Child Tax Credits = Homemaker's Salary?

I got paid earlier this week. At least that's what I like to think of our tax refund as. Child tax credits = homemaker salary? Not a great salary, but better than nothing.

I'm not one of the lucky ones who is able to work from home while doing this stay-at-home dad role. I'm looking (though, admittedly, not to the best of my abilities) for something I can do to bring a little extra money in while staying at home. It seems like you kind of need to already be in a company that lets you do that or be a web designer or graphic artist. Maybe something will come along someday.

Sometimes that can be the toughest part of this role--the feeling that you're not contributing. It's silly, of course. Homemakers contribute plenty. More than society acknowledges. Still, our contributions don't pay the bills. Maybe they enable us to be more frugal or cut down on expenses (such as day care or eating out), but there are always bills to be paid.

Admittedly, I'm still learning how to manage my time the best. Sometimes I make great use of it; sometimes I waste it frivolously. Plus, there's that balance between getting things done and spending time with the children in ways that doesn't accomplish anything other than pretending and imagining (which, can accomplish quite a lot, actually).

So, I still don't have much extra income yet. I'll keep exploring ways to make that change. Still, I've at least got some good bosses.