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This is how this life works, that we are constantly faced with the problem of choice, each of which significantly affects our future. Go to work after school or go to college, live with parents or rent an apartment, give birth to kids or stay childfree. Finally, should you build a career or devote most of your life to raising children?

The last dilemma is all the more important in the contemporary world, because, on the one hand, now women have more opportunities for professional development than ever before, and on the other hand, how much can a career affect relationships with kids? Riki Sanford, a TikToker and mom herself, also asks this difficult question in her recent viral video.

More info: TikTok

The author of the video is a mom herself and she asked female subscribers what’s better for them, to be a SAHM or a working mom?

Image credits: Creation Hill (not the actual photo)

Image credits: riksanfy

“I’m so curious what people are going to pick”

“Would you rather be a stay-at-home mom 24/7 or you’re a working mom? But you have to get a nanny, you’re working nine to five in the office Monday through Friday, but you’re bringing in like 200k a year. What would you pick?”

Image credits: riksanfy

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Image credits: ThisIsEngineering (not the actual photo)

You can watch the original video here

@riksanfy Would you rather! Is the $200k a year worth it? Absolutely no shame here. I know i thrive more as a working mom 🫶 #fyp #wouldyourather #momsoftiktok #workingmom ♬ original sound – Riki Sanford

Contemporary life, alas, often forces people to make a tough choice – and this one is definitely among them

The Original Poster (OP), judging by her account, sometimes likes to ask her subscribers controversial questions, and this time she was wondering what other netizens would choose: to be a working mom with a job which brings over $200K a year or to be a stay-at-home mom 24/7? That is, apparently, the first option implied the presence of a nanny or other relatives actively involved.

And I must say, the discussion was huge! The video itself received over 330K views, and the debate included almost 4K various comments. And, interestingly, the opinions of the participants in the discussion were divided pretty much equally.

As, in fact, it happens in real life. Some mothers are absolutely sincerely confident that no one will raise a child better than their own mom, and that wasting years when they are growing (and if you work hard, you will inevitably miss some important moments in their lives) is too great a sacrifice.

Others believe that work is still important – because the kids will grow up, enter their own adult lives, and the mom, who gave them the best years of her life without reserve, will remain with no important skills for moving further. Besides, as one of the commenters reasonably noted, “no one making $200K is leaving the office at 5pm,” so a good salary almost definitely means little time for your children. Or staying childfree.

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Moreover, recently, the world has become an increasingly difficult place to live in, and life often makes choices for us – forcing both parents to actively work to provide for their family. However, the woman here still remains in a more vulnerable position. At least until scientific progress gives men the opportunity to also bear children and give birth…

But so far medicine does not give us men such an opportunity, and paternity leave is still not so common in the world (for example, only 29% of the world’s countries offer paid paternity leave to male parents, according to recent research conducted by Gitnux. By the way, according to the same source, 93% of large U.S. corporations offer maternity leave, but only 73% offer paternity leave).

Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)

And all the same, the father, even if he’s a genius of consciousness and multitasking, will not be able to fully replace the mom, especially in the first months of the baby’s life (I say this as an experienced dad of 3, who knows how to change a diaper in the dark, with one hand, while simultaneously rocking a loose sleeper baby on the other shoulder). So, anyway, the choice that the original poster voiced in this video, in any case, is faced by the vast majority of mothers nowadays.

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And mothers approach this choice differently. For example, here are two diametrically opposed, but at the same time completely reasonable opinions. “$200K hands down. I think my kids will appreciate when I can pay for their college and give them a down payment for their first house,” one of the moms in the comments claimed. “Without hesitation, SAHM – I can always make more money, I will never get this time back with my little guy,” another commenter wrote.

And just try to argue with the veracity of any of these comments! However, there are also compromise suggestions under the original video… “Can I choose part time for 100k?!?!” someone wittily wondered in the comments. So what would you, our dear readers, choose here for yourself?

The commenters’ opinions divided, and I must say, both sides were pretty reasonable with their points

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Image credits: Alex Green (not the actual photo)

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