I have been often asked by working moms if it is worth leaving work to take care of the kids. My answer is not a "yes" or a "no". I can't even answer the question for you. It really depends on your realities.

I'm sure some would be ideal and say, "Yes -- no amount of income can match the joy of seeing your kids grow". More practical people will say "No -- it is best to work and prepare for your children's future.". Other women may downright say no because having a job gives them a sense of fulfillment for themselves -- fulfilling that degree they worked so hard for in college. To them, what did they go through college for if only to stay at home. They might as well have stopped school altogether and waited for a man who will marry her and provide for all her needs and that of her family.

The best answer is "Do whatever makes you happy." Whether it is in a corporate setting or at home, people excel when they love what they do. I have encountered one or two women who would either be non-performers or just average ones who never excelled nor showed any drive to do better. They just do what they are expected to do and sometimes even take advantage of the company by pretending to be in the field when they're actually either out shopping (spending her money or worse -- her husband's money without his knowledge and leave the task of informing the husband to the credit card bill when it comes). However, doing whatever makes us happy should also be coupled with a sense of responsibility and of awareness when people around us are being affected by our choices.

One of the women I know who opted to be a stay-at-home mom based her decision on being happy but failed miserably in being sensitive to what others feel or how she was affecting others. Her husband was initially ecstatic that she decided to quit her job and take care of their three kids. However, she enjoyed her freedom from employment too much that she became even more lavish than when she was working. Her husband, a good provider who believed that a man should provide no matter what the cost, just took it in until one day his credit card bills had gotten substantially bigger and his household expenses shot up since the wife's standards of living also went up as she spent a lot of time researching on newest craze, gadgets, imported food, luxurious resorts, etc. He would not say anything to his wife but shared his sentiments to his buddies. What good is quitting a job for your family when you may be the cause the family falls apart. All because the woman focused ONLY on what makes her happy.

Not all working mothers turn out to have poorly raised kids. I've seen kids of working mothers who are more socially responsible, kind, respectful, independent and are achievers compared to some children I know who had a full-time mom. Whether you have a career or not does not increase the probability of having better kids. To some extent, mothers who think this way tend to be self-centered and self-righteous. A mother is not the only person who shapes the future of her child. They live in a much bigger world. It also depends on whether she is a good role model. Sure --we have a big responsibility but I can be a stay-at-home mom but spend a lot of my time shopping, going to the salon, the derma, the spa, the  gym and posting on every social media available all the things I shopped for, expensive places I go to or in short -- everything I do. This does not support the idea of you being a full-time mom and therefore does not make you a better one. A full-time mom does not spend majority of her time focusing on herself. It should be on her kids. A stay-at home mom also means that you stay where your kids are majority of the time and not where the latest sales are or at the spa or the gym. It does not mean that we have to deprive ourselves of our "me" time. I'm sure we can have our "me" time once in a while to keep our sanity and sense of self.

Being a full-time time does not make you a better mother. Being a working mom does not guarantee that either. One is not better than the other. Whether you have a career or not does not guarantee your child's future -- how he will grow up to be, what kind of a man your son will grow up to be or what kind of a wife and mother your daughter will be.

As for me and my other working-mother friends who have well-behaved, respectful, polite and intelligent kids, we are proud to say we do this WHILE we are balancing our time between career and motherhood. THAT'S superwoman enough for me. So before you predict how bad my child's future will be because I am a working mom, think again.