I don't see what harm it would do if your wife worked while the kids were in school. Then she could contribute to the money situation and still be home to care for the children

It is true that a woman will be tired and stressed from working all day unless she has excellent support at home (like full time hired help who can cook, clean and shop).  You are able to be a good father because when you come home from work dinner is on the table and things are taken care of. Households with two working adults and insufficient  help are usually quite stressed - things fall behind and Moms particularly find themselves working two jobs - daytime and all evening - with the result that they have less patience for everyone (husbands too!) and they get burned out. Can some people do this better than others? Definitely - there is a minority of women who can handle both jobs beautifully; this group is rare. And, your wife doesn't sound like she's going to be a member of it. Is there another way you can make finances work? Can you downsize at all? Or can you afford the extra help if indeed she goes to work?  If there is no option, of course, then the two of you will just have to make the best of it - but you should be realistic about your expectations in that case.     Sarah Chana

Plain and simple, your wife at home is making your life easier.  If she goes to work and the kids get sick, then who will stay home with them?  What will the kids do for the summer when school is out?  If money is an issue, I would calculate child care, etc. and weigh it against her potential income.  Will it be worth it?

I am of a mind that a woman who stays at home while the family coffer suffers is not doing anything to help the kids.  BUT, some of the posters have a good point.  What are you prepared to do to help this?  How much of the household work that she does during the day are you prepared to do so that she can work?  If she's doing all of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc., what are you prepared to do so that she can go to work?  Once you have that answer, you have a means of dealing with this issue.