My life as a former................ working lady:

believe it or not, I used to be a single working mom. I know, I know... the woman you have come to know is not the single, working mom type,... but believe me when I tell you that I was. I worked full time. Sometimes more than 40 hours a week and still managed to hold down a social life. This came at the expense of sleep because I wasn't about to sacrifice the few hours I was able to spend with my children.
The reason for this particular post is this:
I know what it is to be a stay at home mom, and I know what it is to be a working mom and I can tell you that there are two sides to every coin.

Let's start with the working mom shall we?
The positives of being a working mom:
1) having an open network of people to find babysitters
2) having a life outside your own home
3) having a sense of accomplishment when it come to you finances
4) Always knowing that you have a paycheck coming in
5) feeling confident as the breadwinner
6) knowing that you are providing insurance for your children
7) knowing that you are worth more than your domestic abilities.

The positives of being a stay at home mom:
1) always being available when your children are sick. No need to call in.
2) knowing what your children are up to at any hour of the day.
3) being able to given them a home cooked meal daily.
4) being available to get them to appointments without any comprimising of schedules.
5) having the laundry done before your children get home from school.
6) having a few hours a day to work out and keep an healthy body
7) having the time to bargain hunt and save money on groceries.

Now lets talk about the negatives.
As a working mom, you always have someone to answer to. No matter what you do there is always someone to answer to. Someone to feel like you "owe" an explanation to.
I have missed so many things that my children have done because I've worked and I didn't have a choice at the time.
As a stay at home mom, there is this continual lonliness that you feel and there is this feeling like noone quite understands your needs. When you KNOW you are doing the best thing "emotionally" for your children but society tells you that you aren't doing the best thing "finacially" for your children... where do you draw the line.

Being a Mom in itself is hard enough but having to choose between working and staying home brings out the dogs.
Here is my advice as someone who has done both....:
Listen to your situation.
Noones sitaution will mimic yours, and NOONE can tell YOU what is best for your family so stop listening.
The person who knows what is best for her family is "YOU" and you need to listen to that person.
Is that clear enough?
No guilt, no shame, no hard feelings..................
Let go, and know that what your gut is telling you is what you are supposed to be doing.
I don't care what all these femanist's and liberals, or all these conservatives or religeous zealouts are saying...........
Let them all get mad at me..............
YOU know your family more than anyone else.
Do what is right for YOUR family and noone elses.