Why do you work or stay-at-home? | sleeping should be easy

I have a strange work schedule: I work full-time, but work from home for the equivalent of two days. For the first year post-maternity leave, I worked part-time. For both situations, I realize I?m extremely fortunate to have arranged this schedule with my boss and company, as it allows me the opportunity to work with others in the office but also be home with my two-year-old.

I?m also one of those moms who work for financial reasons. We technically could live off of one of our salaries, but we like to save aggressively for our short- and long-term goals, and relying on only one of our salaries at this point?however frugally we already live?wouldn?t afford us that ability. That?s why I actually much preferred my part-time schedule because the income I made was enough for our goals yet still allowed me that extra day to hang out with my kid.

That said, I actually don?t mind working. My boss and coworkers are pretty cool, my commute is a measly eight minutes, the actual work is challenging yet doable, and? I even got promoted! Considering that I?m not in the office for two days of the week simply because I want to be with my son, I have to give a ton of props to my company for promoting someone like me. They recognize that a flexible schedule?and being a parent?doesn?t prevent employees from doing a stellar job.

If money wasn?t an issue though, I would like to be a stay-at-home mom, with a caveat. While I would spend most of my time with my toddler, I?d still like to work on projects that are solely mine, whether that?s volunteering my current work skills, pursuing interests and side businesses, or working on this blog. Then again, I may just have a case of greener grass on the other side; I?ve never been a stay-at-home mom so for all I know, I might just prefer working instead.

How about you? For instance, I know The High Needs Baby Blog is a stay-at-home mom to her daughter after reading her post on why she decided to become one (and whose post was the inspiration for this discussion). And a few months ago, I featured a poll asking you what your current employment status is, and the results were pretty much even:

• 35% work full-time
• 35% are stay-at-home parents
• 30% work part-time

Tell me, why do you work or stay-at-home?

Do you work outside the home or are you a stay-at-home mom (or dad)? Why did you decide on either working or staying at home? What is your ideal situation? What are the pros and cons to your current situation?

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Source: http://sleepingshouldbeeasy.com/2012/07/20/why-work-stay-at-home/

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