I'm not disagreeing...I was a stay at home mom but I'm just saying it's not always possible for everyone. Sure some can work from home but not all, sure some come work during school,hrs but not all employers go for that. If it's Gods desire then why are so many moms working?
I stayed at home until my kids were all in school, and then I only had a part time job. My former husband worked construction, but he only worked part time, plus he had a drinking/drug problem; so there were times when we just didn't have money to live on, and I needed to work and at least be able to buy groceries for us to eat. I think that it is best when one of the parents is home with the children, and I didn't like that I was not there when they came home from school, even though they were old enough to be okay, and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law lived just across the street, which helped a lot. Sometimes, parents just have to make that decision, and like @Chrissy Cross mentioned, we also have to make sure that we provide food and shelter for the children, even if that means both parents working. Sometimes, you can work and have the children along with you, too. When my kids were younger, I worked in field work, in the hops, and it was work that we mothers all took our kids along with us. It was a long day for them, but the kids played together, and even helped us with our work as much as they could, and it was also a good learning experience for them.
Just done some research on, what the website calls "Latch-Key Kids" and that was a "saying" years ago, and the legal age/ages kids can be left alone. It showed the age as being basically 12 and up. It also stated that many states don't have a certain age law, while others do. Obviously, those states that don't, it would be left up to the parent/parents logic. But, I do think, if the wife doesn't work a part-time job, the husband would have to have a nice income to cover all expenses.
The simple answer is their desire is either not the same as God's in this, or their faith and trust in Him to provide a way for them to stay home with their "babies" is not strong enough. And many times their spouse insists they have to work so they can make ends meet. My own spouse (my ex) did this, he insisted I work outside the home because he said his salary would not cover our needs. I told him I would not let someone else raise my babies but that God would provide a way for me to supplement our income or for my spouse to make enough to cover our needs. And God did just that. There is a big difference in needs and wants and many couples do not realize this difference especially today. Young couples want everything right now whereas in the past most people saved up for one thing at a time and did without until they could afford their "wants"...we also "made do" and "used up" things, etc. while people today "throw away" and "change" their cars, decor, etc. every season or year, etc. They are seldom satisfied with what they have now days.
But, if they have the money, they can toss things that are still good, change cars whenever or do whatever they want. One thing for sure, they aren't restricted at what they can or can't do for and/or with the family. Wouldn't any family want to feel what that's like?
@Babs Hunt , I don't want to argue with you but there is no way that a family that has the husband making minimum wage and they have 3 kids to support can have that mom stay home without some help from somewhere. At the point it's not about choices, there are no choices... You were lucky but it's not going to happen in every family. Also, I was a stay at home mom and my kids turned out great, my daughter and DIL both work and my grandsons are doing great so far. There will be kids that had their moms at home and turn out terrible, just like there will be kids that had moms who worked and turned out great. A lot depends on a lot of different factors...one size does not fit all. I don't think that every women should just stay home and make babies and care for them...what about the ones that went to college for 8 years and want a career and children? Sadly there's a biological clock that women have to deal with so it's not always possible to have everything, you may have to do both at once.
For a while I worked at an academy for juvenile delinquents, and not just any delinquents; but ones from very rich families. It cost the parents about $5,000 per month just to send their kids to the academy. We had the regular one where most of the kids went, and then one that was more like a training camp where the really difficult ones went. These were usually the kids that their parents could not control at all, and they hired a couple of policemen to come in during the night, handcuff the kid and haul him (or her) off to boot camp. These kids lived in tents, and had to chop wood for their fire, walk all the way down to the regular camp 3 times a day to haul their food back to camp so they could eat, and life was pretty rough for these kids, at least for a while. The other kids lived in dorm rooms, and even they had to learn to wash dishes and have chores assigned to them, and they were there for a year, maybe longer. These kids came from families whose mom could afford to stay home and raise them, and they never had to worry about money, for anything. What they didn't get was love and discipline. So, just having enough income for the mother to stay home and raise the kids is not always going to be the answer either. Rich or poor, kids need to learn discipline, and they need to know that they are loved.
We are not arguing @Chrissy Cross or anyone else. I am stating my opinion and my belief on this subject same as everyone else. And that's what makes life interesting. In my first post I said each couple has to decide what they are going to do in this situation. But there is no doubt in my mind that God will make a way for a mother/dad/parent to stay home and nurture and raise the children He has blessed them with. Eight years of education in my opinion is not more important than being a mom/parent to your baby! The children God blesses you with are priceless gifts to me and always will be and I would not have had children if I were just going to give them to someone else to raise for me. I told y'all I feel strongly about this topic and although I respect others opinions...I definitely don't agree with them.
Yes they can Cody...and they can "toss" the babies they have to other people to raise too...but than why did they have those babies in the first place if they don't want to nurture and raise them?
My daughter has the 8 years and the career and the children and neither suffered...it can be done. Why are families on welfare if God made a way for them? And it usually doesn't happen like you say that I'll choose 8 years of education because that's more important than a baby. A woman may just be single and going to college and when she finishes she might marry, then start her career for a year or two...then a baby happens. If she quits a career where her skills are important kept up to date, does she stay home and quit paying her $120,000 college loan? My daughter loves her children just as much as a non working mom. Same goes for my DIL. All 5 of my grandsons are loved and nurtured just as much as my kids were with me as a stay at home mom. Bottom line...there are good moms and there are bad moms and it's that way wether they work or not.
Kids are shown happiness and love when they find out the family is going to Disney World. For me, I was shown too much discipline by my step-parents. I actually couldn't wait to leave home right after high school graduation. I could hardly wait until the times I could hardly wait to spend a weekend with my cousins whose parents were much more lienent than mine were. Those were fun weekends.