Over time, the family dynamic has changed. Just 40 to 50 years ago, a large percentage of women stayed at home to keep up with the house and take care of the children. Now, many work outside the home. Some wait for their children to start school before beginning work again, while others hire a nanny or send their children to daycare. In addition, there are a growing number of women who are working inside the home. Many make things from scratch, whether it's fancily decorated birthday cakes or pretty hair bows created to match a special outfit for pictures. Many of these women are quite successful. There are many other ways women (and men) are able to work from home, including things like:
Writing Selling a larger company's product Telemarketing
Still, the number of women who have begun working outside the home has increased dramatically over the last several decades. Many people used to feel that a woman's place is inside the home caring for the family, but there are few people who feel this way anymore.
Cost of Living
Many women who work outside the home are doing so because they have no other choice. Even when their husbands have a reasonably well-paying job, they have to work to make ends meet. Even working part time can help bring in money for the food bill, utility bill, or homeowner's insurance. Many women want their children to be able to take dance classes or play soccer. These expenses add up quickly and leave many women with no choice but to take a job, whether they want to or not.
The average American household makes approximately $50,000 a year. If you take out the families who make six-digit figures, the number is lower than that. The average family of four needs to make about $63,000 a year in order to pay for all living expenses. Of course, this number can vary widely based on a large number of factors. Still, it's easy to see why many women get a job, whether it's inside the home or outside the home.
Women Want to Work
Of course, that's not to say there aren't women out there who don't enjoy working and want to go back to work. The average age of a first-time mom is 26. Because of this, many women are well established in their careers before they become a mother. This can make them more likely to want to get back to work as soon as possible. This may be partly because they want to keep their position at work, but also because they enjoy the work they do and look forward to it.
Religious Perspective
Many more conservative people feel a woman should stay inside the home to raise the children if possible. It may be an unpopular opinion, but it's still one many people who consider themselves to be religious have. They believe that children fare better when they have a parent at home with them versus going to a day care from the time the child is six weeks old.
Sometimes, children don't have anything to do with it. The vast majority of women who don't have children work at an outside job. While some have the perspective that a woman should stay home to care for her husband and keep the house clean, this isn't what usually happens.
Whether or not a woman works outside of the home is a decision she and her family have to make. Whether she is single, married, or has children, each situation is individual so there is no simple "yes" or "no" that can be given. The fact is, many women have to work outside the home whether they like it or not, and it has become the new norm.
