Why some stay-at-home mothers choose to opt out of the workplace

Journal and Courier – Lafayette:

Valerie Wininger recently left her full-time job as a Web master in the entomology department at Purdue University to become a stay-at-home mom. Now, she is caring for her three children, Brianna, 8, Eli, 5, and 11-month-old Fiona.

“Financially, it was almost not even worth it for me to work with day care costs and everything,” the 30-year-old said. “I got so few hours in the day with them, and it was always so stressful and chaotic.”

Wininger felt like her decision to leave work and stay at home full-time was her choice, she said.

“I’m very happy,” she said. “There are days that are hard, but mostly I just love it. I still do freelance Web design mostly in the evening … I don’t really want to go back to a full-time employer. I like the flexibility of being here and working when I can.”

Although choice is an important right — highly valued among Americans — it can cover up systemic flaws such as gender discrimination in the workplace, according to a new study that will be published in the October issue of the journal Psychological Science.

Read the whole story: Journal & Courier – Lafayette