Parents of newborns need to explore the options of staying home with baby or going back to work.
For many new parents today, returning to work after having a baby may not be a choice. With financial realities, a two-income family may no longer be a luxury but a necessity for many families.
For those parents who do have a choice, making the right decision is often an agonizing process. It may be helpful to list your family priorities on a piece of paper to help plan out what is most important to you. For example, is owning your own home, saving money for college or retirement funds, or traveling an important goal for you and your family? Can you accomplish these goals on just one income or will it take two?
Ask yourself what suits your personality best. Some mothers or fathers who choose to work do so because they know they are better parents when their career goals are also being met. Consider how stressful your job is. Will you have the necessary energy left over for parenting at the end of the day? Will your long-term plans for your career be jeopardized if you take extended time away?
Another big issue to consider is how comfortable you are with having someone else care for your baby. Parents must find a child-care provider whom they can trust with their baby so they can concentrate on their jobs. There are several agencies in Douglas County that can assist parents in their search for quality child care.
How much of your income will child care take? Is it more financially feasible at your particular income level to stay at home? If you are working part-time, can you even find the type of child care you want?
Does your baby have a lot of needs that may be difficult for anyone but a parent to understand? For example, is he very fussy or does she need special care due to an illness? Will this be a long-term or short-term situation? If the latter, can you delay your return to work by a couple of months thus making it easier for you, the baby and your child-care provider?
A vitally important factor to consider is the type of home support you will have. Is your partner supportive of your decision to go back to work or to stay at home? If you are planning to return to work, then you need to sit down with your partner and discuss what responsibilities each of you will have. Will one of you pay the mortgage and the other the child-care fees, or is your money pooled in a joint account? Will the first one home start making supper? Which one of you will mow the lawn or do the laundry? Who will stay home when the baby is sick or the day-care provider is on vacation?
There is no such thing as a "super mom" or a "super dad" and no one person can "do it all." If both parents are working full time, then the home maintenance and child care responsibilities should be divided equitably between parents.
These are just some of the questions that parents of newborns should ask. Each family must make its own decision.
-- Aynsley Anderson is community education coordinator at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
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