Marriage Update

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I don't post on this site very often, but I haven't really made much progress from reading over my original posts regarding my marriage. Things are progressively getting worse, with the same issues. It's mostly issues with in laws, trouble finding permanent work and my children getting older. The are now 11, 10 and 5. Three years ago the issues were less because they weren't as socially aware. As they get older major issues are rising to the surface, particularly in relation to finances. We're not in debt, have reasonable savings. But struggle from week to week to make the bills. Some weeks we've little money for fuel and food and sometimes struggle to put food on the table before pay day. I'm unemployed at the minute, I look at myself and see lots of potential, I've a degree, a postgrade in education, a certificate and a masters. All these qualifications and I can't find a job. My wife is becoming more resentful by the day and is becoming emotionally and physically abusive towards me. I can kind of understand why, but I still don't excuse it. I've asked her to get help from the doctor many times for her unpredictable temper. She wouldn't, so I decided to go myself to the doctor. This has opened a can of worms and now we've ended up in counseling because there are concerns regarding the safety of our children.

Your education could of course be doing more for you, though I think you may have glossed over some of the reasons why. Even public schools have all sorts of hidden costs, you're an educator anyway so perhaps you could find ways of enjoying homeschooling your kids. Also, I'd recommend asking your wife what you can do in lieu of the medical establishment. I bet you could also find a good income as a tutor.

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"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos

Wow If you were the one with the job you wouldn't be abusive.

What kind of degree do you have?

+1 on the homeschooling suggestion. You can also make a killing as a private tutor.

I've recently become a stay-at-home dad. The female equivalent is quite a common occurrence, and I've been aware that stay-at-home, homeschooling moms often bring in real money, as in better than most entry level jobs kinds of money. I always wondered how they did it.

The short answer is between looking after kids and keeping house, there were large swaths of time with relatively little to do. So they took that time to explore hobbies, things they could also get kids involved in if there was room for it. Then they found that people were willing to buy the kinds of crafts they were making. Then they hit eBay. Then they started posting to Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, etc. Then they started blogging about it. Then they got involved in affiliate programs that paid them for advertising. Next thing they know, they're operating small businesses out of their living rooms and making money comparable to their full-time husbands.

So I examined my life: I'm a stay-at-home dad who is a musician. I have a weekend gig at church. Every now and then I get to play with rock bands, jazz trios, and even do the solo cocktail piano thing for private parties and fundraisers. I compose and record my own take on ambient/electronica. So I started posting my electronic music on YouTube with motion backgrounds I made in Blender. At this phase, I'm posting regularly to YouTube and G+ communities and spending 1-2 hours listening to music other people made and posted and leaving comments. My YouTube vids are monetized with AdSense, and I'm looking ahead to making instructional videos in addition to original music. My catalog is quickly growing, I'm a member of BMI, and once my catalog exceeds my ability to self-promote, I'm going to start pitching music to film and TV music supervisors and hopefully land a few licensing deals. Ideally I could make a living off BMI royalties alone. I've also got album projects in the works that I'm looking to self-publish, trunk-of-car style, and line up some promo tours locally. I'm also available for piano lessons, though the market for that is quite slim at the moment--not to mention I've fallen victim to some sleazy competitors. Which is fine, because given how my interests have shifted, I'm not sure I want to be in the classical piano biz anymore, anyway--besides, funds for publicly supported programs that grow stale always dry up, and slimy, back-stabbing "friends" move away, and students worth keeping always come back. I don't bother getting bitter about it…I just look ahead and stay flexible so I can survive in the midst of changing trends. There's ALWAYS work to be done. Nobody ever got punished for being kind to others and staying optimistic. And as bad as things CAN get, you'll win out as long as you keep your optimism.

Anyway…food for thought. If this is the situation you find yourself in, keep your head up and look for anything/everything you can do to keep the cash flowing. Things will eventually turn around. Just keep looking for it.

Thanks for the advice, but this has been the situation for a number of years. Unfortunately I qualified during the beginning of the recession. My wife hasn't worked since we got married, but all the blame seems to be with me not being a provider. I'm an artist, and I can't even put together projects because of the expense of it. I know this sounds like I'm feeling sorry for myself, but I've tried every available avenue. I know things will change, and I will get a good opportunity soon. But I feel it will be too late and we will be separated. That would kill me not to have contact with my children.

I second the suggestion of being a private tutor.
Even in topics that are not your specialty, if you know the topic well enough to tutor and can tutor well (perhaps helped by your education background), you may at least make some money and improve the financial situation of your family.
It may not be most interesting for you though.