Should Women Work or Stay at Home

In today's society, women often feel that to be seen as successful, they should have to balance their career, children and their marriage. For many families, going back to work, after the birth of a child is a necessity, as they find it impossible to stop work due to financial concerns. However, many people feel that this is bad for children, who then have to be looked after by an outside source during the day, such as a childminder or nursery school.

As early childhood is the most precious time of a child's development, it is important that the mother or indeed the father should be there for that child and devote as much time as possible. By staying at home, mothers can ensure that their children have the best start in life, by giving them love and attention and turning away any future problems.

On the contrary, many people believe that mothers should have as much choice and freedom as anyone else in society, so that they can decide what is best for their children. If they would rather work than look after their children, then why shouldn't they be given the choice to do so? Shouldn't this be considered equally valid? In many cases, women who are forced to give up work that they enjoy, fall into deep depression and find it hard to recover.

Subsequently, many childcare options are of very poor standard; in some cases with only one adult looking after many children at once. It can leave children bored, which in turn can slow their rate of development. Those on low pay are often forced to rely on these options.

Although, many people have argued this case and as a result, it has been proven that many forms of childcare are actually beneficial to both the parent and the child. For many centuries, it has been traditional for a member of the extended family, such as a grandparent, to help to look after the children, as they have had good experience before. Similarly, childcare professionals are trained and have taken courses on which they are taught how to look after young children properly and in some cases even more knowledgeable, than the first time parent themselves. Furthermore, playing with other children of a similar age is good for improving their social skills.