Due dec'14-jan/feb'15 part 2

[Abifasc]

Futuremininme- you don't know until you try but I will say this - it is WAY harder than I expected. Being a mom in these times is really rough- you just can't win no matter what you do. Most European countries have it right and the US fails us miserably for the cost of living that we endure. Though, I too try to be grateful for the roof over my head the clean running water through my faucets but we are asked to do a lot with not a lot and it's hard.

Bluebonnet22- Is it something you have to pay into first or one of those "weird deals"? I'd be super interested in it.

Same question about the job.

[FutureMiniMe]

If you google Leapforce you can find the website for more information. It looks like you don't have to pay in first.

[Marika]

Kitkat and Crazycat - I know Sweden is pretty unique in the family financial area. The rights for both parents are very strong and it's more or less impossible to loose your job while on maternity leave. We have an election here in a few days and it's almost laughable to hear the different parties argue about which side has the most family focused line. One side wants to insert a higher amount for parents who wants to stay at home until kids are 3 years old, around 850 usd (650 euro) per child. (This is after after the "normal" parental payment period). The other side says it's a terrible "womens trap" that puts them at home and makes society unequal. Sweden has put a lot of focus on feminism and even pay bonus to families who share the parents allowance equally. Of course the payment offer includes both genders, but it's seen in areas that have tested this that it's almost only women who use it.

Of course I highly value these things, but a society like this also has fewer private alternatives, so I have to say I also envy you girls who easily can find places for eg gender scans and extra tests.

About scans - mine is on monday and I am both terrified and excited. I have never wished for a weekend to pass faster before, lol :-)

[Marika]

Yes, I am jealous of the Swedes, too! I am actually part Swedish and my grandma tells me we have family there. I would love to live in one of the Scandinavian countries!

I totally go back and forth about this. It would be hard for us, but if I could maybe find a few kids to do after school care for, I would be able to take care of my portion of the bills. I feel like we have competing quality of life issues if I stay home or continue to work. Home we would eat much more health, and much less eating out. We would be able to do weekends away more often because I would depend on the weekends to make sure laundry and other "getting ready for the workweek" chores that I always have to do. Working our spending is much more flexible. I can contribute to many extras that we wouldn't feel as comfortable in spending on, my kids would get quality education and social experiences bc I'm not sure if we could afford preschool if I was home (unless I found some way of making something from home). And my job is really flexible as far as schedule goes. I just adjusted so that I can drop my oldest of at kindie and go in at nine and still get off at five and it has been nice to get extra time at home to wash and fold a load of laundry and tidy up the house each day.

Ah, obviously I to back and forth.

Lala, I have thought about being a realtor but the housing market in CA scares me and I don't know if I would be good at it.


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Wow, do you know where in Sweden they live? Have you visited Scandinavia?

I totally understand your back and forth - it's not easy to combine work and all that has to be done at home as well. And on top of that the financial side of it all.

[FutureMiniMe]

Thanks everyone. I was a stay at home mom with DS1 until he was about 10 months old. I started a part time job at first and then moved to full time. It was perfect. During my time home, I don't think I fully appreciated it because I was so focused on being a perfect mom and doing everything by the book. For some reason, my transition from none to one was more difficult than from one to two kids even though I wanted to be a mom more than anything else. I think I put too much pressure on myself. By the second I knew that things would be okay even if I wasn't perfect and I could read parenting advice but it was okay to improvise and do what worked best for our family and each child. By the time DS2 came I was working full time but everything seemed much easier and I am a totally different person than I was then. I think I could really enjoy it and do a good job.

Eh, anyway. Someday I might just have to make the jump and trust that it would all work out.

[FutureMiniMe]

Marika - I'm not really sure and I have not gotten to make a trip but would like to some day. The story of how my grandma'a parents got here is cute the way she tells it. One was from Norway and the other from Sweden but they had to travel all the way to America to meet even though they were from neighboring countries back home. They met and married in Minnesota which had a large Scandinavian population (although my family is in California now).


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[Marika]

I can imagine it must an interesting story. At that time over a million swedes made the journey over the atlantic sea to seek the luck in "the land of dreams" :-)

For being such a small country as Sweden, that was a huge emigration.

(Sorry everyone else for being so OT right now!)

[FutureMiniMe]

Yes, sorry for being so OT! I will get right back on topic to tell you all that I had my early gender scan I have been talking about yesterday. My husband decided he would join me in finding out so we brought the kids with us too. I am still guarding my heart bc I was only 16+3 yesterday but the tech said she was 90% sure baby is a GIRL! I am nervous that it will change when I go for my anatomy scan on October 7th, but I'm excited! The cord was through the legs in the front so she had to go look through the back. I am working on including a pic but I might have to sign on through a browser instead of my phone.


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[bluebonnet22]

Leapforce is a legitimate job (as is Appen, another search engine rating company that is very similar). I believe both are hiring now. You take a test to qualify and then you are given tasks and you can do them whenever you want (nap times, middle of the night, weekends, etc). You can work as little as you want or as much as you want (although I do think they might have caps at 20 hours a week? I haven't had time to work that much so I'm not sure - it's definitely not a "full time" job, definitely a "part time" job). Pay is $13.50/hr . I make enough to pay for my son's preschool tuition and grocery money. Definitely helps and I love that it's completely flexible to my schedule.

[sweetdream]

Futureminime! Congrats on your 90% girl!!!
She is proberly 100% girl