Jones Case Study

Jones Case Study Scenario 1: Since it seems like the Jones’ are set on having a family and that family is important to them this scenario will focus more on what could be best for them to do to make sure their family life is stable. In this scenario it seems to me that Jim needs to find a job closer to home that maybe works him a little less. He has stated that he would like to spend more time with his son and that could be achieved by working closer to home. The commute itself would save him about 7 hours weekly that he could spend with his child.
Jim has also mentioned that his job isn’t particularly exciting so this might be his chance to go after something he likes more while giving him more time at home. Since his wife makes more money it might not be bad if he took a little pay cut as well in order to accomplish his goals. As far as Lisa goes if having a family is truly a main priority for them she may not want to take the job in Atlanta. She already has a job that makes quite a bit and a move to Atlanta would only mean more work and probably would mean that they wouldn’t be able to have another child for a couple of years.
Also moving to a bigger city will also mean that they will have to find new child care which may cost more, another home which will cost more and Jim will have to definitely find another job which could put a strain on the marriage if he is unsuccessful or if he is making considerably less that she is. I see the best outcome with this scenario if Jim can find a job closer to home in order to spend more time with his son and also find a change of pace with his job. Lisa would need to stick with her current position in order to make having a bigger family more attainable for the moment.

Scenario 2: If Jim and Lisa put a priority on being financially secure and more so value Lisa’s career then these are some options they might consider. First off Lisa would definitely need to take the promotion and they would move to Atlanta. This would be great because they would definitely have enough money for their home as well as childcare. They would also have more financial security and would be better able to save for things like their kids education and retirement since Lisa is now making more money than both of them were combined.
If Jim also found another job they would be very secure financially and potentially with the move it might open up more job options for Jim and he may find something that he enjoys more. Moving to a bigger city also opens up the options for better childcare and better education for their children in the future should their family grow. However as mentioned in the last scenario this may put a strain on the marriage if Jim is unsuccessful in finding another job. Also this new job for Lisa will probably mean more hours at work and less time with the family.
It will probably also mean not having another child for quite sometime and maybe never depending on what her new roles are at her job. The family might definitely have to be put on the backburner for a little while as the transition occurs. Scenario 3: This scenario would be kind of an extreme mix of the two previous scenarios. Since Jim has stated that he wants to spend more time with their son he could possibly become a stay at home dad. Lisa could take the job in Atlanta, which would definitely make more than enough money to support a family of three especially since they could cut childcare costs.
Some cons to this situation however would be that they would have to overcome the social stigma of having the wife work and the dad stay at home. That would be the biggest challenge in my opinion. Especially if Jim started to feel like his worth had been diminished. This could definitely put a strain on the marriage. Also Lisa would have to deal with turning over her motherly duties somewhat and spend less time with the family. She would also probably not be able to have kids anytime soon as well but if they decided to at least this way she wouldn’t have to take as much time off since Jim would be home tending to the new child.
Jim could also start up some type of business he could run at home. This would allow him to feel like he is contributing to the family income but also spend time with the kids. Reflection: This assignment is a good preparation for big decisions that we all make in our lives. One thing that it shows is that there are many possible solutions to any problem and that we must look at the risks and rewards with each and decides which is best for our own unique family situation. These decisions would be much easier for a family with no children vs. family that already has 3 or 4 kids. If my wife and I were presented with the same situation I would think that we would follow scenario 1 the closest since family is most important to us. Neither of us are really looking to make a lot of money and for myself I wouldn’t mind being a stay at home dad. My wife may object but I love kids and spending time with them and if my wife was offered a job that paid a lot of money, enough to support a family, and it was something that she wanted to do and was passionate about I would like to think that I would support her in doing that.
Every family is different though and needs to meet different needs so there is no wrong or right way to go about this. I personally believe that family should always come first but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to spend a lot of time with them. I think it is important though that you are there for your spouse or your kids when they need you and that you are there to support them in the things that they do. If they feel your love and support I don’t think it matters how many hours you work or how much money you make.