Monday, January 14, 2008

Stay at Home Moms vs Working Mom's - The Real Winner

This battle has been taking place since the late 70's and has been heating up for quite sometime.

Of course there are the "professionals" and their studies that point to the advantages of both sides. But let's be real...cite one study and I'll show you one that contradicts it. So who's right and who's wrong?

I'll let you in on a little secret, look in the mirror! The person looking back is the one who's right. Don't ever forget that.

Simply look at this social issue logically. You're the mother, the parent, and if you are part of a relationship, a wife or partner. From the moment your child was born, even though that precious little baby didn't come with an instruction booklet, he or she did come with a gift. The gift comes in the form of the innate sense that you have which tells YOU above anyone else, that you know what is best for your child. Parents, not psychologists, not CEO's, not educators or Phd's with the latest statistics know what your child needs.

Sure, when making a decision you should always perform due diligence. Parents should always weigh in both sides and gather information when contemplating the tough issues that affect their kids. But the good news is, with the advent of the internet and the vast amount of opportunities available to women and men to work from home, this choice may be more black and white than what all of the rhetoric has made out to be.

Remember when we talked about that "innate sense" that you have within you regarding your child? Guess what, no one has it for your baby like you. And your baby has a built in trust that you know just what she needs. Your Nanny or Day Care provider can perform a service and do their job, but your child NEEDs you. No amount of money can buy that built in voice that tells you what your son wants when he cries or what motivates your daughter to learn her alphabet. Mom knows, and she knows best! So stop undermining yourself and your ability to do right by your child.

The good news is, you can have both! You don't have to stop working to stay at home. Now, if you have an infant, then no one would expect you to just charge out there and start a business in between trying to remember your name from the lack of Z's that you've had lately. But when your baby develops a good sleep pattern and you can actually get on some type of schedule, staying home and working from home is a viable solution to this debate between stay at home moms vs. working mom's. And in the long run, the whole family will benefit.

Maybe you have a special skill or hobby that you can draw from to start a business. Perhaps you want to work online, or maybe work out of your home. Many moms are scared because they are afraid that if they give up their career, they will loose out on things like social security or re-entry into the work force when the kids are grown.

Look at the tax advantages of having a home based business, they are pretty appealing. You can also open an individual IRA, check with your financial institution about these types of options. Taking care of yourself means you are also taking care of your family.

Personally, the decision to walk away from an executive level job for my children to become a stay at home mom has not been without it's challenges. But now that they are 13, 11 and 9 I have begun to see the many rewards that came from that choice. Frankly, I can not begin to imagine missing out on their childhood and each and every moment that I could never get back if I would have went "away" to the office every day.

Are you in the process of deciding to be a stay at home mom? then check out these resources to help you make that decision. If you are looking for jobs for stay at home moms here are legitimate ways for moms to make money from home.

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