Rosie the Riveter destroyed us from the inside.

According to my history classes, WWII is when women, in large part, joined the American work force. The story goes that when factory workers, mailmen, and the like went off the war that women picked up the slack. God bless 'em- I'm glad they did.

Here's the problem- they never stopped working. Once the emergency had passed, they continued to earn money.

This created the society we now have:

1. Since most middle and lower class families are two-income, the cost of living has rose to meet this surplus supply. Housing manufacturers, for example, can now put two incomes into their equations when setting a price, which practically negates the benefit of each spouse working a job. One hundred years ago, the husband worked to death and the family scraped by; now, it's the same, only both spouses work to death.

Are we really better off?

Note: Upper-class families, who can easily afford for one parent to be home, tend to have children that do well in school. People assume it's because they have resources, but it's generally because a parent was home during the first few years and built a stable foundation on which to build. Even though my family was a blue-collar one, I succeeded because my mom stayed home- and my sister taught me everything she knew.

2. Children are left at home without a parent present. To be honest, I don't care if the mother or father works, as long as one of them stay home. If my wife made enough money once we started having children, I would gladly stay home and run the house.

Somewhere our society has brainwashed men and women into believing that the greatest thing they can do on this earth for their children is go to work and make money. This is, in fact nonsense. The best thing you can do for children is to pay attention to them and be there when they need you. Children don't (or at least, shouldn't) care whether or not they have an Xbox or a shoebox- what should matter is how you spend time with them. They will remember you spending a few hours making a camera with them out of a shoebox far more than one of their many Xbox playing sessions with their buddies.

Note: In the 1800's, most people still farmed and lived off the land. In a perfect world, this would be the ideal set-up; both father and mother remain at home to raise the child. But let's take it one day at a time, shall we? We can only move so fast.

Note2: Discuss this with your future spouse BEFORE getting married. My wife and I both agreed that we wanted her to stay home after the children were born. She's working right now to help out, but we both realize the importance of at least one of us staying home. She doesn't see it as a sacrifice, but as taking on a nobler, grander task.

Whereas I might earn a paycheck, she will guide and shape our children's lives.

In short, unless both parents have to work to provide NECESSITIES, one parent should stay home. The big house and two-car garage just isn't worth it. Stay home with your kids- as a teacher, I see what happens if you don't.