No words can possibly describe the joy of bringing a child into the world. It is the greatest accomplishment of all and it changes your life for always. Every decision you will ever make from then on will influence not only your life but also the future of your child. Welcome to the world of parenthood.

The first decision that parents need to make is whether or not the mother should go back to work after becoming a parent. Considering that there are so many factors coming into play, for many families it is a difficult decision to make. But the best way to fill reconciled with your choice is to base your judgment on an objective assessment of the major issues related to this controversy.

Can One Salary Support A Child?

This is the first issue that comes to mind and that happens because people are more and more aware of how difficult it is to raise a child into this world. If you go back to work, you will have to consider child care costs and work-related costs with wardrobe, eating out against your income. If you don’t go back to work, you need to estimate your future costs and compare them against the income of the remaining working parent. Also, you should not neglect the possibility of working at home as nowadays mothers have a lot of opportunities in that respect.

Who Will Raise Your Child?

It is probably the deciding factor for most families. It is definitely one of the most stringent moral issues. First, the personality of a child forms in early childhood and the person raising the child has a great influence on the child’s character. Are you willing to let a stranger do that for you? Secondly, relatives such as grandparents may sound great alternatives to daycare but they tend to spoil children. Thirdly, the first years in a child life are about the first steps, the first teeth, and the first words. These things only happen once in a lifetime and you can never get them back. Will you ever reconcile with the thought that someone else heard your child’s first words?

Is Your Career Over If You Stay At Home?

This is a more personal decision. It is really difficult and it may sound selfish to weigh your career against your child future. But the fact is that people are self-protective by nature and they do need a dose of selfishness in order to survive. Yes, your child is the most important in your life but if you are unhappy, your child will not be happy either. A frustrated parent is worse than a working parent. It is like when you are on a plane and you need to put on your mask first and then your child’s. Depending on the type of profession you have embraced, you may be able to resume your work without experiencing any setback. Of course, it may happen exactly the other way around. The other important factor that such a break from professional life may be the perfect opportunity to expand your knowledge, go back to school, or even change careers.

For each family, one argument weighs more than the other depending on the reality of their lives. Your decision needs to be based on your unbiased and realistic opinions and evaluations. Going back to work will not make you less of a mother and staying at home will not necessarily ruin your career. Is it a matter of sacrifice? As long as you are sure of your decision and you have no regrets, any sacrifice will be worth it.

Austin Kingsley is a staff writer for Stanford Business Social Network

Austin Kingsley is a staff writer for Stanford Who\’s Who http://stanfordwhoswho.com

Author Bio: Austin Kingsley is a staff writer for Stanford Business Social Network

Category: Advice
Keywords: social business networking