Freelance vs. Full-time

You'd be surprised. I have several friends with multiple children who freelance. One, in fact, left a stable job just a few months ago to go independent.

I think it's a myth that freelancing is less stable than a regular job. They both have risks. Your employer can go under, or let you go for political reasons, or restructure you out of work, or get bought by another company. As a freelancer, you have a completely different set of risks, but you're rewarded well to take the risk - such that you typically only have to work 8-9 months/year to make the same amount you'd make as an employee.