Your kids need the money you earn more than needing your presence?

Hi folks!

How much do you agree/disagree to the subject above, "Your kids need the money you earn more than needing your presence..".

This topic came up to me and a friend during our lunch conversation one day when I shared what is my dream and I mentioned it is to be able to find something I am able to work from home so that I could be around for my children.

Then came the comment from this friend of mine, "Don't ever quit your job!", "Trust me!", "What can you do by working from home?", "How much can you earn?"

"These days, women needed the job more than ever for security sake!"

"Children when they are young is the time you should work hard so that you have the time to be with them when they are in their crucial year, i.e. secondary years/teens.", she added.

Her thoughts were such a big contrast to what i believe in, nurturing kids since young, building a solid foundation, to spend as much time with them since young to build a strong emotional support.

Mommies, what are your thoughts to this?

Yes, I do agree we need the income to provide for the children basic needs but not up to the point of providing them the materials luxuries? Will we be creating more wants from them for material items?

My friend said to her daughter when she requested her mom to drive her to school,"If you want mommy to fetch you to school means mommy cannot go out and earn money, then how to bring you for overseas trips? How to buy things you want to get?" Then, her daughter had no choice but to agree to sit school bus since kindergarten.

But that in turned makes me curious and ask her, "Does this make your daughter expecting/requesting things from you now and then?

She said yes, but she never give in to her request. For example, when her daughter is in primary 6 (12 years old), she requested for a MYR800 mobile phone. Her mom said, "I don't have the kind of money to buy for you." So end up her daughter saved up her pocket money and ang pow money to get it herself. She felt proud as her daughter has learnt how to get the things she wanted in her own means. She is being independent in this sense, she added. And her daughter felt "proud" that she got it using "her own money".

Folks, we are all learning everyday, aren't we...at this point, i am questioning and learning each day, what is the right parenting way for my children and my family values.

Care to share your thoughts and experience?

Please do..thanks for your generosity!

Cheers!