Valmiki Ramayana Ayodhya Kanda Sarga 43 Shloka 4

मम my, आत्मजम् son, दासम् as slave, दातुम् अपि even to give, वरम् is better, अथ thereafter, रामः Rama, कामकारः discharging the duties, नगरे in the city (Ayodhya), भैक्षम् food obtained by begging, चरन् moving about, गृहे in the house, वसेत् would have lived.

It would have been better had I offered her my son as a slave. He would have lived on in the house by doing his duties and begging his food in the city.