Response to Babble Essay

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an essay for Babble.com that was also picked up by the Huffington Post. You can read it here: http://www.babble.com/mom/money-savings/financial-dependence-stay-at-home-parent/) The topic was about money, and how awkward I felt now that I wasn’t bringing in real dough like I used to and had to depend on my husband for most of my cash. (To be clear, I do lots of freelance writing but the pay isn’t awesome and the checks trickle in slowly. By the time they arrive, I use them to cover debt.) It was a hot-button topic to say the least, but the majority of the comments were actually in favor of the article and many women thanked me for writing it. One even said it brought tears to her eyes to know she wasn’t alone in feeling this.

Of course, some commenters thought I was crazy—that it wasn’t “his money,” but “our money,” and I needed to see the value in what I did as a primary caregiver (A few even thought my husband and I needed therapy since this was even an issue in our relationship.) And several others mentioned that they would NEVER allow themselves to be in such a situation. Others still thought it was time my husband and I combined our finances and stuck to a budget.

What do you think? I still just can’t see it as “my money” for some weird reason. I do see the value in what I do, especially when my kid says please and thank you and is being super cute. But I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it. Which is why I’m actually starting to look for a full time job again.