A few points, Jenna.
Firstly, you say you applaud/support mums who are studying, in order to improve themselves, but you will surely start disapproving of them if they try to make use of their education by working. That is a huge contradiction, imo.
Secondly, you seem to have conveniently ignored my post about the huge costs involved in the downsizing you so glibly recommend. I will repost my post here, so you don't have to go and search for it.
Jenna - downsizing is not that easy. Firstly you have to sell your own house - very difficult in the current economic climate, and may well have to drop the price in order to sell. Then, if you manage to sell, and find somewhere to buy that isn't in a chain (so your sale doesn't fall through when another part falla apart - more likely in this economic climate), you still have to pay stamp duty, solicitors fees, estate agents fees and removals - all of which can add up to well over £10,000, depending on the size and value of the properties you are selling and buying.
The downsizing you so glibly advise is not a free exercise - it has substantial costs attached.
Thirdly, I firmly believe that good parent will make the best choices for their family and themselves, based on their own circumstances - and since no two families are identical in themselves and in their circumstances, it is impossible to generalise about what is 'best' for families. And a good parent will be a good parent regardless of whether or not they are working - because a good parent will work hard to make sure that the decisions they make benefit their whole family.
I am sure that there are some bad mothers who are working mothers - but I am equally sure that there are bad mothers who are not working - they are not bad because they choose to work - they would be bad mothers anyway. And some children are neglected because they have neglectful parents - but it is their work status is not what is making them neglectful.
Jenna - I think you should acknowledge that you are in a position that is rare amongst parents - you have a father who employed you to run one of his companies before, and presumeably will do so again when you wish to go back to your career. How many other women do you think are in a similar position to you? I am willing to bet that there are very few indeed - none on this thread, that's for sure - so most people are in a very different position, where a long career break to raise a child or children WILL have serious adverse effects on their career. Do you understand how this puts them in a VERY different position to you? You have not walked in their shoes, and yet you are judging them.
I would also suggest you read over your posts on this thread, and see how judgemental and unpleasant they are towards people who have made a different decision to you, and hopefully you will understand why you have upset people and put their backs up so much. And before you remind me that others have been nasty to you too, don't forget it was YOU who started the thread with an extremely judgemental attitude, and deliberately inflammatory posts.