son to. It's not an easy search in the area I'm in. People just don't want a nanny to bring her own child. The people around here tend to be wealthy and, um, snobbish.
I've actually been looking for a position for a year! So, it's not like I'm trying to 'milk' the system.
Also, I have a bad hip (under docs care) and may be able to postpone the job search for awhile.

I do sell Mary Kay and that helps occasionally. It would REALLY help if I could leave ds with his father while I did the home parties. That is the REAL way to earn the big bucks. I stay with Mary Kay simply because of the high commision.

Good to see this thread.
Hugs,
Liz

I'm glad that you have that option. With the death of your husband, you all need each other more than ever and it really is important for you to all have time to be together and enjoy those two blessings in your life.

You'll be surprised at the options that can work once you get through babyhood and get back to normal sleep.

I manage well with my own studies and homeschooling. I do most of my work at night when the kids are in bed and I find it fills a void that I was feeling of not having a partner to hang with after the kids were asleep. I do get some work done in the day because my kids play well together. But I don't do it often.

With homeschooling we mostly unschool, so it's not hard to fit the homeschooling stuff in and we do lots of reading & crafts and find learning adventures everywhere. It's much like stay home parenting anyway, so it wasn't hard to fit it in.

I did nothing but be a single stay home parent until my youngest was two and even then I only did 1 course over 6 months and it was a bit challenging. Now I do 4 and can handle the pace much better.

Quote:
Wow...compared to FL that looks generous! Here you could get $198 mo (for mother and TWO kids) if your child is under three months, then only if you are "actively looking for a job (20 applications a week) and after a couple of months of looking for a job you are required to do 30 hours a week of community service while getting your $198 a mo and putting your child into day care. Plus they want vax records. And it takes hours and hours in unsanitary waiting rooms with a newborn just to get that. Food stamps are on top of that, though, and generous...but can't live on food alone. We do get to eat organic, which is nice, and whenever I feel particularly poor we can go to the grocery store and get a treat. Every bit helps to make us feel more human

Wow Jster and thistlelait, I had no idea that the welfare system was so bad in the US (I knew it wasn't the greatest, but to not even get enough to live on!)
I feel even more grateful for what I get. Admittedly the system here gets a lot of flak because it is so easy for people to rip it off, but its so great for the people who actually need it. We get cheaper health care, food grants (up to $400 a year when we need it) and we can also get other grants for things that we need - like bond for a house or optician appointments. They also pay for any study we might want to do.
I don't have to look for a job until my ds is school age, and even then working is not compulsory until he turns 14 (the legal age for leaving children home alone).

Good luck finding a house out here thistlelait! You'd better hurry because the property market is booming at the moment and house prices keep going up and up.