If the woman wants only a career, she must think it over deeply. For, all of us need company at some stage in life. So marriage is essential and one must live a full life. For a working woman it is a tough job, a three-ring circus. It is here that the elderly play an important role. For almost three generations, the mother-in-law has lent a helping hand with the kids. If the family does not offer support, a working woman has a tough time. The school-going children turn into latch-key children. But most women do not have to go through this. Take me, for example, when I was working , my mother stepped in to care for the children. Now, I take care of my grandchildren while my sons and daughters-in-law go to work. That is the cycle.

These days, the fathers are taking more interest in parenting unlike yesteryears. A woman is not so pressured. The trend is slow in catching up.If a woman gives up her career for the family's sake, at one point of time she may desperately want to go back to it. This is when the children have grown up and the lady is at a lose end. But all the priorities have to be set right at the beginning. There is no point in taking on both, ending up not giving justice to either and tying yourself up in knots.

Ira Flynn, former journalist
In my opinion, a woman should take care of the home if she does not have a strong family support system. For, the woman can never do justice to herself, her family, her job and her children if she cannot give it 100 per cent. If she opts for a career, she is pulled in all directions. After marriage, once the children come along, it is only a mother who can give them the best of care. In the initial years they need the mother. Once they get to school, the studies become important and who else but a mother can teach them. Before marriage, I used to be a hard-core scribe with a leading paper. When I got married we moved to Calcutta and I continued with the job.

But when we moved to Ankleshwar, I realised I was expecting a baby. I gave up the job to step into a parent's shoe. We are a nuclear family, with no family member to fall back upon and no support system. My husband is in the corporate sector with a high-pressured job. With him away most of the time, my daughter needed me. Leaving her with servants was unacceptable to me. Moreover as a scribe, I would have to keep unreasonable hours. Imagine getting back from work at unearthly hours and not seeing your baby awake.

What is the point ?When she was three, I went back to work. A servant would take care of her. But when my neighbours told me about the things happening behind my back, I fired her and put in my papers. Since, I have a no passion for a career, it was easy to give it up, I did not feel the regret. Hence , I think the choice must be at the very beginning. If the career comes first, then you should not have children. So set your priorities and don't go back on them.