Should one parent stay home?
One of the biggest decisions new parents make is whether one parent will stay home to care for the baby. But how do you decide what to do? And which parent stays home?
Advantages to staying home
The benefits of having one parent at home are many, but here are a few:
- You know that your baby is being cared for and raised in the way you think best.
- For many, the moments of caring and sharing between parent and child outweigh the sacrifices in lifestyle the one-salary family may incur.
- Some parents feel that when one of them stays at home, they have more control over their time and their overall home life improves.
The disadvantages
- For some families, living off one income is simply not feasible.
- Some parents, men and women alike, miss the personal growth, challenges, and interaction with other adults that their careers offer.
- Even if you can afford to stay home, it may not be the best option if it means you’ll feel unhappy and unfulfilled—and resent your partner who’s still pursing a career.
Mom or dad?
If you decide one parent should stay home to care for you baby, the next step is to choose whether it’s mom or dad. You’ll need to weigh the financial consequences, of course, but here are some other questions to consider:
- Which parent is better suited to take care of the baby?
- Which parent will be happiest and most fulfilled staying home with the baby?
- Will the stay-at-home parent resent giving up a career?
- Will the working parent resent being the sole breadwinner?
- If the stay-at-home parent plans to return to work in later years, which parent’s career can best sustain an absence of several years?
More options
There are no simple answers to the mom-or-dad dilemma. Fortunately, today’s more flexible workplaces may afford a variety of options that can help you come up with the best solution.
- Working from home. Can one of you combine taking care of your little one with working out of your home?
- Flexible hours. Many employers offer part-time, flextime, and compressed schedules, as well as job-share alternatives to the traditional 9-to-5 workweek.
- Consider a leave of absence. Check to see whether either of your employers offers a long-term unpaid leave of absence. That way, you could determine whether staying at home was indeed the right choice without risking long-term job security.
