“I believe wholeheartedly in the importance of being a Mom who chooses not to work outside the home in order to be available for my children. However, I also have experienced the effects of a single income and it’s not pleasant,” explains one stay at home mom. Stay at home parents are finding it increasingly difficult to support their family on a single income. Their alternatives are not appealing either. They could return to work full time, they could pursue a part time job or they could look into a work from home opportunity. In most cases these options will help financially, but they will take away from the one very important value for stay at home moms and dads- being an integral part of their child’s early years.

Returning to a full time career demands more than 40-50 hours a week. It creates the demand for a babysitter, it creates more stress for the parent returning to the work force and it creates a sense of failure for both parents. When a family has decided to take one adult and make him/her the full time parent, any resignation of that situation results in a feeling of incompleteness and failure.

Taking a part time job presents many of the same issues as a full time job. Often the stay at home parent has errands to do, loads of laundry to wash, meals to cook, and sports games to attend. A part time employer usually needs their employee to be flexible and available throughout the week. This is just not possible for the typical stay at home mom and dad. Part time work often leaves the parent feeling dull. Who wants to file papers for their local dentist or stuff envelopes with insurance plan papers?