I moved 1,800 miles and took a 20% pay cut to live near my parents. It’s a high-cost area, but they get to see our kids.

Houses in the Houston area were half the price of Boston’s, where they sell in a matter of days. We love our small starter home, but for the same price in Texas, we would have had a pool, an HOA, and tennis courts.

Luckily, interest rates were relatively low at the time. But we bought our house sight unseen for around $50,000 above asking. We relied on relatives to check it out in advance and waived the inspection.

I had to take a pay cut

Max’s salary remained the same, but I was forced to take a 20% pay cut for an apples-to-apples job. I was not pleased, and I let everyone know. I went from working in a pediatric clinic to an early intervention setting. Both jobs were nonprofits, but the pay rates for healthcare in my field are lower overall in Massachusetts versus Texas. More graduates with occupational therapy degrees want to live in the greater Boston area.

Meanwhile, the rate of Theo’s new day care was $2,200 a month. We had our second son, Charlie, last year. He goes to day care part-time because I reduced my workweek from five days to three after his birth.

Still, it’s been a trade-off. The quality of education in Massachusetts is good, and we can fly very quickly to Europe from Logan International Airport.

Best of all, it’s been a very nice change for us to be close to my family. Our boys actually know my parents and don’t have to be reintroduced to them every few months. We don’t have to miss any family events, and my parents and siblings help with childcare, especially when Max is visiting his family in France or traveling for business.

Almost every week, Mom and Dad can pick up Theo from pre-school for a fun activity. Max and I can have date nights, knowing the kids will be safe with my parents or one of my siblings or cousins. The going rate for babysitting in our neighborhood is $25 to $30 an hour, so there are savings, too.

Our move has made me the non-prioritized career person in the household. It has put me in a more financially vulnerable situation than if we were both able to contribute equally to our careers. But it has been the best choice for our family psychology.

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