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365 Days and 6 Kids

Friday, August 15, 2008

My neighbor and her husband are in their mid to late 30s (I'm guessing). They are both on their 2nd marriages and have a total of 6 kids...ALL BOYS! 4 are from her first marriage and 2 are theirs together, which means yes, she gave birth to all 6. The oldest is 17 then 13, 12, 10, 5, and 2. He is the courtesy officer at my apartment community and works for the police department. She sells insurance. As you can imagine with six kids they generally make just enough to get by. Over the last 4 years he has gone to school full time (in addition to working full time) and got his degree in IT. The Police Department then told him they didn't have a job in IT for him, and he remains under paid in the same job...until October.

For the sake of his family, Tom will leave in October to go to Iraq as an independant contractor doing only God knows, and using his IT degree. He will receive approx. $20,000 as a sign on bonus and be paid an average of $11,000 - $16,000 per month depending on the job he is assigned. That is $132,000 to $192,000 a year! (I'd say that's quite a jump from $32,000 on the Police Force!) He has to sign on for a year, and will receive 1 paid trip home. He has the option to take 2 additional 1 week trips home, but he will have to pay for them (which shouldn't be an issue with the money he will be making).

Now my questions:

1. Would you do it?
2. Would you let your spouse do it?
3. Could you stay home with 6 kids?
4. Is this really the "only" way they can get ahead?
5. Is he really going because he just realized they have 6 kids?
6. Is it wrong that I'd like to sign Damian up too? :) (Hey, it's not like we haven't lived in seperate states half of our relationship anyway, and this time its for $100,000+)

posted by Stephanie @ 9:08 AM

2 Comments:

At August 15, 2008 at 9:50 AM, Courtney said…

It would be hard, but I would do just about anything to be a stay at home mom so I'd probably sign Mike up too. Money talks and I'm desperate to raise my own kids, not have daycare do it, call me crazy (then again I only have 2)!
At August 18, 2008 at 7:03 PM, prin said…

I wouldn't. I'd rather have the person than the money.