[MissMisa]

I never said that the parent's roles should be the same so that point is irrelevent. 'It's true that the child needs different role models in their lives'

You can raise the child without being there 24/7. Clearly if you are working 8-7 every day bar Sunday then that's no good either.

Your child will never grow to be dependent if one person is constantly there 24/7. It's easy for a nanny or a childcare worker to provide these basic needs (and more) for a child while you are away.

Surely it's better to learn by example than to be 'taught' to be independant?

There has to be a balance.

Personally I think if career is your priority, kids just get in the way, so that's why I don't want them. But either parent shouldn't have to give up their career if that happens as a result of circumstances beyond your control.

There are positives to either example but I personally think working parents set a better example for their kids than those that don't work.

As a side note, from my experience (which to you will be limited because I'm 20 so not much to go on), all the kids with stay-at-home Mum's or Dad's are the ones that have never had jobs, and all the kids who's parents worked are the ones that have, or have had, a part-time job, including me. Those are just my observations and not stats, but that's what I'd rather go on than nothing.