m in Israel, I particularly find anyone who says that staying home with your kids is not “intellectually stimulating” very judgmental and snobby. I can understand when someone says they have no patience to be home with their kids or find it too difficult and their kids are better off if they go to work at least part time so they have more patience for them. I can get that because that thought process focuses on the kids’ best interest and not on the mom’s best interest. The point being that if you CHOOSE to have children then you are obligated to put them first. If you don’t believe that you are obligated to put your kids first then there is no way you are a good mother. And then the question becomes why have the kids if you don’t put them first, if your needs come first and you would rather work than take care of them and raise them? That is very selfish.
As far as putting effort into education and not using that practically later on, all I have to say is education is education and the more you learn the better off you are. You have no idea when you might have to use it or fall back on it. So it is never for naught.