My mother was a single parent for most of my life so she HAD to have a career. Before the divorce she was a stay-at-home mom and homeschooled five kids, so she's been on both sides of the fence. Now that's she's remarried, she could stay home again if she wanted but has decided to go on with her career. She tells me all the time how she could never go back to being a stay-at-home mom. I know this isn't true for everyone. I just think it takes a little more work to balance your time with work and with the kids, not to mention time with spouses who are often at the bottom of the priority list, but I think it's definately doable. It's hard, sure, but I think for many it's definately worth it.