What are important factors in making a decision to be a working parent or stay-at-home parent?
by 
keithold thanks all baggers
ANSWERS: 4
-
Whether the extra money you make will make up for missing family time. I am stay-at-home, and sometimes things are a little tight, but I wouldn't change a thing. Also, do you want strangers raising your kids?
-
Money, do you have what it takes to be a stay at home parent, do you have what it takes to be a working parent, do you have family and friends near by to help out with the kids if the day care/school/babysitter/sickness of child etc. causes you to find an alternative, will your job be flexible, will you still feel fulfilled, these are all good things to consider.
-
One important factor that you have to consider is that you are choosing who is going to raise your children. Even though most do not have a choice and have to leave it to daycare, if you DO have a choice your children need you more than any job could. It is hard to instill YOUR morals and values in your children when you only see them between 5pm and bedtime while also juggling dinner, dishes, housework etc. They end up learning all that from a daycare that cannot usually give your child individual attention and really is there just to make sure they dont get hurt and make money. Another factor is that daycare is expensive and usually does not make it worth the sacrafice.
-
I think you need to do what keeps you sane. As much as people will tell you that the only good you can do is by staying home with your kids, you can also teach them a lot by working. When I was a child, my mother went to school and worked, because she had to, it taught me to value education and the importance of hard work. As a mother myself now, I stay at home because it is what I want to do, I tried going back to work and it filled my home life with anxiety and stress, so it's obviously not for me. I walk dogs and do some aquarium/terrarium set up and maintainince and a little photography on the side to help me keep some balance and help with the bills. Chances are you already know what you want to do, but I think the most important factors to consider are money (can you afford you stay home?) and your personal sanity.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC