BugLover

I would have loved to have stayed at home to raise my children, but circumstances dictated otherwise and I'm happy the way things turned out. I was young, divorced, and uneducated. I chose not to subject my child to the poverty I grew up with, so I went back to school and worked a part time job. I decided that since I didn't have a choice about working, I would set an example for my children that anything is possible. I since earned my Master's degree, work full-time, and have raised wonderful, bright and loving children.

I remembered growing up poor, with a stay-at-home mother who was every bit as dysfunctional as anything you can imagine. Just because she was a stay-at-home mother did not make her a good mother. My father left us in poverty - my mother had never had a job and no education so when he and his paycheck left, we were left destitute. I chose not to subject our little family to such problems or the potential for such problems.

I think there are a lot of advantages for staying at home, but there are lots of good reasons to get a job as well. I now have a college fund saved for my children, a rock solid 401k so I won't be a burden when I age, and opportunities for myself once my children leave the nest. Had I stayed at home, it's possible that I would have been in the same place I was when I got pregnant with the exception of being 18 years older: poor and uneducated.

Of course, my situation is not everyone's situation. Each person should look within as well as out to make sure it's the right decision. You might decide that staying at home for the first few years makes sense and taking a day job when your child goes to school. If you have family support, you will also have many more options than those without.