Dear Dave,
I’m a stay-at-home mom now, and my husband brings home $2,600 a month. We’re trying to get out of debt, but we need more money coming in. I want to go back to work, but emotionally part of me feels like I should stay home with our 2-year-old daughter. What do you think?
Kayla
Dear Kayla,
I understand the feelings involved, especially if you’ve spent all of your time home with your child. But don’t make the mistake of blaming the debt if you simply want to go back to work. You’re not a bad person if you have kids, and you work outside the home.
I have several ladies on my team who have young children, and they work 40 hours a week. Guess what? They’re excellent mothers! Anyone who says a woman can’t be a great mom because she works outside the home is full of crap. On the other hand, if anyone says you’re not fulfilling yourself as a person or you’re stunting your intellectual development because you’re a stay-at-home mom, they’re full of it too!
I’d advise you and your husband to sit down, talk about this a lot, and pray about the situation. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, because it’s none of their business. You guys are in charge of your lives and your family. That makes it your job to decide what’s best.
If you want to stay at home, and you guys can make it happen financially, that’s a great thing. If you can’t right now, or you simply want to go back into the workforce, that’s fine too. It’ll help solve your debt problem. Then after you’ve got your money under control, you might find you want to come home again. The option will be there.
For now, I think you should go back to work. Why? Because you want to!
—Dave
For more advice on mothers working or staying home, read What Not to Say to Working Momsand What Not to Say to Stay-at-Home Moms.
* Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 6 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.