If you are a working mom, why?

[Anonymous]

I would love to stay at home with my DD. We adore her - she is a much wanted late in life baby.

I work because of the health insurance, and because I worked really hard to reach my current position. If I left, I would have to restart near the middle of the career ladder for the field and most likely would never reach the equivalent of my current position again.

In thinking about the future, I realize that my daughter is only highly dependent on us a couple of years, and then would need the socialization and learning at daycares/pre-schools and no longer be home for much of the day. I try to maximize the amount of time with her during the day, even if that means that I do housework and continue working later in the evenings after she goes to bed. The money has benefits - nanny, better pre-schools and activities. Being an older parent, I am also preparing a financial safety net for her since we are likely to pass when she is still relatively young.