Quote Originally Posted by shootingstar View Post
So keeping one foot in the paid workforce, is like a insurance mechanism if something goes awry with the primary breadwinner. ie. s/he might get laid off, become accidentally disabled, etc.
Insurance policy. That, I think, is why I would never pull myself out of the workforce entirely for very long. Husbands die and that million dollar policy doesn't go far when you have a mortgage to pay off and young ones to put through college.

If other people (whether it's mom or dad) want to do it, that's fine. It's something I probably wouldn't do, though.

Even more frightening to me than becoming a SAHM (i.e., jumping in without a life jacket/insurance policy) would be to become (or be married to) a workaholic that only has fleeting interactions with the kids & spouse.