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None of the studies show which parents are better parents, though? Just because you are a good role model, highly educated, and have a nice income does not mean that you are a good parent.
I never said anyone was a better parent. When it comes to parenting. If either side were better parents, we'd see differences in our kids. I have yet to see a study that correlates better parenting with either side but then again, quality of parenting is a subjective idea so it would be very hard to study. Its' much easer to study measurables like the educational goals and attainment of our daughters.
Its' much easer to study measurables like the educational goals and attainment of our daughters.
It still doesn't prove a damn thing about what decision is better. You may think it does, because it justifies your decision in your mind, but it really prove anything other than children a few years ago, whose mother's worked outside of the home had goals and got an education. What I find ironic is many of those children with goals and education have decided to be SAHM.
The census statistics show, for example, that the educational level of nearly 1 in 5 mothers at home was less than a high school diploma, as compared with 1 in 12 other mothers. Thirty-two percent of moms at home have at least a bachelor's degree, compared with 38 percent of other mothers.
But this makes perfect sense. As I said earlier, there are going to be women who stay at home who were never going to have any kind of major career in the first place, with or without children. Anybody who has less than a high school diploma is likely to be at home, because they can't get a job, period. I don't see how that really proves that women who stay home with their kids are doing so because they're less educated and are not going to pass on the importance of equality and education.
The 4 percent difference between SAHM's with bachelor degrees and WM's with bachelor degrees is kinda small enough to not matter, really.
Well said! An education and income doesn't make a parent, or a person.
But to continue to skew the statistics. I'm a SAHM with an occasional freelance project. I went to a top ten liberal arts college, have a BS in Business, worked at two Fortune 500 companies and have published several articles.
Actually....both higher maternal education and higher SES are strongly correlated with better outcomes for children. I believe SES is the #1 predictor of outcomes, which is why studies always correct for SES. SES, of course, is related to income.
Did you take statistics in college? You don't skew the statistics because they didn't say people like you don't exist. They say that more women with eductions stay in the work force and SAHM's are, as a class, less educated than working moms.
But this makes perfect sense. As I said earlier, there are going to be women who stay at home who were never going to have any kind of major career in the first place, with or without children. Anybody who has less than a high school diploma is likely to be at home, because they can't get a job, period. I don't see how that really proves that women who stay home with their kids are doing so because they're less educated and are not going to pass on the importance of equality and education.
The 4 percent difference between SAHM's with bachelor degrees and WM's with bachelor degrees is kinda small enough to not matter, really.
Quite likely, this is the number one reason for staying home. Seriously, if you can't earn enough to pay for day care, it makes no sense to work. For many women without educations, it would cost them to work.
4% actually is significant when you add in the numbers for mothers with masters and PhD's as well. I believe only something like 30% of the population even has a bachelors degree and that 4% is likely those with only a bachelors degree. The more education mom has, the more likely she is to stay home so the divide is greater for masters and PhD moms.
Actually....both higher maternal education and higher SES are strongly correlated with better outcomes for children. I believe SES is the #1 predictor of outcomes, which is why studies always correct for SES. SES, of course, is related to income.
Did you take statistics in college? You don't skew the statistics because they didn't say people like you don't exist. They say that more women with eductions stay in the work force and SAHM's are, as a class, less educated than working moms.
But what does that mean? If you don't have a high school diploma, then of course you stay at home - because employers won't give you a job. It doesn't speak to SAHM's being a 'class' and working mothers being a different 'class'.
It speaks to higher educated people being more employable than non educated people. The fact that people who are unemployable choose to be supported by someone else and call themselves SAHM's as a result is misleading. Why don't you compare educated (or proven productive prior to leaving the workforce) SAHM's to educated WM's and then see who's children have a better outcome? That would make more sense to me. I would imagine they're both good. You're comparing apples to oranges.
Actually....both higher maternal education and higher SES are strongly correlated with better outcomes for children. I believe SES is the #1 predictor of outcomes, which is why studies always correct for SES. SES, of course, is related to income.
Did you take statistics in college? You don't skew the statistics because they didn't say people like you don't exist. They say that more women with eductions stay in the work force and SAHM's are, as a class, less educated than working moms.
Well, it makes sense that a less educated person will have lower earning potential. If your earning potential is low, it doesn't make sense to work just to pay for daycare. It also makes sense that a child with more educated parents will have a better outcome. A mother can be educated and also choose to stay home. This isn't rocket science, and it doesn't prove that working is "better" than staying home.
I doubt very many parents turn to stats when they choose how to live their day to day lives. They will think about what makes them happy and what they can afford. Those will both vary from family to family. You don't have to like it. You don't have to understand it.
Quite likely, this is the number one reason for staying home. Seriously, if you can't earn enough to pay for day care, it makes no sense to work. For many women without educations, it would cost them to work.
Just because you can't earn enough to pay for child care doesn't make you uneducated either. Please reference an earlier post, for my family I would have to make $140K or more to cover child care and additional expenses for my two children (it would cost me nearly $35/hour alone for child care, this doesn't even factor gas, vehicle-- I would have to get a *newer* car, and many other expenses).
I'm 26 and I've noticed over the last couple of years (esp. recently) all of my friends seem to be getting married and girls my age are now on their 2nd and 3rd kids. I came from an upper middle class neighborhood and I feel like I'm one of the last one of my peers who isn't married or knocked up...or on my 2nd or 3rd baby.
Is this normal? I sometimes almost feel sad for girls my age. I look at their FB and in their employer section I swear it feels like all of them have "Stay at home mommy" and a picture of a new sonogram with their umpteenth baby on the way. Considering that the majority of their husbands don't even have a college degree (and neither do they) I wonder how they do it. I feel like the odd ball out and wonder if I'm going to regret waiting so long to have kids.
I'm with a wonderful guy, but we're finishing college and I told him even though I would love a baby, I'm trying to think logically and at least get our degrees and loans out of the way. My peers seem SO relaxed and not worried at all, which makes me feel like I worry about finances too much, but I just felt like I was being responsible.
Most of them work at Rite-Aid or are married to husbands that work as supervisors at a pizza restaurant or are in the military. I guess I can't wrap my head around it. I have this weird feeling that once girls hit the age of 21 their minds go into baby-mode. I remember working at a sales job at Bloomingdales in the mall and I worked in the baby area (partly). The girls I worked with would sigh and say stuff like "I can't wait until I don't work and can be a stay at home mommy"....and others would see other women shopping with their babies during the day and say "I wish I was a housewife and had a baby already".
I really don't envy women who are stay at home moms, because I like to make money and the vast majority of them don't seem to have husbands who are engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc. so I honestly don't know how they have a savings account or more than enough money to really feel content. Am I going through a crisis? Is it just normal for girls my age to be going nuts and popping out babies like crazy? Everyone keeps asking me when I'm going to get married and have babies. Because my guy and I want to go to graduate school it probably won't be until 30, but then I wonder if I'll feel like I have less energy in my 30s to raise kids and look back and say "Wow, I wish I would have just toughed it out and had kids young".
At least they are not working at 'chuck-e-cheese'
Money
Doctors and lawyers may get paid well but they put in a lot of hours.
If you want money, don't marry an engineer.
So if money is the most important then marry someone who has absolutely mountains of it.
SAHM
Personally I think we need to find a way to affirm women who are stay at home moms. I think that raising kids is a very hard and very important task. I have the greatest admiration for women who do this.
Work and Study
To me choose your work, not for the money, but for reward - feeling of achievement, feeling of value. Yes you need to be paid a honest amount but personally if you do it for the money then I suspect you will never really be satisfied.
So in all of that I say Who cares what the man is employed as. Love the man and live a life and if you do not have enough money well then make up with it with love.
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