According to this article, 43 percent of working moms say they'd take a pay cut to spend more time at home.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/05/08/working.moms/index.html

I believe it. And, back when I was a working mom, I did it.
First I went to work for a weekly paper, which paid less but gave me more free time. Then - after a few years spent busting it at a daily again - I opted to work fewer hours (and I got paid by the hour).
And I will never regret it, either. It was well worth the loss in pay.

I believe it too, because I did it. I cut back my hours at work a few months before I had Alec. I also went from working nights to dyas which is a paycut also. Sooooo worth it!

If my family could financially afford it I would most definetly like to spend more time at home. Unfortunately theres no way we could make it with less money.

Same here shro006. I would sooooo stay home if I could afford to. Or at least only work part-time. I keep waiting to win the lottery so we don't have to work anymore. LOL!

I'm not denying that you guys have to work, but I have to say - you would not believe how little money my husband makes. We live on practically nothing, I swear!
But we have a tinytiny house in a very unfashionable neighborhood; fairly old, hand-me-down cars and very little debt. And it's a sacrifice for everyone, but it works for us.

I would love to be a SAHM, but being a single parent I dont really get the choice!! So I am VERY jealous!!

Yeah, & the thought of that is scary for me, Smothers - we don't have much savings, so we'd be absolutely destitute if my husband & I divorced or something happened to him.
My LO & I would be moving into my parents' house for a while, I guess. And that would be a horrible nightmare for everyone involved !!!

I did it! I was a sales rep making awesome money, but I was covering 3 states and constantly worrying about beating traffic home and getting my girls in time before daycare closed. I was always calling mom to step in and grab them and then we had meetings that were plane rides away. One day while sitting at my computer hating life and looking at the activities list my kids were doing that summer in daycare and hating that I had no vacation to join them, I saw it! A posting for an art teacher at an elementary school. I just reacted and posted my resume expecting nothing. Within 48 hours I was contacted, interviewed, and offered a new career and life. I was thrilled and then it sank in . . .more than a 50% pay cut. OUCH! Here I am 2 years later and we did just fine, life is awesome and we hardly miss the money. Anything is possible. And here I sit on the cusp of an 11 week vacation (all paid) and I can hardly contain myself!

I wish I could be a stay at home mom too, I hate missing out on most of my kids lives but I dont know if I would take them out of day care or not even if I did stay at home. My son has learned SOOOOO much from going. So I would have to work part time and put them in part time day care which is my plans for later on in life when my LO turns 2 and he is fixing to be 1 so just another year to go!! But I am VERY lucky now to have the job I have bcs I dont have to be here or leave any certain time, just as long as I get my work done and I am here when the boss needs me he doesnt care. I can also bring kids to work with me often so I guess I wont complain, I do love my job.

I did it. I had worked half-time the went to full-time for one year (as I mentioned in another thread once, I was miserable as was everyone at home). So now I'm back to half-time (with half the pay, of course!) and we figured out how to make it work. It was the best decision we ever made.
But not everyone can do that - single moms for example. We do not live in a society that supports a woman's choice to stay at home and raise her own children unless she has a husband to provide the financial support. I don't know what the solution would be or how that could happen, but it does occur to me that we value as a society the stay-at-home mom... as long as she is not a single mom.

I know, LawMommy! I often wonder why women like me are commended (mostly) for staying home with our kids - but poorer moms who want to stay home with their young children are almost always called lazy.
I know it costs taxpayers money when a low-income mother doesn't work, but if I'm a dedicated mom for giving up my career - & if I can believe my family's better off because I stay home - why can't she? Don't we want what's best for all of America's kids (and not just the rich ones?)?
I just totally bungled everything I was trying to say, but anyway .... I DO know what you mean, LawMommy. And I totally agree.

I agree DistractedMom. And the thing is, that programs pay for the children of poort mothers to go to day care or free pre-K if they work, but if they chose to stay home and have to rely on welfare and food stamps, etc., then they are called lazy, as you say, or accused of "just having children so they can get a bigger check." It's totally a double standard.

I don't think there is a mother out there that has it easy no matter their decision or lot in life. Some have choices and others don't. No matter how you slice and dice it, motherhood is an amazing venture that you can't understand until you pop one out. Nothing prepares you and nothing compares. We all do what we need to and if we are truly 100% vested, our kids know it and come out great!

Well said, GHM!!

This is a timely thread for me, as I am really struggling right now with this decision. I stay at home now, but work from home. I have an in home babysitter 3 days a week. I'm here while she is here, which is really optimal.

But, I have to go back to work full time in August...Ben will be 15 months old. I tear up thinking about it. Financially, we would probably be able to swing it, but I am bound by a grant to work at least 2 years. I will be on the university schedule, so, I'll have summers off, and nice holiday breaks.

The other side is.....I really really love what I do. I don't love it more than being with my baby by any means. But, I feel that my career is part of my purpose, and I feel it contributes in a positive way to my identity as a mother and wife...if that makes sense.

I am hoping I can find a nice balance, as LM and GHM indicated. I am not naively optimistic...I know it will be hard, and I don't strive to "have it all." I do have it all...we all do!...I just hope I can handle it!!

Good discussion...