I am a stay-at-home mum. It was never my plan to be a full time house wife and mum. Thirteen year old me would be surprised and give me a good talking to.
When we were growing up, the goal was to never be a stay-at-home mum. A stay-at-home mum was what you became because you were not educated and hence could not find employment. All you were good for was having children and taking care of them.
The working woman was what we strived for. She had her own money so was independent and she could buy herself whatever she wanted. The working woman could buy herself a car and go on holiday. If she had children then she could hire extra help. While this is true, we had a narrow minded view of what a stay-at-home mum actually does.