Many moms-to-be always seem to face the same dilemma: should they stay at home or return to work after their maternity leave. Some moms have a choice; they can afford to stay home but are worried about what it will do to their careers. They may even have the option of hiring great in-home care but then can be strapped with the guilt they feel of leaving their children for the pursuit of a better life for their family. Then, there are the moms that don't have the choice. They must return to work to be able to put food on the table.
I felt that I was fortunate in my situation. My husband and I were in need of a second income but the cost of daycare made it seem like a waste of time to work full time. At the time, I worked as an insurance agent in a large call center and was able to switch from full time daytime hours to part time nights and weekends.
I was lucky enough to keep this schedule for almost two years, until my husband left and I had to return to a full time schedule, but that's another article for another day. I was also lucky that my employer offered an onsite daycare center as one of the benefits. This enabled me to check on my son on my lunch breaks and gave me the peace of mind that I needed to be able to leave him, knowing he was only a few minutes away if I needed to get to him in an emergency.
While living through the decision process and watching other moms do the same thing, it made me realize that women rip apart other women for their choices. I also noticed this when I did research online. There are numerous websites dedicated to the stay at home mom vs. working mom debate and which is better for our children. These aren’t experts weighing in; these are moms attacking one another for their personal choices.
Why do we do this to each other and what gives us the right? Is it because we each feel bad or insecure about our own personal choice?
When I chose to go part time, I was told by many colleagues that I had just ended my career at my company. However, when I returned to full time, I received a promotion and was making more money than I ever had. Those colleagues were also the same ladies who returned from maternity leave when I did so maybe they were feeling guilty about their personal choice.
What people don’t realize is that more and more women with degrees are stepping out of the rat race to raise their children without fear of rejoining it later in life because they have their education and experience behind them.
Whatever decision you choose, be confident in it or it will bother you for a long time. Know that what you’re doing is the best option for you and your family. It doesn’t matter what other people think because they are not the ones that pay your bills or provide for your family. The only people that matter are your children and the most important thing is for them to know that they are loved by you.
If you do have to work, try to find something that is enjoyable so it’s not even more painful to be away from your little ones. If you choose to work but don’t have to, I hope it is fulfilling enough to make it worth missing the precious moments you’ll never get back.
Mom Types 
