People underestimate the value of decent family benefits and the cost of child care. The benefits of having a stay at home parent breaks even way sooner than people think.
12 million? Pfft. Just a small fraction of that is more than fine. My wife makes ~$150k a year as a therapist and I am indeed happily that guy. Throw in home school, playing with the kids, running errands, and handling other parental and spousal duties that pop up.
Is it tiring? Yes, quite often. Is it stressful? Yes, sometimes. Is it worth it? Hell yeah.
Do I miss work since I “retired” almost two years ago? Hell no.
As long as life’s basics are covered and there’s a little extra play money it’s all worth it.
I get to make this choice soon. We're planning on having our first kid soon, and my wife makes way more money than me. She'll support me whether or not I choose to be a a stay-at-home dad. I appreciate hearing from someone who has been there!
I hemmed and hawed for a few months but what brought me to my decision to leave my career was the extra thousands of hours I would get with my kids as they grow up. That time is just SO much more valuable than money.
Sure, we could make ~250k a year combined, aggressively invest, and enjoy a lavish lifestyle in our 50’s. But at what cost?
So, I spend my days with the kids and my wife works from her in-home therapy office—with dialed-back hours to enjoy 3-day weekends with us. One day we will retire comfortably enough to get a decent RV, travel 1-2x a year, and dig into hobbies. And the trade off for less wealth? We’ll have rock solid relationships with our children with so many fond memories of their childhood—far more than we’d have if we both spent 40+ hours a week working.
As I’m sure you know, it’s an extremely fortunate position to be in. If you choose to resign and take the plunge into SAHD life you can always return to work if you decide it’s just not for you. Good luck!
Oh, and one more thing: I have a book recommendation. I think it should be mandatory reading for all parents. It’s called ‘Playful Parenting: An Exciting New Approach to Raising Children That Will Help You Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavior Problems, and Encourage Confidence’ by Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D. I’m almost done with it. My kids are 7 and 15; I wish I read it years ago but it is what it is.
Actually, someone on 12m a year needs a personal assistant who can keep their non working life in order. Pissing away their partners time in dishwashing would be a waste of time.
$12 million/yr? The average person isn't able to comprehend that level of income. Thats ~$47k per HOUR. Like the average amount of money the median american makes in a YEAR.
I'd probably get bored off my ass with only housework to do, so I'd take this some of the time if my partner raked in €12M/y. And I'd hire a cleaner.
It's an interesting question really. You have enough money & time to have your every need covered, and have had so for the past several years. You've done everything you've set out to do when money was no longer an object, you've seen & done it all. What now?
This reminds me of a story I saw some years ago on a subreddit, not sure if it was a revenge subreddit or MaliciousCompliance, of a slightly older man stocking shelves at a major supermarket. This older man seemed well-groomed, well-spoken, all that jazz, and he drove a Jaguar to work. So one day our OP asked for his story.
Turns out the man, several years before, had a job in upper management at a Fortune 500 company, making easily six figures before bonuses. One day, he and his wife end up divorcing, and she demands 45% of his income, as well as the house. One of the lawyers manages to negotiate a different deal, where she gets 75% of his income, but he gets to keep the house. No number, no minima, just "75 percent of his income."
So when judge signs off on it, this old man quits his Fortune 500 job and takes a minimum wage job, stocking shelves at a supermarket.
Of course, the ex-missus is pissed, now that her income has basically dried up, but there's little she can do.
I'm pretty sure "stay at home" does not mean you are a prisoner and are only allowed to do the dishes. With that kind of cash behind you, you would mostly have to make sure the house runs fine, but not necessarily alone. Then, it gives you some time to do whatever you want.
Heck, even if you really stay at home most of the time, you could have rooms for games, training, making stuff, etc.
Although bringing money back is a requirement, it is not the motivation for a lot of people. Making stuff they enjoy is. If I was not burdened by the need to pay for food & a roof, I believe I would still design software, code, and have hardware projects. The only thing that would change is their scope, not being driven by customer craziness.
Learn, study, figure out how to be a better person, see if I can figure out one of the universe's mysteries. Put effort towards helping others. Or play video games.