No so much an attack but more of a Plea to reconsider ALL options of a
parent staying home as opposed to both of them working outside the home.....

But yes, I will not hide the fact that I'm a HUGE supporter of a parent
staying home and raising their own kids! This is not to say I don't realize
that some circumstances can't be helped and both parents must work (or say
one parent is no longer around)... I mean, shelter/food/security MUST be met
somehow!!! I'm not about to suggest that a family live in a refrigerator box
on the street just so a mommy or daddy can be home - not at all!! Life
happens, I understand that!
What I don't care for are the materialist and/or selfish *parents* that just
will NOT give up the second income or their careers so that they can
continue living their DINKY lifestyles....when it comes down to it, kids
don't care if they have a 30' boat, flat screen t.v.'s w/maxed out cable or
satellite, 3 *luxury* cars/suvs/trucks in the garage, or a 4000sq' home (etc
etc etc)....they care about being with their mommies and daddies!! If that
means moving to a less expensive neighborhood and/or state, you do it. If it
means selling off expensive *toys*, you do it....if it means eating at home
instead of out (gulp) you do it! If it means cutting back to live within
your means, YOU DO IT!
I know when we were preggers with my first, all of a sudden DH got scared
and started to say I would have to go back to work....I held my ground,
obviously, and at one point he actually said that he just wanted to make
sure that he was still able to have his steak and lobsters....of which I
replied he would be eating hamburger, potatoes and rice if we had too, I was
staying home!!
heck, I know of a family that made less than $30k/yr with 5 kids (yup, a
pair of twins in there too!) in the home and they managed (I don't know
how!) to have the mom stay home...and I know several on the lower income end
that even make their own laundry soap in order to cut corners! It can be
done!
Gwen