Is it best for moms to stay home? Your Say

The percentage of moms who stay home with kids younger than 18 rose to 29% in 2012, up from 23% in 1999, according to a Pew Research Center report. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

I worked for 21/2 years after I had my daughter, but once I had my son, it didn't make financial sense to keep working. Why pay someone my entire salary to essentially raise my children for me?

I did what I had to. With my daughter, I was the breadwinner in our household, and it made sense for me to keep on working the long hours. Her dad was there a lot more than I was. I wanted to be with her, but I also wanted a future for her, and paying off debt made sense. With our second child, their dad had gotten a much better job, and the cost of two kids in day care was pretty much on par with my earnings. There really wasn't any benefit for me to work.

I love being at home, but I respect working moms so much. Both ways include sacrifices and benefits for the whole family.

— Sarah Fleming

If you want to be a stay-at-home mom and are financially able to do so, then by all means do what you feel is right for you.

However, don't imply that mothers who work are essentially paying someone else to raise their kids. I was a single mother who had no choice but to work to support myself and my daughter. I feel I did a great job of juggling work and parenthood. I have raised a wonderful daughter. I won't judge you for staying at home, so don't judge those of us who work, or insinuate we neglect our kids by not being with them every moment.

— Joanna Barry Heinz

Feminism has never dictated that women must work. The aim has always been to give them a choice, where they once had none. And many of these stay-at-home moms may very well be working from home or running their own businesses.

— Alisa Persons-Peterson

It's great that women can make their own choices. However, I do not think that a day care center "raises" the kids. If you think that, then do teachers "raise" the kids once in school?

— Kristy Clark

A problem with women staying home and raising their children, devoting their entire lives to them, is what happens when the marriage falls apart. The mom might get child support until the child turns 18 and a little alimony, but she likely will have to go to work. Finding a job after staying home is hard.

— Julia S. Wallace

Yes to equal pay for equal work

Last week, the Senate blocked the Paycheck Fairness Act. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Women should be paid the same as men. A law to that effect was passed years ago. We don't need a new law. We just need enforcement. This push is a ploy to help President Obama improve his image.

— William G. Lindemann

I like the equal pay rule. Equal pay for equal work, sign me up.

— David Eck

You can't meaningfully compare what women make compared with what men make. Compare compensation when both man and woman are doing the same job and have the same experience.

Women typically have had jobs that paid less and required less education. That is changing.

— Anita Pawlak

Pay data by sex and race is meaningless if it is not accompanied by performance measures, which in most businesses determine compensation.

— Larry Gilbert