My wife made Facebook post the other day regarding her happiness of being a stay-at-home mom.

Sounds innocent enough, doesn't it? However like every other online posting, whether it's this site, my site, or anybody out there's site, people twist words to mean other things, and it started up a pretty good discussion regarding stay-at-home mothers vs. working mothers.

I come from a family where my mother was not only a working mother, but worked two jobs (three when you consider raising the children) and always had dinner on the table and clean clothes for us to wear. Was the house always immaculate? No, but then again, when me and the other two rug-rats got old enough that wasn't a problem (I didn't use a broom to hit dogs, just clean up dust). The biggest argument came from a friend of my wifes' that works, goes to school, has a baby, and isn't married. I encourage each of you applaud at this. She could easily have aborted the child, but she chose to keep and raise him, and the struggling of single mothers is nothing to life your nose in the air about.

However, where she was off base was when my wife commented that she didn't like to leave Gage with anyone (he's seven months old and we've only left him with my parents maybe 3? 4 times?) because she feels like shes "dumping" him off somewhere instead of taking care of him. I feel that way too, by the way. He's my child, my responsibility, and most of the time that me and my wife are out without Gage, we're talking about how much we miss him and wondering how he is doing. This feeling stems from us trying to prove my generation wrong. Far too many young parents let THIER parents basically raise the child, and go out partying with out a second thought (the Casey Anthony story recently in the news is a prime example of this). Are we over-thinking this? Perhaps. But we still avoid dropping him off for anyone to babysit unless we absolutely CAN NOT take him with us.

Luckily, Sandee doesn't HAVE to work for us to maintain our finances. Would the extra cash be helpful? Sure! However Sandee and I made the decision before Gage was born that until he is in kindergarten she wouldn't work. For two reasons: one, she wants to be able to spend time with Gage while he's a baby and see all of his "firsts" (something I do, on occasion, get jealous of). Second: I implore all of you to ask yourself how much your child is worth to you. If the answer is 10 gajillion dollars, then I ask you this as well: who would you trust to watch 10 gajillion dollars for you? Very few.

We aren't the type of parents that could drop our child off at the baby sitter everyday. Just aren't. Is that baby sitter doing drugs around my baby? Is she having sex in front of my baby? Is she instilling the values that I believe into my child? We just don't know!

Of course, as I wrote above, I acknowledge and am sympathetic to those who have no choice, and I suppose I understand them getting a little defensive. However, why be defensive about it? I'm just stating facts here combined with how I feel about the situations. I'm sure every mother would love to be in my wife's position, that's no reason to speak badly of children whose mothers didn't work. That doesn't mean I have her run around barefoot and pregnant all the time. It doesn't mean that I'm an overbearing husband who abuses her and don't want her to go to work or college for fear that she'll turn in a lesbian feminist (although it is possible...I kid, I kid).

The point here is that children whom have strong parental influences turn out better. The brat down the street? Parents divorced, mom works full time, no strong father figure to whoop his butt when he needs it. Cause and effect here people. Mothers: if you can, I implore you to stay at home with your children, be unselfish and put your careers second. The time that my wife spends with Gage will never be replaced, and Gage will turn out to be a much better child because my wife is there with him instead of some stranger.