Can a Woman Stay Home and Raise Kids Anymore?

The mommy wars -- stay-at-home moms versus their working counterparts -- never seem to rest. The idea of staying at home with your kids can sometimes sound like an antiquated notion, especially when the economy comes into play, but according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 5 million moms chose to stay at home with their kids in 2010. The choice to stay at home with your kids is a personal one that takes into consideration things like finances, emotional health and your family's individual needs.

  1. Financial Considerations

    • One of the largest factors in whether you're able to stay at home with your children is the financial factor. For some families, having one parent stay at home simply isn't feasible for financial reasons. An area with a high cost of living or an unemployed partner -- or no partner at all -- necessitate a mom going to work instead of staying home. That's why drawing up a budget and calculating your expenses is one of the most important steps in deciding whether or not you can actually afford to stay at home.

    Emotional Considerations

    • Some mothers simply prefer to work, rather than stay at home with their children. This decision may not be directly related to finances, but rather a preference for working, a desire to contribute to household finances or a desire to use education and experience outside of the home. Some mothers want to stay home to raise their kids, but find the job tedious, isolating or difficult, which results in part-time or full-time work. In an article for Psychology Today, psychologist Ira Rosofsky notes that while the chance of depression for stay-at-home-moms is fairly low, the level spikes for moms who wish they were working out of the home or working moms who wish they were home.

    Various Solutions

    • If your desire is to stay a home with your kids, but you have financial and emotional considerations involved, it's possible to find balance between both. For instance, some stay-at-home moms find ways to make money while staying home through various freelance or sales businesses. Others tighten a budget to account for lost wages when making the decision to stay at home. Taking on a part-time job can also be rewarding, both financially and emotionally. Whether you choose to stay home full-time or go with another option, there may need to be some creativity involved when it comes to making it work either way.

    Individual Considerations

    • It's important to remember that every family is different and that the decision for a woman to stay home and raise her children is deeply personal. Not every solution is right for everyone. Some mothers prefer to work, while others make financial sacrifices in order to stay at home with their kids. The beauty of motherhood is in the fact that it can be done well in many ways and there is no "perfect" way of raising your kids, whether you stay at home or you head to work every morning.

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