That IS the question on my mind too. We have been considering all the options to get more one-on-one with Harris- in whatever form we can afford.
In our case, there are big steps we need to take prior to 2 weeks notice:Moving (one place where we can save substantial $$), and Changing Insurance are the biggest. I keep mentally pie-carving my 401K which I intend to cash out (sigh)
My child is progressing from therapy and the one-on-one efforts I have been making. What could we accomplish if I were doing this for hours every day at home w/support of an ABA consultant? Now is the time. The clock is ticking in my ear like a drum.
feelin it alongside you -Cin
When I read that - me being the workaholic that I am - I could never be at home all the time. When Payne was 3 months old I went back to work at night and weekends. Anyway - thought - could you have the girl come to your home during the day a few days a week so that you can get your own things done?I have a great job. I get to bring my son along and nanny for a sweet little girl who is his age. My boss is nice to me.
But I am so overwhelmed with my son's needs. I never know when it's going to be a good day or a bad one. I am exhausted nearly all the time.
I feel like if I could just stay home with him, I could concentrate all my efforts on doing the best I can for my son. I could do the chores during the day, not at night. I could actually sleep again. If welfare existed anymore, I'd go on it in a heartbeat.
Is this just an impossible dream?
Not only could not stand to be home all the time, I could not afford it in the longrun!
I am too worried about losing retirement benefits, including health insurance, and how it might impact my kids' adult lives.
I've always stayed at home and until we moved last year I ran my own biz from home. It was great because I could work from home and be with the kids, with dh gone on deployments all the time it was the only solution. Now that dh is retired for good and home to help. I'm planning to go back to school. I think its possible to work from home and still make money. One of the mom's on this board recommended a home medical transcription program, there's lots of info on home based companies and biz all over the web, many you can do from home and make money. It will be a challenge, you'll have to be careful with time managment. But I would so look into it. In fact when I get done with school. I'm planning to do the same thing again. I won't work from home right away, but it will be my long term goal.J & J's Mom - what type of business did you have?Thanks for the feedback ladies. It really helps to be able to come here and share how I feel.
Payne's mom - funnily enough, my boss (without any prompting from me) suggested that her little girl come over to my place at least once a week so that she can experience a different environment instead of being in her own home all the time. We've been doing that this week a bit, and it is working out SO great. I love the fact that I can do chores during the day and even relax a bit with my own activities when they're napping (like right now).
Gwen - glad that my suggestion went well w/o you even having to ask...Oh- I am so going to check out Discovery Toys!!! I am excited now!
I quit my job on Sept 1 2006 and we have survived with only enough money to pay the rent so far. I get food stamps and medical assistance from the county. But I am sick of the bill collectors. I just went to a job interview yesterday and I cannot wait to hear back from her. She said I can do a majority of the work from home. I would LOVE it. And- the craziest thing is ---she has 2 kids with autism! I hope I stick out in her mind and become her final choice for the job because my son also has autism. We will see.
So, basically, I agree with everyone! It is great to stay home, but it isn't cool for the longrun. I will be looking hard for a job starting today- in case I don't get the other one.
I am glad that it is working out better for you though now that the girl is coming to your house a little bit. I wish the best for you!
MommaNiki
Discovery Toys is a great business to join if you're looking for an at-home business. There are no quotas to keep up with-- you can totally do it at your own speed. If one day is a good day, you can do a lot with your business. But if the next day's not so good, you can leave your business untouched for the day and it will be waiting for you when you return. Plus you can get all these wonderful toys to work with your son. We have an autism parent support pack, which you would get if you joined. Every toy in the pack was specifically selected to help strengthen the social, fine and gross motor and cognitive skills of children with autism. I'm not trying to be a sales person here, just wanted to share this opportunity with you. Let me know if you'd like more info. I decided to do this when I wanted to stay home with my kids too. Neither of them has autism, but I still understand the desire to be there for your son. Thanks for reading!
Amy
amysimmers@comcast.net
Hi there! To sign up with Discovery Toys, you simply have to fill out a form. The cost of the autism support pack is (plus shipping and tax), but Discovery Toys lets you put down and your kit will come in about 10 days. They will then bill your card over the next 2 months for the remainder of the balance. It is so worth it, since the value of the kit is over 0! And then forever and ever, you can buy our products at the wholesale amount. So you can get even more awesome products to help your kids! We can even fill out the form over the phone if you'd like. Or I can mail you some info and then you can send it back to me. It's such a wonderful company-- it's been around for almost 30 years! Hope to hear from you!
Amy
I actually enjoy staying home with my daughter (for the most part) but the pressure from my husband and family is so overwhelming because obviously money is tight w/only 1 income. Nice to see some ideas for people to make money from home...thanks for sharing.I ran my own soapmaking business called Southwest Bodyworks. I had a little hobby of making creams, soaps, lip balms, scrubs, candles, etc.. and to help pay for my hobby I started selling it at craft fairs and online. Eventually I had great following, some of my customers were places as far away as Germany, England, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Japan and many more place. I also wholesaled my goods in shops and spas around the country. I didn't make a fortune doing this and I put in alot of long hours and hard work. Google the word Handmade soap and you'll get tons of hits. But it was a creative outlet for me and it kept me busy when my husband was away. I still make things now for my family and friends. I just don't sell it or have my website anymore. I've closed my biz last May just before we moved and I've been tempted to get going again here, but I think I will be to busy this fall when I start school.
I wouldn't recommend this type of home business to anyone unless they are prepared to spent alot of money, do alot of research, and put alot of time into it. Reason being its not something you can just decided to do overnight. It takes alot of experience and knowldege. Its a huge undertaking and not one that can be taken lightly. It took me years of research, mistakes, and time in development before I was able to sell my products. I had a chemist as a consultant. You need to be preapred to work with caustic chemicals and have the knowledge of just how dangerous they can be, how they are to stored, etc. That's just one example. I only say this because I feel if I talk about my soapmaking I need to share its dangers as well.
I also have a work from home opportunity you might want to check out and I