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I was a stay-at-home mom by choice. It is hard on the finances, but I would encourage women(or men) to try at least for the first 2 years of their child's life.
Studies were done regarding the cost of daycare vs staying home(applying to couples) and it is not cost-effective at all. If you are making $500 a week, about half that goes to daycare, a portion goes to transportation and sundry other expenses, adding up to one working for less than minimum wage.
But the personal rewards are greater still. I stayed home until they went into first grade, then worked only while they were in school. I started reading to them at 6 months-by kindergarten they were reading and writing on their own.
They got individual attention, structure and the chance to just be-they weren't small parts of a large group, they got the kind of love only a parent can give 24/7; not a harried mom scooping them up, rushing home to get dinner going then getting them ready for bed after some brief 'quality' time.
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Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.
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