Ecomony & Gas Prices Giving New Meaning To Being A Stay-At-Home Mom
August 12th, 2008
Life has become increasingly stressful for many stay-at-home mothers as a result of today’s uneasy economy and high gas prices. Many mothers are staying home more due to the high cost of gasoline and they are feeling more isolated and frustrated as a result. Some moms are efficiently streamlining all of their errands into one marathon day to save on gas. They are also shopping online more instead of hitting the stores and are missing the contact with other people that shopping would normally afford. And some women have resorted to eliminating date nights, eating out and even preschool for their children.
Have you changed your habits because of the economy and the cost of gas?
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1. Analise | August 12th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Where is that info from? And why is there a 1950’s era photo associated with it?
2. Shauna | August 12th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
I haven’t changed my habits, but then I already tried to curtail my driving. We only have one car and live in a neighborhood where you can walk to lots of things (grocery store, restaurants, parks, bakery, butcher shop, coffee house, etc) that don’t require a car, just a stroller.
I was wondering about the 50’s era picture as well
3. MOMX3 | August 12th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I think the picture is because in the 50s SAMs used to either not drive at all or only had one car per family.
I asked a lady I worked with once how they could stay home ALL THE TIME with kids, and she just said that’s what they did back then.
4. N | August 12th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Im sure the moms back then got out of the house. Maybe they had a daily outing at the neighborhood park with the other moms.
5. Karen | August 12th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Even a stay-at-home mom realizes when information is made up. Where are your sources? That’s in Journalism 101…
6. Char at Starlooks B | August 12th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
I think beign a stay at home mom for me, means being able to keep my home and take care of my kids. We don’t “stay home” all of the time. I take them to the park, fishing, shopping. We have fun. I am homeschooling my son this year and he is excited. We stay very busy. I teach them to clean up after themselves, we do art, lots of reading, stuff like that. Back in the old days, I think the women had clubs to go to too. I don’t think they had a chance to get bored!
7. .lj | August 12th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
being a “sahm” is awsome!! i at least will be able to say i had a chance to watch my kids grow up. i think the world needs more stay at home moms or dads! kids need a parent. if u choose to have a child one of u should stay at home. why would u choose , and leave them with a stranger?!
i do feel we have changed our lifestyles alot with the economy being as it is. but i guess that all revolves around “lessons learned in life”
8. Angela | August 13th, 2008 at 1:18 am
I found the link to one of those 1950 the good wife’s guide. I especially get a kick out this line – Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours. Or this one – Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
http://www.j-walk.com/other/goodwife/index.htm
9. Granny | August 13th, 2008 at 9:43 am
My mother stayed at home. In fact she didn’t learn to drive until I was 12. She claimed she didn’t need to. But unless she walked to a friends for coffee, she went nowhere. On Saturday, my dad would drive her to the grocery store for fresh fruit, veg and bread. Once a month when the Army paid, he took her to the commissary for a month’s worth of groceries. She just cooked, cleaned, and after we started school for 9 months a year watched daytime soaps. We didn’t go to the doctore unless we were dying because my dad would have had to get off work to take us.
But where she finally decided to learn to drive, she never stayed home again, she kept the car going.
I went to work when my oldest two started school. I didn’t want the same existance Mom had. Plus my kids enjoyed the perks that came when a two income family. And while their in school they just don’t need you at home. Anyway, all my friends where working, there wasn’t anybody to spend time with during the day while hte kids were in school, if you stayed at hom.
10. Analise | August 13th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I stay at home. I’ve been shopping twice since Christmas. Poor me. *eyeroll* Being a SAHM is great. I miss shopping and I cannot wait to go out with my daughter, but wow, I somehow manage to face each day and I’m not pulling my hair out just because I don’t live at the mall. People are spoiled. It has nothing to do with the price of gasoline. If my daughter was vaccinated I would driving as I always do. No changes.
11. Jennifer | August 13th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I work at home, running a private daycare, and with the cost of everything going up up up, I am very glad I don’t have to drive to and from work daily. I do miss adult interaction and try to combine trips out in the evenings and on weekends as well. I also do shop online more than in the past. American’s need to take a stand about the gas prices and stop being so complacent or it will never change.
12. anonymous | August 14th, 2008 at 8:38 am
I’m a stay at home mom. Yes gas and grocery prices have effected my family. I streamline my trips just as the article says. I have also resorted to cheaper menus and strict grocery lists–only buying meats on sale (I do have 5 children to feed!). I also have resorted to hanging my clothes on the line to save (which I have grown to love. nothing is more satisfying than seeing that neatly hung laundry and that clean smell!) I think that stay at home moms have been hit the hardest by inflation because we were economizing already to be able to be at home with our children.
13. Jo | August 14th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I also am a stay at home mother! The price of everything going up has resulted in me learning how to make alot of stuff from scratch. I even learned how to make laundry detergent and fabric softener. I know the economy has made alot of my friends use the phone more than drive to visit also………waiting for the economy to return to normal if it ever will
14. Kimora, Kariah, and Kajanae's Mommy | August 18th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
High gas prices aren’t going to keep me inside the house! Don’t get me wrong- I love our home, but I’m a go-getter. My daughters and I rarely spend an entire day at home…they’re very little, but we love to go out and do things together: eat at restaurants, play at the park, visit children’s museums, go swimming, go shopping, meet friends for playdates, etc. And you can bet that I haven’t given up date nights, either! :)