I was watching Oprah too, Leon, don't feel too bad about it.
Here's the thing. I am a stay at home mom. I have chosen that. It means making sacrifices as we don't have two incomes anymore, but I want to stay home with my son. I don't think everyone should have to have things one way or the other, I think everyone should have a choice. I remember my mother (who was a feminist in the sixties and seventies) telling me that what women were fighting for back then was choice. The choice to be able to work outside the home, or the choice to stay home with your kids, or to work at home and do a bit of both. I think that's what everyone has lost sight of. I've had people look down on me because of my choice, and I wanted to smack them. Why am I less of a person because I chose to stay home? It used to be the other way around. What we all need to realze is that we are all working our poor little butts off, the only difference is where we're working our poor little butts off (oh, and I'm not being paid for the work I do). But, to some of these working moms, I'm a freaky fifties throw back, and a traitor to the feminist revolution.
As for which is better for the child... well... I'll use an example to make my point. My mother stayed home with me (that would be the original feminist, she made her choice too), and I had a wonderful childhood. Most of my favorite memories are me and my mom baking, or playing or cleaning up. Now, one of my best friends, his mother also stayed at home with him and his sister, but there was a difference. She was physically there, but not really there. He doesn't ever remember playing with his mom, or helping her out in the kitchen or anything like that. So, as they said on the Oprah show, it's not about whether you're at home or not. It's about whether you're checked in with your family or not.
"Well gee, Daz, if you're so checked in, why are you online right now?"
Good question... I'll let Alexander answer that one...
He doesn't feel like typing, but he stuck his tongue out at you. So there.