[speaker002:] where are you from Tina
[speaker001:] um I'm from Maryland and um I have one son who's months almost sixteen months old are are you married or
[speaker002:] yeah uh-huh I have I have two children I have a seven year old and a three year old
[speaker001:] you are oh
[speaker002:] and uh so I try to spend as much time as possible with them
[speaker001:] that's good uh what kind of things do you do
[speaker002:] well um we we do a lot of things with them you know Taylor Taylor my youngest is or my oldest is in school and so she has a lot of school programs and things like that
[speaker001:] oh
[speaker002:] how was it a big change in your life to uh have a child
[speaker001:] oh yeah um yeah it's really nice uh my husband uh um is is working most you know most of the time he's working long hours but uh
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] I'm staying home
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] uh I'm just working a couple days a month and um
[speaker002:] oh uh-huh what do you do during those those days
[speaker001:] um we we spend a lot of time at the playground and we go to the zoo and we go and we watch
[speaker002:] yeah well you said you said you worked a couple days a month though what do what do you do
[speaker001:] yeah yeah I'm a nurse
[speaker002:] oh are you
[speaker001:] so yeah so it's it's it's real easy to work out my schedule you know to uh get in to to still
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] stay in with that an and to have enough time to spend with Matthew he
[speaker002:] yeah yeah
[speaker001:] he's uh just now really starting to to get interested in a lot of things so um
[speaker002:] yeah I understand that yeah they really grow up quick especially at that early age
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] but my my wife was uh she worked part time when my oldest was was little and now she's staying home all the time but uh that worked out really well because it's a big transition I think to have children
[speaker001:] oh yeah
[speaker002:] you know to go from you know nothing you know if you want to do something every night that's fine but when you have children it doesn't work that way anymore so
[speaker001:] that's right and I think a lot of people are um are turning to well I think I think a lot of people are realizing that but still there are so many people that are you know have their careers first and it's uh I think it's really hurting the
[speaker002:] yeah yeah yeah I agree with you I
[speaker001:] the kids you know but
[speaker002:] I I think that my wife leaned that way and I'm really glad she did and you know I'm glad she's staying home but you know I know there are some days when she wishes she wishes she was back at work
[speaker001:] I know that's why I like to to work to work a couple days I think it's uh
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] it gives me a break
[speaker002:] yeah well see that's that's why I'm glad my wife did too because she worked either two to three three days a week and that got her out of the house and yet she'd get to spend you know three or four days with yeah yeah and so
[speaker001:] most of the time at home yeah uh we had started out like that and um I think that was really ideal uh
[speaker002:] yeah I do to I agree but then when you start having two of them it's you know a little bit tougher
[speaker001:] it's yeah
[speaker002:] because you've got to make a little more money to make that payoff and stuff
[speaker001:] yeah yeah it's difficult but
[speaker002:] are are you from the Maryland area
[speaker001:] uh-huh I'm I've I've lived here forever so
[speaker002:] really
[speaker001:] yeah I'm in I live in Germantown and uh are you where are you from
[speaker002:] um uh I'm in Dallas Texas
[speaker001:] in Dallas oh
[speaker002:] yeah so uh I'm I've lived here like eight years or so my wife's from Fort Worth
[speaker001:] oh uh
[speaker002:] but yeah I work for Texas Instruments
[speaker001:] okay oh so that explains well um I don't know I uh
[speaker002:] yeah that explains it doesn't it
[speaker001:] we we do a lot of things on the weekends together the family but uh
[speaker002:] yeah yeah
[speaker001:] but as far as during the week it's it's usually uh you know just my son and I and we're
[speaker002:] yeah what's your husband do
[speaker001:] uh he he works for Coca-Cola
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] so he uh he manages a plant out here an and it takes a lot of time
[speaker002:] oh oh yeah I'm sure it does
[speaker001:] but um it you know we take walks and go to the library and try to fill our day with things like that but um
[speaker002:] uh-huh yeah yeah what uh my wife did some teaching at like uh like a private tutoring place
[speaker001:] oh
[speaker002:] a Sylvan Learning Center this year and so that that got me to spend to be able to spend more time with the kids at night and stuff
[speaker001:] oh
[speaker002:] because normally if if they need something they just go to mom
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] no matter what it is I mean I could I'm perfectly capable of doing it for them but
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] it's so much easier to go to mom I guess they get used to it so but you know we'd go to the library and do things like that yeah but
[speaker001:] that's good that's good I know my husband was real uh in the beginning when he uh he was transferred to a a larger plant and he um
[speaker002:] but
[speaker001:] he works about an hour and a half away from here from our home and uh so it takes him a little bit of time and
[speaker002:] oh yeah
[speaker001:] I'm not able to work during the week uh because of that he was I was working in the evening and he was coming home and I I could go to work but uh
[speaker002:] uh-huh yeah
[speaker001:] their relationship uh when I was able to work in the evenings uh really grew he you know just the time that they were spending together
[speaker002:] uh-huh yeah
[speaker001:] I think it it really it really helped to have that time together
[speaker002:] uh-huh it really does because I think you you know you grow closer was your uh was your husband I mean naturally a child I mean had had he been around children
[speaker001:] uh oh yeah he has uh he has seven other brothers and sisters and they have
[speaker002:] oh
[speaker001:] we have thirteen grand well his parents have thirteen grandchildren
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] so it's uh you know there's a lot of kids in the family and and he really enjoys it but uh right now it's kind of a difficult time but
[speaker002:] yeah yeah yeah
[speaker001:] and and the cost of living here is just so tremendously you know outrageous um
[speaker002:] yeah yeah
[speaker001:] it's difficult uh to do it any other way
[speaker002:] yeah I understand
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] um you know it's it's hard because then you're not getting to spend as much time with at home I mean your husband is not getting to spend as much time at home as he'd want to
[speaker001:] that's right
[speaker002:] so yeah that that's a tough situation but then then again you know some you got to do what you got to do
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] you know to get along too so
[speaker001:] yeah yeah at least I I just consider myself blessed that I can stay home it uh
[speaker002:] uh-huh well well like I said my wife normally feels that way there are days when uh I come home and she says here take these kids I'm getting out
[speaker001:] I know
[speaker002:] so she's she's had about enough during those days
[speaker001:] I know
[speaker002:] but but for the most part I you know I've really feel like that's led the way that you know what just like what you said with the cost of living and everything I think a lot of people can't afford to get by on just one salary an
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] and won't
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] and so I think that's led tended to lead to a decline in in families and family values especially
[speaker001:] oh yeah it has
[speaker002:] and I really think that that's one of the problems the nation's facing that you know we need to do something about but I don't know what
[speaker001:] I believe that too and I think uh the kids are where they need to you know they need to really focus on the children in the world in this
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] country
[speaker002:] yeah would would you have said that a couple of years ago do you think
[speaker001:] no I didn't I didn't even really think about it that much I mean you know I knew I was aware vaguely aware of it but um I didn't it wasn't really that important to me and uh
[speaker002:] uh-huh uh-huh it's amazing how your whole focus on life changes after you've had a child
[speaker001:] oh it it really does I just the whole uh you know seeing how you really are creating are are forming this you know the mind
[speaker002:] uh-huh  well you know in the next year or so you'll see so many instances where you know he'll mimic something that you've done and you see you know everything I'm doing he's learning from
[speaker001:] that's right
[speaker002:] and and you think if I wasn't here he'd be learning that from a babysitter or from a day care
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] you know they that's how they're developing their patterns and I think a lot of people either don't care or don't realize it you know that's
[speaker001:] or or they just put it in the back of their mind and let it slide I
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] I've seen a lot of people just say well you know he'll learn everything when he gets into
[speaker002:] yeah eventually
[speaker001:] uh you know
[speaker002:] yeah it's true
[speaker001:] but it um I I know even just this first year that I've been with uh my son here here um he's I can just see how much of of a difference it makes staying home with him instead of uh
[speaker002:] yeah yeah plus plus I think it becomes part of you part of you too I mean you get to stay home I mean it's not just for him but it's also for you because you're both kind of bonding together there too I think so
[speaker001:] yeah that's true yeah
[speaker002:] well it's been nice talking to you
[speaker001:] well it's nice talking to you too
[speaker002:] okay good luck okay good bye
[speaker001:] okay bye bye