futures...in raising children?

So, this is the first blog I'm posting officially...but it follows in a series of thoughts that i've had.
I just put my daughter to bed for her nap and I realized how much I enjoy spending time with her. Seeing her look at me with this sweet sleepy built-in love in her eyes makes me wish I was home with her more often. It's not often that I have moments like these because of my career.

I asked my husband this morning if he thought that children whose moms were at home to raise them grew up more secure and well adjusted...and while there are instances in which that may not be the case, when I think about the families we know personally in which one parent, usually the mother, is at home with the children, I can't help but feel that maybe my daughter would be better off with one of us at home with her.

That raises other questions though like...who would be the one to stay at home? how does a family afford that in this day and age, in this economy? Wouldn't the child benefit from day care and socialization with other children? Is it healthy for the parent who's staying at home? ...

One of my colleagues at work were talking about how my husband and her fiance would be great stay-at-home dads...If it weren't for the fact that both of them have career interests of their own and that the burden of generating an income for the family would fall on our shoulders, it's something that we would seriously consider. But then comes a shred of jealousy...that I (emphasis on I) want to be able to work part-time and play with our daughter and spend that kind of quality time with her..

How does one reach a balance? It's difficult for sure and I think it depends on every individual's personality. A woman needs to be secure in herself to be able to give up her career and know that staying at home to take care of her children is an endeavor in which the rewards may not be apparent right away. To know that every interaction she has is shaping her children in ways that may not manifest until they are older. To know that staying home doesn't mean she is contributing any less to the household and that her voice does not carry any less weight when it comes to making financial decisions. It's not a matter of who brings in the paycheck. It's not about me or you, but about "us". The family becomes a unit, working with each other for what is in everyone's best interest.

Sometimes circumstances have a bigger role in determining whether one can become a stay-at-home parent; regardless,...I have a newfound respect for mothers OR fathers who stay at home to raise their children.

So, while I love my daughter to no end...I don't think I could give up my career to stay at home full-time...and I can only hope that our interactions with her will help her to become a well-adjusted secure adult.