My dad always worked and my mom stayed home with us until I was in second grade and then I became a latch key kid. I mean she really had no choice and didn't want to but she had to do what she needed to do to keep a roof over our heads. I am very very happy she did decide to go back to work. Me being home with just my sister made me learn responsibility at a very young age.

I mean obviously not when I was in second grade but as I got older I learned to cook for myself do my own laundry and clean the house. She never asked me to do these things but I was hungry and had dirty clothes. I asked her to show me once and I learned very quickly. Needless to say she was very nervous about me using the stove. But I never burned the house down.

My GF today is very happy about it cause she never has to yell at me to do the laundry once in a while or say how about you cook for once. Or do the dishes OK we do argue about doing the dishes I really hate doing them!!

Sometimes I look at kids today and just think how easy they have it and how spoiled they are. I know a 10 year old who doesn't even know how to cut his own food yet. It's a shame!!

I use to work and my house was doing mad... I finnally staied home and my kid's grades went up and my daughter is now ready for kindergarten... I find that staying home is better for the house hold because if it wasn't for the mothers I swear there would no be a house standing

I stayed home with my son and did not work. We learned to eat spaghetti almost every night as well as turkey soup and somehow we made it. Every time I would get a temp job and put him in a day care he would come home with whatever crud was going around and both my husband and I would get raging ill for a week or more. Any money that I was ahead by working was sucked away by missing work and dr bills. My mother kept him starting at age 3. She took him to the library to learn the love of books first hand. She would read to him and teach him things first hand. They would go on field trips all over the city. She didn't just sit at home with him. He always was a well behaved child with excellent manners courtesy of granny. I for one did not like the fact at day care he was kept in a room with a lot of kids who liked to bash on him (I saw this for myself when I took him early and watched this activity and saw the attendant do nothing to stop or prevent it). I don't think that daycare is for everyone.

I am a firm believer that a parent at home is important. Although there is a lot to be said about socializatin, if you do stay home with your kids make sure field trips, the park, play dates and other forms of socialization are incorporated into their day. I am the director of a mothers morning out program. I have the best of both worlds. I am single so I have to work but my kids get to go to work with me:)