@Grammar Police – lighten up!

I think what you want is perfectly fine. Trent’s post was about finding what it is that YOU value and using that as your guidepost. What you and I want is just as valid as what anyone else wants.

I like the way Trent captures the sound of someone speaking naturally to us. That takes some skill to do well. I strive for correctness, but my style always sounds too preachy to my ear, and it’s hard for me to sound conversational in print.

Great post, Trent. Keep up the good work.

The REAL reason you’re able to have an evening like that is because you are incredibly fertile, as a couple.

I can’t have an evening like that no matter the decisions I make, and in fact, for us, becoming parents will quite possibly involve most of our savings so we’ll be right back to square 1, financially.

But, one of the feelings I keep getting from your posts like this is that you feel it’s impossible for someone to have a busy, stressful job and still make time for their family.

And that’s not true. I know several people who do end up having to go to out of town meetings or work over time but they also take time off during the day to go to school events, or coach a sport their kids are involved in, and they play with their kids.

I don’t know if you mean to do this, but often when you are writing about people who live a life different than yours you paint them in a negative light.

You have said before that she could quit her job if she wanted to, and I believe that, but seriously… I have seen that with some of my freelancing friends: the ones with a working spouse had it way easier than the single ones, and that was reflected on their work — they could afford to slack off more often and so on.

Nitpick: “Our children don’t hear their mother and I arguing”

Is that right? Shouldn’t it be “their mother and me”?

So… you couldn’t have played tag with your kids if you were still working a conventional, 9 to 5 job?

And Trent, it should be “older” son – you have two.

I love your articles, and it is a great reminder of how well we are actually doing, as well as giving me more ideas to cut down costs. Incidentally, yesterdays article was amazing! I do 9 out of 10 of them (I am not a gamer) and I love every single one!! I too am very shy, but when I come out of my shell and talk to other people, things just come up. I watch their dogs, they give me a ton of fresh produce from their garden. Things like that.

Thank you for such great articles!

But the dream for families is far less possible unless one spouse desires to work full time, and therefore provides the health benefits. Otherwise, only one gets to choose their dream, or there has to be one high-earner to pay the very high costs of health care or self-purchased insurance. Sad to say, many life choices hinge on health benefits these days- it’s a huge parental responsibility.