My mother was working for an eye surgeon and eventually became his surgical nurse. My grandmother quit work, to take care of her dying husband and mother, while putting her sister in a nursing home. She ended up staying out of work (close to retirement), to raise us. Most of the mothers I knew, worked, although one friends mom, seemed to not work as much as she worked. (in construction with drug issues, husband was an u/c officer, who was pulled off when an issue with mother).