Jenny asks:

I have only an internship left before I finish school. While I am waiting for God to show me my future spouse, I have certain things that I would like to happen in our marriage. I would like to stay at home with the children full time, maybe returning to work when they are all in school. My mother always worked, at least part time, and my two married sisters both plan to return to work after a brief maternity leave. I feel tremendous pressure to have such a career as they have had. I see this as unneeded pressure, since I am not even married yet, let alone have any children. I even get pressure from my father. What should I say that would make them see my point of view--that children need their mother around if it is possible. I can understand they have loans to pay off, but I plan to work long enough before getting married so I won't have any debt, hopefully even have some saved. I am college educated, and I plan to keep up a home and take care of the young ones myself, so I do not consider myself lazy. I talked to a friend of mine, and he said that he thought mothers worked today out of peer pressure, or the need to keep up with the Joneses. I want to marry someone that can provide for the family so I don't have to leave my babies in daycare while I work. I am not in it for the money--I don't want to be rich. How can I deal with my family in a Catholic, Christian way? I don't think it is a sin, necessarily, if I work when I have small children; I would just rather not do it.