SAHM or Working Mom?

When I first meet my husband that was the first thing we talked about.. Me staying home and raising our children. When I became a mom I couldn't think of any other way then to be the only one raising them. My husband works out side of the home I work inside the home and I wouldn't change that for the world. Being able to stay home and raise our 6 children and watching them grow up has been long life memories I'll remember for ever.

I couldn't be a SAHM. My mother was for 15 years with the four four us and I had to watch the the needs of my father and us destroy her from the inside out. I know it's not the same for all women but she is shadow of the person I remember as a small child and that cannot be healthy. I don't want that to happen to me.

I have 2 daughters (one of 21 years and one of 5 years). With my eldest daughter, I returned to work when she was 6 months old. I did find it very hard leaving her and now I actually regret that time. I gave up full time work with my second child and at first I hated it. Now i work part-time at the school, so I get all the holidays and get to take and pick her up from school. I absolutely love it! When i first had her, I just wanted to return to work but my husband wanted me to stay at home. I did have to get a part time job, as i would have gone completely mad at home. Now I have the best of both worlds, time with my daughter and work. If you have the choice then I would say stay at home and enjoy your children while you can. They soon grow up and do not want you. I wish that I tried to get a part time job with my eldest, as I did miss out so much with her. At the end of the day - you have to do what is right for you but dont regret anything.

My fiancee knows that I cant be stay at home mom all day and even though I watch my neices and nephews and some of them are infants alot they arent my children. My husband does not want our children in daycare,because his mother was always home with him or his grandmother was. I on the other hand went to day care. Our compromise is that since we both work for ourselves on certain days our child will spend half the day with either of us and then once my fmaily is off of work they will go spend time with them. Once our children are around the ages of 2 or three we will revisit the choie because I really believe that you can be a mom and have a career. I also want to make sure my children have interactions with other children besides just there family.

I would love to be a stay at home mommy. my mom was until i was 9 years old (i'm the youngest of 3). Now I don't think I could do it for that long but I'd like to do it until my children start school. I just have a hard time thinking about leaving a anywhere from 1-3 month old at a daycare. No offense to anyone who does but I don't feel that it's right for me.

Unfortunately, my career doesn't seem that it would allow that. So hopefully my future husband will make enough money that we can relax for a couple of years and I can take care of our babies.

I will be a SAHM. I've worked with kids my entire life (literally, I've been doing diapers since I was 3) and my own mom was a SAHM for 15 years and then started working, and I've worked with kids who have SAHM's and kids who don't, and I've seen many distinct differences. Kids who have SAHM's are well-adjusted and well-behaved in 99.9% of the cases I have seen.

From a young age, children's worlds revolve around their parents, they mimic everything you do and say. If you're not around, who will they imitate? Not their teachers, they despise their teachers from about 10 years onward. If you don't influence them, who (or what) will?

I know it's hard to hear (or read), but whether you like it or not, this is the way it goes. It may take a village to raise a child, but it shouldn't be "the village" that does the raising. It should be the parents.

I have seen so many heartbreaking instances where the parents feel that they both need to work to provide for their child. They don't consider other options--if one parent works, you only need one car, which means you spend less on insurance, gas, repairs, and payments. If one parent works, you are also spending less on wardrobing (those of you that need uniforms or business attire--the drycleaning adds up, and so does the Starbucks). And think of the money you'd save on childcare! $15,000 to $20,000 a year (I used to work in childcare centers and I know I'm right). If you are a SAHM you also buy less formula if you breastfeed, and less jar food if you own a blender (fresh organic veggies are healthier anyway!). In many circumstances if you total the cost of your job against your wages (especially if you have less education than a Master's), you can be losing money, or barely breaking even.

I knew a woman who made $2 an hour after childcare/uniform/gas expenses. Is it really worth it? You make the choice. I made mine.