Let's infuse your day with a hint of controversy, shall we?
This topic has come up a few times over the past few weeks in a variety of places, and I am interested to hear your take on it.
Some women go to college, obtain a degree (or multiple degrees) and later marry and become stay-at-home wives and/or mothers. (Obviously this can apply to men as well, I just haven't heard of any who have done so.)
I know quite a few people who are doing this or have done this, and it's interesting to hear how divided people are on the topic.
Here's what I believe:
Someday, many years in the future, if I am fortunate enough, I would love to stay home part-time with my children until they go to school. And when they're babies, I would consider staying home with them full time. Of course, working from home would be the ideal situation, because work keeps me sane. But ultimately, daycare costs are expensive, and I think it would amazing to spend those early years raising my kids full time.
Eventually, I would want to return to work because I enjoy making my own money and keeping my mind sharp in a work setting.
That being said...there are a few points I want to make.
1.) I believe we worship work in the United States. Yes, there are some people who absolutely cannot afford to work less because they need that money to survive. But for many people, they are working because they feel they should, they want some kind of status, or they want to afford frivolous things they don't really need.
It's okay to want nice things and to work for them, but it is vital to think about it first. If you know why you want those things and feel good about those reasons, then your work is in balance with what you really want. But I think it's good to reassess your priorities every now and again.
2.) Working doesn't necessarily mean you are doing something beneficial with your time. I know people who work at a job they don't care about, come home and watch TV, and repeat the same thing five days a week. I also know stay-at-home-moms who put a lot of work into their home and families, and are also very active in their communities.
On the flip side, I know people who work long hours and devote plenty of time to their families, and I know stay-at-home-moms who barely pay any attention to their kids. I knew one lady who didn't work, sent her children to daycare five days a week, and used that time to get her nails and hair done. ALL. THE. TIME.
At the core of it, work itself doesn't prove that you are being a successful adult human being, and neither does staying home. There is much, much more to it, and it varies from person to person.
3.) Finally, education. I admit, it doesn't sound good to go to college, rack up $100,000 in debt and never use your degree. But you don't have to be a stay-at-home-mom to not use your degree. Lots of people do it. Sometimes who you want to be at 18 isn't who you want to be at 30. And paying off that debt is up to each individual and their significant other, or whomever they are sharing bills with, if anyone.
But a degree doesn't go away. Once you have it, it's yours. And that is such a momentous, wonderful thing to have that I would never regret it, even if I became a stay-at-home-mom for the rest of my life. Maybe I just get warm and fuzzy talking about education, and maybe it's because I'm lucky enough to not be buried in a mountain of debt (mine is more like a large hill...?), but I think my college experience gave me so much more than just a degree. I obtained skills I'll use forever, in relationships, business, logic and reasoning, etc. I think all that will be worth every cent of the debt I have to pay back.
All that being said, I would want to make sure my debt is paid off before I become a mother, but that's just my opinion. And I am too excited to see where my career ends up to never work again once I have kids.
But my consensus is I don't see much wrong with pursuing education, even if stay-at-home-mom-dom is in your future. You never know when you may be able to use those skills down the line.
What's your take? Is college only for those who will use their degrees in the workforce?
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