Why would a mom want to work from home rather than seek a paying position outside the home? The reasons vary for each mom, but generally it has to do with a philosophical belief that a mother is best suited to look after her own children, rather than rely on professionals to do the very personal job of childcare.

Mothers who work outside the home would argue that they are raising their children, not the childcare providers, but there is more to that general statement than is usually explored in the media coverage of this topic. Moms working outside the home often devalue the worth of childcare workers in this argument, as if good child care providers are plentiful and easy to obtain. Personally I’ve seen the debate degrade to an argument that literally devalues childcare to the point that it is compared to flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant.

Obviously, good quality responsible childcare requires not only a great deal of sustained effort, it also requires intelligence and common sense. Putting the intellectual capacity of a mom or childcare provider aside, it also needs to be acknowledged that the job is very physical in nature (if done well) and above all requires tremendous amounts of patience. And there in lies the problem – people are just not that patient with children other than their own. No matter what the sugar coated arguments claim, it only takes first hand experience in daycare centers to realize the truth in that statement. Mothers are not always patient with their own children, but those that are, often have trouble finding the same patience for a child other than their own. We are wired to be patient beyond all reasonable limits with our own, and only our own children. To find somebody who can provide excellent care for your child for an extended period of time, and whom you can afford to pay fairly is a wonderful gift that no one should attempt to degrade.

The why of moms who want to make money from home should be pretty obvious, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. It’s sometimes assumed that somehow she is less qualified to work outside the home, or that she is ‘lazy’ and just wants to stay home and play with the kids.

Work at home moms range from very well educated professionals to women who would be qualified to work in a fast food restaurant. And most certainly, stay at home moms, regardless of their education or qualifications, find the job of motherhood to be constantly challenging. As for staying home with the kids as a cop-out…people making this accusation have most certainly never been responsible for the care of children for any extended time at all. The why of moms making money from home can be boiled down to mothers trying to do the best for their family and it’s particular circumstances. The effort to find legitimate work at home is a particularly difficult challenge and these women should be applauded for their efforts and supported in every way possible.