stay-at-home moms
Making Good Decisions
Avoiding decision making is one of the biggest time wasters around. In a good percentage of the cases, any decision is better than none. To go to the left or to the right or to conscientiously stand still is better than standing at the intersection in indecision. A 50 percent average in making good decisions is an excellent record. There are many people who may not be excellent problem solvers, but they're good decision makers. They have the courage to analyze the facts quickly, make a decision, and then learn from and live with the results. Many times such decision makers will outperform the problem solvers just because the decision makers keep things moving.
Divide and conquer
Benjamin Franklin is quoted as having told the Continental Congress, “If we don't hang together, we'll hang separately.” He recognized that the easiest way to overcome opposition is one by one.
There's a basic principle at work here that can be used over and over. Almost any problem may seem too big for us to handle, but when we break it down into its parts, it doesn't appear so formidable.
Projects and problems can be divided and conquered in a number of ways:
- In time we can break them down to each step needed to reach the goal, steps that are small enough to take. Take that first step.
- Functionally we can break them down by the different types of tasks to be done. Perhaps we can do one of those.
- Strategically we can break them down until we identify the person or one action that is the key to further unlocking the problem.
- In terms of goals we can break them down into subgoals and decide which are obtainable now.
- Geographically we may divide them so we can cover each part systematically.
Next time you are stopped in your tracks by a mountain of a problem, try dividing it and conquering it, molehill by molehill. It works.
Background Information
Safe at Home
Staying at home with the kids isn't necessarily the "easy way out" of working.
Questions and Answers
What would you and your wife do if the resources permitted her to stay at home after the kids were in school?
Answer
Do you feel it is still important to have Mom at home in the teen years?
Answer
I love our baby a lot and wouldn't trade him for anything in the world, but I don't understand why I'm so depressed.
Answer
I'm about to leave my position as a corporate executive to become a full-time, stay-at-home mom. What can I do to make this transition go smoothly?
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We need a little more income to make it in my family, but I have preschool children and don't want to seek employment outside the home. Is there an alternative for me to pursue?
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Review Frequently Asked Questions
Stories
How Motherhood Changed Me
One professional woman recounts her first few weeks at home, alone, with her new baby.
If you've been through a experience related to this topic, we invite you to share your story with others.Share Your Story
Other Things to Consider
Even Though We Ain't Got Money…
That phrase – live on love – kept bringing to mind a song they played on the radio when I was a kid. I scoffed at its utter lack of common sense.
Following the Leader: Helping Your Husband Find His Place in the Home
Moms, do you ever wonder why dad doesn't "connect" with the family? Try these gentle nudges to help him find his place in your home.
Related Topics
Transitions: Changing Jobs, Moving
Relationships: Communication Gaps
Parenting Teens: Communication Problems
