No one is saying that you should be a good little wife and take care of the kids like the 1950's.   If you worked hard towards an education, built up your resume and have a great career, fantastic!  Absolutely nothing wrong with that.  I did this, I worked and paid for daycare but I planned my career accordingly so I could afford it.  After awhile, I decided to stay at home with my kids because I saw parenthood, not a large paycheck or my ego as a priority.   I need to correct you that being a stay at home mom (or dad) is somehow degrading, you seem to see it as a worthless career and that woman who choose it are living in the 1950's.   There is no more important job in this world as parenthood so to demean others who take this job seriously and unselfishly reflects on some insecurity from you.   It seems that many parents are more selfcentered about their needs and freedoms and don't want to be bothered with the work involved with raising good kids... toughest job out there.