Stay at Home Parent

It's About "the Children": The Range of Advantages of Being a Stay at Home Parent

Money Matters: Two Working Parents Simply Doesn't Add Up

The Critical Hour: Returning Home During the Teenage Years

A Safer America: The Case for Stay At Home Parents

In a world where news headlines scream of adolescent drug and alcohol abuse, school shootings, teenage pregnancy, and gang wars, it's a wonder that any of America's children these days emerge as well-adjusted young adults on the path to success. The quintessential 1950s "Leave It to Beaver" family is increasingly harder to find amidst the majority of double-income families that are financing their children's upbringing via daycare centers, after school programs and summer camps. While the high-heeled moms of Center Street might never be able to relate and who see their cohorts choosing kids over career as antiquated figures of 1950s domesticity, there are still many advantages of being a stay at home parent. Chief among them are children who are more secure, better adjusted,

. . .
reater advantage: it's about "the children" (Reich). If being all about "the children" isn't enough, consider the dangers of day care. In his book Day Care Deception, author Brian Robertson cites overwhelming evidence about the risks of day care. Some of the negative effects of day care on children that Robertson highlights are higher rates of illness, including acute respiratory illness, ear infections and diarrhea; insecure attachment to their mothers; more aggressive behavior; and in some cases, slowed cognitive development (Lowry). Despite the widespread use of day care centers as parent substitutes, even most parents know that it isn't the best. A comprehensive survey of parents in 2000 by Public Agenda, a New York-based polling agency, parents say one parent staying at home is better than "quality" day care for kids under 5 by a margin of 70 percent to 6 percent (Lowry). For some families, it all comes down to money matters and the family's bottom line. Surprisingly, having two working parents does not necessarily net the financial benefits that some families perceive to be so necessary. Author Sally Nulph points out the costs involved in the process of working: childcare, lunches out, dress-for-success clothes, expe
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Sally Nulph, Today's Parent, Washington DC, Agenda York-based, Center Street, Brian Robertson, Home Parents, Introduction Thesis, Leave Beaver, Lowry Despite, stay home, home parent, stay home parent, day care, home parents, staying home, parent staying home, parent staying, advantages stay, 20 november, november 2004, advantages stay home, 20 november 2004, safety security communities, predominance parent,
Approximate Word count = 1215
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Stay at Home Parent