Women today are still grappling with the issue of either going back to work or staying at home to take care of their baby. There are pros and cons to consider what is best for you and your family. Below are some things to ponder to help you decide and to reach a mutual agreement with your partner.

Money

Top of the list is money. Is there a financial need for you to go back to work? If you are the top earner compared to your partner, then your partner may be the one to stay home with the baby or children.

Equality

Men and women are equal in many ways now and so it is with parenting. Giving up a good career does not have to be the mum. The decision must be in the best interest of the entire family.

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Personal happiness

Some women feel happy going to work as it makes them feel more confident and satisfied at home. They are happier going home after working at a satisfying job. Some reportedly have more patience upon reaching home and dealing with their parenting role.

Working outside part-time or be your own boss

Some women are addicted to the great feeling of working and accomplishing something. A possible solution is to do a part-time job that enables you to split the time between working and being a mom. The other option is to start up your own home-based business.

Precious milestones

Being at home means you get to see your baby accomplish important milestones. For some women, nothing is more important than their family and they are the happiest being a mom.

Personal time

It is important to have time alone or “me-time”. A working mom will find it difficult to have this as a large chunk of time is already spent at work and hence the balance is for the family. Being a stay-at-home mom makes it easier to slot in some personal me time.

Become a volunteer

A great idea to get the same sense of accomplishment as going out to work is to do some volunteer work. You can volunteer to help out in a school, church activities, etc.

What is your say on this matter?

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I am one of those women who would love to stay home with the children. Building a career and climbing the corporate ladder lost its appeal when I had my first child. However, as much as I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, I have to postpone my decision due to various reasons.

The main and critical reason is that my partner and I are unable to support the family on one income only. Although we lead a pretty frugal life, one income is still not enough to support the family’s monthly expenses.

We decided that it would jeopardize our future financial stability if I were to stop working at my current job unless there are other sources of income to replace the lost one.

For other parents, their reasons may be one or more of the following:

• They want to safeguard their careers and do not want to jeopardize their career prospects. For a lot of people, they have worked hard to build up their careers and letting it go is not easy.

• They are afraid that being a stay-at-home parent may result in boredom or loneliness. Yes, it does happen as I have heard this complaint from friends who opted to stay at home with their kids. In addition, feelings of low self-esteem may arise due to the lost career status.

• They hold a belief that they will be unhappy staying home and prefer to go out to work.

• They like the rewards of going out to work and the perks that often come with the job. In addition, they want to be able to socialize and apply their talents or skills.

• They believe that their children will benefit from going out and mixing with other children. In other words, their kids will improve their social and development skills as well as their communication skills outside of the home.

If you have faced a similar situation before, what was the deciding factor in helping you to make your decision?

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Not every parent wants to stay home and commit to doing fulltime childcare and housekeeping. It can be a tough, tedious and lonely work. I have heard parents’ complaint that they feel lonely with no adults to talk to. In addition, there are no perks that come with the parenting job.

The following are some of the common reasons to be a stay-at-home mom or dad:

• They want to be available to their children fulltime.
• They find it hard to accept the idea of sending their children to childcare or daycare centers. Generally, they doubt the quality provided by these centers.
• They do not want to miss any part of the children’s growing-up period.
• They want to ensure that their children get the best attention, guidance and care which only parents can provide.
• They want to avoid the hassles and pressure of juggling between family responsibilities and job responsibilities.
• They want to be able to nurse their babies fulltime.
• They do not believe in gender stereotyping. For example, the male partner should go out to work and be the breadwinner and the female partner should be a stay-at-home mom only.

A parent gets peace of mind and feel emotionally comforted knowing the child is well taken care off at home. There are also the rewards that come with being home with the child. For example, the parent does not miss the precious milestones during the growing up years like the first steps taken or the first time the child learns to do something.

Are you a stay-at-home parent? What are your motivations for being one?