This is just a request for some ideas. We are expecting our third child and my husband is finishing his degree working part-time. He will be finished by the time the little one arrives and hopefully working full-time again, but in the meantime we might be eligible for WIC. We are managing but I think it would be awesome to get a little extra help. My husband simply gives me "the look" (and I mean that lightheartedly!) whenever I mention it. He does NOT want me bringing vouchers to the grocery store. My MIL said his dad was the same way when he was in Bible college but they DID use them--anyone have any luck persuading a husband to apply? I'm not going to if he is adament, and again we do feed our family so might not be eligible because we are not actually at a nutrition risk, but I wouldn't mind some stories or pointers for husband-persuasion. (I do know about other programs like Angel Food as I refer people all the time to services for my job--breaking stereotypes for assistance is hard for a lot of men, though!)
Thanks. :)
Thanks for the ideas. I would NEVER apply for something, buy something, or make any major decision without my husband's agreement, which is why I said in my question that I would not. The perspective is helpful--it is temporary, it could help just enough to take off some of the grocery pressure (with a 3 year old and 2 year old who eat enough for an army...) and yet there are plenty of people worse off than we are. In our county you do have to be assessed and deemed a nutrition risk, like anemia or something, so we probably wouldn't be eligible anyway since feeding our family is usually a priority. He also has excellent health insurance and benefits, just lower pay, so we have no health concerns that aren't met. Thanks for the thoughts! :)
If we absolutely needed them, my hubby would agree, but if we didn't, he would NOT. It's a pride thing for them. They're supposed to be the providers and it's a blow to the ego for them to have to use them. My hubby was unemployed from August 2009 to Feb. 2010 and besides his unemployment, he wouldn't apply for anything like WIC or free lunch program at my daughter's school.
WIC is based on income, nothing else. If you can use the milk and other foods then why not go ahead and apply. There are many other services the h\Health Department offers too. If he doesn't want you to use the vouchers around him then go to the store without him. It's silly to do without food because pride is an issue.
You may also be eligible for medical cards and food stamps too.
I have been there, I explained to him if you walked down the street and found $5, would you pick it up? Would this little bit of help give you more financial room to afford books, or gas to get to and from? I told him I would stop using them as soon as he is working it is only temporary. I told him you have been paying into the "system" for all these years and it is time to except it back, it is our money. That right there did it. I realize that WIC is a dif. organization but same point. We put in for SS, Welfare and all of these organizations that people take advantage of and work the system to stay on, so why is it when we need it we are ashamed to use what we have put into it.
Im on wic, and it's really not bad. You get a card that gets loaded every month with a certain amount of items... Most grocery stores have the pink "wic approved" label on the items you get, and if you keep your receipt it has a list of what is left on your card. No vouchers necessary! WIC is an awesome program~and it's not much of a hassle at checkout. You just tell the cashier at the beginning that you have wic, put your card in the reader, then when it's done you pay for the rest of your groceries. :) When I first got on it I had that "don't want to take charity" stereotype, and was really bothered (just my pride poking in) ...I felt like everyone would be seeing me use the card and judge me for not being able to supply for my family... which was completely ridiculous now in hindsight. It has made life that much easier, and I honestly don't notice that people pay close attention to what you are using to pay for your groceries with.
I don't know if this will help, but maybe if you remind him that you are taxpayers, and your taxes go into this system to help pay for it, and it's really just your tax dollars working for you.
Honestly hun, It does help
Even if you aren't TOTALLY struggling, anything to help you not have to stress is a good thing.
As far as eligibility, they focus on how many people are in your household compared to how much money you bring in. i.e Household of 4 can't make more than $40k a year to be eligible. *I MADE THOSE NUMBERS UP* It differs from state to state.
I'd say give him as much info on what exactly WIC is. Some people think it's the same thing as being on food-stamps. But it isn't.
There is a stereotype as to what kind of people are on WIC & Food Stamps. Most people think it means you are a Poor, lazy, selfish, etc family.
When in fact, you just need help.
Hey if it works..try letting him know that the money you will be saving while being on WIC will leave more money for other "fun" things??
Hello, like some of the other ladies said, it's not the same as food stamps, and your not getting on it because you don't work or are lazy. You just need a little help right now, that's all. My husband wasn't 100% sure either when I signed us up, but when he saw the grocery receipt of what WIC paid for, he was very happy. I got on it when I was on maternity leave and he was the only one working. I'm back to work now, but still on WIC. It really is alot of help especially with an infant on formula. And WIC doesn't just give you food, they also care about you and your family's health. You get regular checkups for all your children, they advise you vaccinations and any other health concerns or issues you may have. I totally reccomend it. I did too for a little while feel awkward because I am working but get WIC, but like the others say, it's a kind of assistance, just because we work doesn't mean we can't get a little help sometimes, especially when we are paying for it for those who really are lazy and don't work. Ask him to try it at least one month and show him what a difference it makes. Good luck to you and don't be embarrased about, I got over it really fast when I saw the difference in made in my check book.
I have to say that I disagree with many of the posts here. Sorry ladies! But I don't think you should do this w/o his agreement. You have obviously talked about it and he expressed his disinterest in the program, if you go ahead and do this behind his back you are deliberately going against his wishes! How would you feel if he did that to you? I just think that you both should try to reach an agreement so it won't cause any undo stress in your relationship. That is just my two cents.
That said, I can see how this is a difficult thing to get him to agree to. He is proud and doesn't want to accept aid. I'm not really sure how you can get him to change his mind. Maybe do some research and see exactly how much $ you could get and put it in "real" terms - we can get 3 gallons of milk/15 jars of baby food/etc.
I hope the two of you can reach an agreement!
Maybe just try to come at it from an historical perspective, meaning looking at the original purpose of the programs, not the ways they've been abused by unscrupulous people. Personally I don't believe in living on government assistance, but this is different. I used WIC once to get through a tough spot when I was in the military and my ex kept quitting jobs or getting fired. I believe that is the appropriate use of these programs. Wic, unemployment, welfare....they're all there to help out basically good, hardworking people that have just fallen on lean times temporarily for whatever reason. They are a little bit of help in a critical time and then they are not used again unless something else happens.
I would tell your hubby that you feel like your family is passing through a bottle neck right now and everything will be clear and smooth sailing on the other side, but while you're going through it, you think it would be financially prudent to see if you could use WIC to take some of the pressure off of your grocery bill. Tell him that making ends meet to proactively avoid financial problems is the best bet. After all an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Maybe he'll be swayed by these logical arguments. Logic is always the way to go when talking to husbands! lol! Best of luck!
My family is on WIC. I had hesitations at first but then I realized most military families are on WIC. My husband is in the Coast Guard. He works full-time and I work part-time as I am able but do to frequent moves I cannot work any more. Thankfully my husband is willing to use the vouchers and isn't bothered by them. His opinion is if the Federal Government doesn't pay enoguh that we qualified for assistance as soon as we were expecting our first child there shouldn't be a stigma with it. That said I know many of my Coastie friends husbands are embarrased by the WIC vouchers and they usually solve the problem by the husband not using them and not coming to the store when they are used. WIC is an extension of the Federal Free Lunch program so ask yourself if your school age child qualified would you use that. Because of moves with the Coast Guard we have used WIC in four different states and none of them required us to be nutrtionally at risk. Actually "poverty" is a nutrtional risk. Ironically I now have a child who is nutrtionally at risk, she has absorbtion problems, trouble gaining weight and is supplemented by a feeding tube, they are unable to do anything to really help her. They cannot provide her special formula, and because she is over 2 we have to get low-fat milk for her even though she needs whole mixed with powdered for the calorie content. She is on a gluten free diet due to celiac disease and all the WIC approved cereals are not apropriate for her. They have nutritionists who have told me that her problems are beyond their scope. So although WIC is helpful they really can't counsel much beyond age apropriate servings, and dealing with more common things like anemia and food jags.
If you are feeding your family just fine now then please dont apply for it. There is probably another family out there that could get turned down that is in true need of this program.
Hi! I can understand how your husband may be feeling about it, but the reality is that when you have children - they are your priority. In this economy, pride doesn't feed a family. If you need a little help for a little while, there is no shame in that. WIC is a great program, as it helps make sure that "women, infants, & children" get proper nutrition.
Good luck!
Every time taxes are taken out of your pay checks you are paying for the program. Basically, you are paying to keep it running in the event someone needs it. If you need it now (no matter how little), then why not use it? That's what the program is for, to help anyone that needs it, for whatever reason. You are not abusing the system or taking anything you do not deserve. Once your husband is out of school and working full time you can go off it. And taxes will again be taken out of his check to pay to keep it going for someone else.
You should be able to go online to check the requirements to see if you qualify. I was able to do this for my daughter when her husband left her with 2 small children and a small income while she waited for the courts to force him to pay child support.
WIC is for WOMEN, infants and children. You don't need his consent. If you want the help, YOU apply. He does nothing other than possibly sign as a proxy for you. We were a family of 2 full-time incomes and we still qualified and accepted the much-needed and welcomed help. Take the help!
Every enlisted military family I know, and many of the low level officers are on WIC.
You can go on WIC right now while pregnant. There is no shame in it.
My husband was laid off lost our health insurance & there was NO WAY that my kids where going without coverage.As a mother to protect my kids I applied for assistance WIC & Health Care coverage we argued about it but ultimately I took it into my own hands it didn't matter what my husband said I applied was accepted end of story.The week my kids were accepted I found out I was pregnant.Now that time has went by he isn't exactly thanking me for it but he should our daughter had surgery and our baby had to be hospitalized before his insurnace began with his new employment.
You don't need him to apply. All you need is income verification, address verification and ID for you and your children. You'll also need a pregnancy verification from from your doctor. Some states have switched from the vouchers to the cards. We still have vouchers in OH. If you need it, you need it. We save a lot of money in groceries with WIC. It allows us the extra money to put gas in our cars and pay our bills. I dont' look at it as a hand out since my husband works and pays taxes. So does yours. There's nothing wrong with getting a little help, if you need it.
you don't need to persuade him, it's not for him. He doesn't have to sign anything or consent to anything
I didn't read the responses, sorry, hope I don't repeat too much!
FIrst off, you don't need him to apply! You will need his info, but not his permission! It is not always based on nutrition, but on income.
Second, When my hubby and I both got out the military, I had one baby and preggo with the second, and Wic was awesome! Milk (something to the tune of 2 or three gallons a week! Thats over $30 a month saved in milk alone), cheese, eggs, peanut butter, cherrios, juice, formula, baby rice and more!
I don't have any way to help him come around if he doesn't want to do it for 'macho' reasons. Just know you are not alone. My husband, even though we were really struggling, waited four months to file for unemployment (I was ineligable because I was preggo and therefore not looking for a job at that time), because he was embarrased and it hurt his ego to not be able to find a job. Maybe just do a WIC trial month or two so he can see how much you will save!! If, after seeing how it is not as bad as it seems, he still doesn't want it, then you can just stop it, no harm done.
You know, they also do things such as help with immunizations (if you go that route) and many other things that are benificial. At least ours did. Check out your local WIC website if they have one.
