There was a tremendous lack of self-confidence at first, he says. Men are raised to think they should be the breadwinner. But he quit his job because his wife had a better career as a comptroller for a midtown brokerage firm, he says. We believe that a parent should stay home because no one can love a child as much as the parent, McLoughlin says. You don't get a bonus or stock options, but the bonding with your children is tremendous.
Telecommuting can be another option for parents who want to work from home.
Sharyl Derenthal of Bayville began working from home after 15 years of processing insurance claims. She had four children by then, and having all of them in day care was too expensive. At first, Derenthal had a hard time persuading her employer to let her work from home. They just didn't have it set up to have people out of the office, she says. It was a different mentality.