Why stay home?

A year ago today, I found out I was pregnant with my first child. At that time, my husband and I were in the process of getting into a better financial position: we had moved into a house we could afford on one income, we had sold one of our two cars in the fall to pay off some debt, and most of my teacher's salary was going into savings. We had made our share of money mistakes in the past (and will probably continue to do so), but we had planned to have a baby around this time so that I could stay home full-time, which had been my dream since I was a little girl.

My mom was a full-time stay-at-home mom, and she raised four kids in the 80s and 90s. She had an undergrad degree in Applied Statistic and Computational Sciences from McMaster, and before her first child was born, she worked for about 3 years at Shell Canada (at the head office, not at the pump). As the story goes, when she was pregnant and about to go on mat leave, she had chosen a daycare and put down a deposit. Then when my older brother was born and she brought him home from the hospital, she was holding him in her arms one day and she turned to my dad and said, "this is too important." And so she decided to stay home with him.

Let me be clear: I am not saying that every mother should stay home. As every parent knows, what works for some does not work for others. I decided for myself from a young age that I wanted to have children and be a stay-at-home mom. Obviously, my own experience growing up plays a significant role. I loved having my mom around, and we are very close (even more so now that I have my own daughter). Also, although I am not at all opposed to daycare for other people, it's not the best option for me. I have a strong set of values, and I want to be able to impart them to my children through our daily interactions. I want to read with them, play with them, cook with them, clean with them, discipline them. As beneficial as daycare can be for other people, I would like to be the one my children spend their time with during the day.

What I am saying is this: I've heard many women say they would love to stay home when they have children, but they don't think they can afford it. I've started this blog to illustrate how they can. On the way, I also hope to demonstrate that being a stay-at-home mom is not an outdated notion, nor does it waste a woman's potential or show a lack of ambition. This has been my career goal since childhood, and I plan to excel at it.