(I have not read the comments)
My sister is making this decision. It breaks my heart and I'm only met with anger or excuses when the topic is approached. I admit that I now avoid the topic to "stay civil." I also know what Stefan Molyneux thinks of that... She is married into military and has a large amount of student loan debt from her education to become an elementary teacher. Her son is 4 months old and she is now going back to work and he will be in daycare. She says that she has to go back to work for them to be able to cover their bills, because of her student loan debt. I don't know that cheaper housing is an option for them because they already live in military housing which is much cheaper than the surrounding area. I also don't know what their bills are and if they could reasonably cut back to make ends meet. I only know what she tells me. She appears to live very comfortably though with a house and attire that belongs in a magazine, so I am not entirely convinced that it would be "impossible" for her to stay home. I do believe it's more about maintaining a lifestyle she is comfortable with.
I do know that they plan to move again to a cheaper area when they are able to, which would mean she could afford to stay home, but then I don't believe she would stop working even if she could. I don't understand why. Maybe she believes she can't stay home because she spent all of that money for the education to get the job? She seems like she is sad to work and leave him, while simultaneously seeming to want to work. It appears that the latter is her true desire since that is what she picked.
I think it's fine for her to want to work and do something she loves... but I hadn't expected her to return to work almost immediately. I expect to work eventually too. It will help my husband and I save for retirement, but I see myself working when my kids are teenagers or older... not when they're so young.
