Stay Put Mom

When my kids were about two and four our finances were non existent. Our house payment was seventy five dollars a month and we had trouble paying that. The year was about 1971. My husband made three dollars an hour with no overtime, but worked at least four hours a week overtime. We had a car payment and utilities. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it was. I had difficulty going to sleep at night because I was worrying my self sick over bills that we couldn’t pay. I even did the sit com thing of sending the gas bill to the electric company. That would give me time, but I could only do that about twice a year. The kids’ dad told me if he never saw another pancake it would be too soon. The only thing I could think of to do to make extra money and stay home with my little ones, was to baby sit. I advertised by word of mouth only. I had a big day care center, almost instantly. The little town that we lived in was in dire need of day care. I started out with a family of five children. I charged such a little amount that I think their mother felt bad. She would send food and snacks for them. She did not work, she just wanted some time to herself for a few hours a week. After some time, I got lawyers and teachers that wanted me to take care of their children for a week at a time so they could take a vacation. That paid about fifty dollars a week. The finances started to be financials at last. I was even able to save some money.
I had good days and bad days. I saw some suspicious people that I felt might be mistreating their children. I felt terrible when a child would hold onto my legs for dear life when being picked up. I felt helpless when alcoholic mothers would not pick up their children for days. The most sad was a little two year old with inoperable brain cancer.
I had crafts for the children, music time, story time and nap time. They did not have television time until four o’clock. At three forty five, the children stopped playing with toys, picked them up and put them in the toy boxes. There was no fussing or refusing to do their chores. After all the toys were put away, then the children all got in a circle and watched cartoons.
In retrospect, I suppose my children would have been happier if I would not have had to sit to help keep our family afloat, but like my daughter said the other day. “You weren’t a bad mom, none of us ever went to jail.”
And another thought, my kids always had someone to play with!