• Name: Amanda Pepper
• Place: Livermore, Calif.

I left the workforce when I had my first child nearly eight years ago.

I was working in publishing at Pearson and doing quite well, but they weren't really open to giving me the time to find child care. If I could have gone back to work and have earned more than the cost of child care, I would have.

But at best, I would have broken even, and to get high-quality child care it would have cost me more than my paycheck.

Attempts to go back to work even part time were unsuccessful. I now have three children and have dedicated my time to screenwriting. I find I much prefer it to office politics, or to trying to re-prove myself after having been out of the system for so long.

Now that I'm writing, I'm happy being home.

NEXT: Time at home is work