Living the S.I.L.K. Lifestyle in a D.I.N.K. Society

I had no idea until Monday afternoon that my newlywed children were living the lifestyle desired by many. It's the D.I.N.K. lifestyle. I had no idea that this lifestyle had a name until a dear friend mentioned it. I've known numerous couples over the years that lived this lifestyle, but I've never been one to experience it. D.I.N.K. is an acronym for Dual Income No Kids.

If I can be honest here, I'm not sure if I can talk about a subject that I'm not familiar with. Although there was a time when we were a dual income family with kids. Lots of kids according to what was told to us. We may not have been a D.I.N.K. couple, but I know first hand the trap of a dual income family.

During the early years of my marriage I was busy at home bringing children into this world, being a happy homemaker and wife. I thought we were doing great. Financially it was tough. I didn't realize it at the time until someone else told me that I was denying my children a "good life" because we couldn't afford to go on vacation or buy the latest clothes or gadgets. I was torn when someone felt that I needed to face reality and go out and help my husband with the bills.

So I started working for the school district and eventually got a job at the same school my children were attending. From the outside it looked as though I had the "perfect" job. When I left in the morning my children were in tow with me. It was nice to see my children during the day, but home was always on my mind.

As the years went by I met another mom who worked at the same school as myself. Her children attended there as well. During recess time, her and I would have playground duty. One day we started talking about missing being at home. From that day on we would stand on the playground and daydream about being home. The job of watching other people's children was the last thing on our minds. I know it's sad, but true. My heart was toward home, not playground duty.

That school year Don and I talked about me quitting and coming home with the kids. We had already started homeschooling one of our children because he was struggling with Math and English. Don was home during the day while I was working. He worked nights. He would teach a few subjects and I would teach the rest when I got home.

I remember one night while trying to cook dinner, help my son finish his English and helping the other kids with their homework, I snapped. It wasn't the sound of the sweet snap, crackle and pop that my children heard coming from their cereal bowls earlier that morning. It was a hurling cry from the depths within me. I cried out and said, "I can't do this anymore!" Call me a whimp, but I wasn't equipped to do it all. I'm not every woman. It's not all in me.

When Don got home that night he made a final decision that I would finish out the school year and come home again. I was so relieved to know that I wouldn't be coming home solo, but my children will be in tow.

The following weekend we sat at the kitchen table trying to work some kind of magic with numbers. I looked at Don and told him these numbers don't lie there's no way we can pull this off. He reminded me of the time when the children were younger and all the provisions that God made for us. Thus, we decided to listen to the Nike commercial and just do it!

Although I've never lived the D.I.N.K. lifestyle, I'm living a S.I.L.K. lifestyle. I love it and it feels good. We have chosen a S.I.L.K. lifestyle and our children benefit greatly from it. The rewards are not instant. Now that some of our children are young adults, the rewards are plenty when the words "thank you" flow from their lips. I wouldn't trade this S.I.L.K. lifestyle for anything. That's a lifestyle of Single Income Lots of Kids.

I can testify that we have never gone hungry. We have always had a roof ever our head. We stood back then and are still standing on God's word today.

"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." ~Psalms 37:25