Do you think women with school age children should get a job?

Question

Please do not be rude, just tell me what you think about this honestly? If the family can do well with one income should mom get a job just so that she isn't doing household chores all day. I am talking about women who keep house and cook and run around with their kids not Oprah watchers who sit on the sofa all day.

Answer 1

If you can get by on one income then good for you. The kids will benefit from you being a stay at home mom. I was lucky and able to stay home for 13 years when my kids were small. I have never regretted it. Thay turned out to be great kids.

Answer 2

I think that if a mother is spending her days doing what makes her the happiest, she will be a better parent, because her contentment will rub off on her children. If a mother wishes to continue to stay home once her children are in school, that's fine. I'm sure most moms would find many ways to fill their days, even with the kids in school full time. And they'd be able to be home when their kids arrived home from school, which is actually a wonderful thing as the kids get older. On the opposite side of the coin, I'm a single mom, so I have no choice but to work full time. But even if I were married and had a husband who could support the family on a single salary, I would work. If I were home all day when the kids were at school, I'd be spending my husband's money at the Mall, and would get us all in deep financial trouble! Besides, I enjoy spending the day in adult company, and it makes me a better parent because I love my job.

Answer 3

I am a stay at home mom/wife.
When my Boys were born I missed my career more then ANYTHING. I loved them but I did feel a void.. wow, I got over that QUICK and have enjoyed EVERY SINGLE MOMENT at home with my Boys.
My 6 yr old twins started Kindergarten this year..
I thought that I would have "nothing" to do but boy was I wrong..
I have gotten involved with a lot of Church activities.. planning events and such.
We are doing OK on one income. I do watch my God-Daughter 2 nights a week so that brings in some extra money.

Next year I am going to be homeschooling my children so staying home this year has been great. I don't have to adjust to life at home again.

It is all personal preference BUT I do think that if you can you should stay home. The time is precious!

Answer 4

I believe that it is up to the individual woman. If your kids are back in school and you want to get a job, even part time, to fill that void, then you should do it. If you believe that you should get a job just because you fill guilty you are not having to keep your kids all day, then no. But, if your issue is just wanting to get out, it doesn't have to be a job, you could volunteer at your kids' school, library, or other local organization. That way you will still be available when your kids are out of school and summers. I currently work full time, but would love the opportunity to spend more time with my child. But I have heard from many of my friends that stay at home about how they crave adult conversation. You have done your duty in getting your children prepared for school. Now that they are there, make yourself happy and get a job, club or committee that gets you outside of the home. Good luck!

Answer 5

If the family can do well with one income, then no, mom should stay home if it's agreed upon. Just because kids are in school doesn't mean they don't need mom, like when they're sick or have school functions. I plan on doing the same thing, but I also plan to take wedding photos on the side (just to get me out of the house and doing something I love).

Hubby and I worked it out that as soon as I got pregnant I could stay home and that's what I'm doing now. We agree that a child will develop better with a mom at home. Though I have the utmost respect for working moms!

Answer 6

I am a married woman, I am just under my husbands profile.

I work, and I always have. My mother has worked my whole life, including when I was school-aged. I am a firm believer in a dual income household. I think that my mothers strong work ethic, is what helped me maintain jobs when I was younger, that has in turn, made me a motivated successful woman. Aside from working 40 hrs a week, and contributing to my household income, I also tend to my step-daughter, I am pregnant, and I clean the house, wash the car, just like I would if I were a stay at home mom. Bottom line, I think that it sets a better example for the kids to see both parents working.

Answer 7

I think that both choices, to take a job and to stay home with kids, are honorable, and admirable choices. This is a balancing act that each woman needs to make for herself.

Women who stay home have complete control of how their children are raised, have closer relationships with them, and are able to more easily keep a house and provide nutritous meals. If they can afford to do this and they wish to do it, then I think it is a good choice. But women who stay home also give up on career growth, and their children may miss out on opportunities that the additional income might provide. This last is minor - the career growth, depending on the woman, may be major.

If women work outside the home, they have a chance to make their career grow better, they have a lot of intellectual stimulation. And depending on their circumstances, they have the satisfaction of helping to financially support their families (I know several families where the woman is the main breadwinner!) The downside is that there are inevitable hassles associated with child care - if you have good child care it is expensive, and there are always sick days and emergencies, and that you need to put in effort to give your kids good time with you and to maintain a positive relationship with them. It can be particularly difficult as kids hit adolescense. But these things are, with effort and attention, overcome.

Neither of these options are easy, neither are better. Some women go crazy at home, some go crazy at work. Some feel that if they are home they are second class to the husband who works, some feel if they work they are cheating their children of important time. Many women make a wonderful home for their children at home and raise beautiful, wonderful people, many other women successfully make a career and still find time and effort to be involved in their children's lives and to raise beautiful, wonderful people.

It's really up to you.

Answer 8

There are two sides to everything and first both the Dad and Mom should share with raising their kids, to incl involvement in school activities and keeping them busy around the house with educational things as reading out loud as well sharing household chores as dishes, laundry and vacuuming etc. When they are toddlers, trust me childcare nowdays is super expensive as ours fell right behind our mortgage but as they get older some schools offer School Age Child Care from kindergarten to 6th Grade at substantial savings with county hired and qualified personnel. Though the offset differential might only show up for college educated Moms, there are other pluses as getting peace of mind taking to other adults and Moms but more importantly if they married young and showed signs of failure, a working Mom has better chances of walking out if counseling fails bec most likely she is better able to stand on her two feet than a Stay At Home Mom. That said, it would behoove women to pay attention and ask potential employers about whether they offer family-friendly benefits bec some employers offer childcare at the workplace and telecommuting options etc.

Answer 9

Well, Iam a stay at home momwitha 15 monthold and one on the way. My husband doesn't want me to get a job at all, he makes enough *just* to get us by, but I want more ya know? I want to be able to get stuff without having to worry if we'll have enough money to pay our bills or if the doctors bills will be racking up if we get sick. So *I* decided that when our youngest child turns 2 we will get a babysitter or put them in daycare & I will get a part time job. It will only help slightly with paying the bills after care for the kids is paid, but it may make me less likely to go insane LOL I believe that if you can make it by well without another income, go for it & stay home (if that's your choice) or go to work to get out of the house (if that's your choice)- basically it's up to the woman in that position and what she feels is best for HER. Her kids are in school so they will not be affected by her not being home during the day-except that there will be a little more housework, but hey if they are school age, they can help with some of the small stuff :D

Answer 10

If the family is comfortable with a single salary, than it really is up to the woman and her family to decide what works. I do know at that point, many women will opt to find PT jobs or get more involved in volunteer work simply because they enjoy the change. If it is something she wants to do, then why not. However, if she is happy staying "home" than that is just grand too!