Recently in the news we've seen a lot of discussion about women leaving the traditional workforce. It seems that there is now a trend over the past few years of women opting-out; whereas in years past, women entered the workforce in ever-increasing numbers, chasing the dream of equality. Many experts are coming to the conclusion that women are now opting-out of the workforce to stay home to raise their children. But is that the whole picture?

What might not be so obvious is the emergence of a new breed of work at home moms. Traditionally, work-at-home moms carried a stigma; a preconceived picture of a woman who conducts in-home party presentations or is trying to succeed at an MLM program. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, if that's your thing, and it does require exceptional skills to be successful in the direct sales and multi-level marketing industries. The focus of this article is on a different kind of work-at-home: The Executive Work-at-Home Mom.

The Executive Work-at-Home Mom is a mom who may have once been in the workforce, as an upper level-executive, a university professor, a CPA, an attorney or in some other highly successful career. She may be a marketing expert, a technical writer, an interior designer, or a professional life coach. The Executive Work-at-Home Mom has a specialized set of skills and a ton of knowledge waiting to be utilized.

Yes, women and mothers are leaving the traditional workforce, but many women and mothers are also starting and running successful businesses or freelancing from home. Women fought for years to be treated equally in the workforce, to have the same rights and the same opportunities. We still want that, but we also want the opportunity to work more flexibly, and be home with our children to watch them grow and to nurture them. In many cases, it's necessary for both spouses to work in order to adequately support the family.

But is it possible for women to ?have their cake and eat it too,? so to speak? More and more, career-minded women who still want the opportunity to stay at home to raise their children are finding innovative ways to do just that, while contributing to the family income. These are the Executive Work-at-Home Moms.

Today we read stories of empowered women who were determined to find the best of both worlds, who may have struggled on their way but achieved their ultimate dreams of running a successful business from home. For these Executive Work-at-Home Moms, they combined their passions, their education, experience and expertise into tremendous opportunities. Women bring a unique perspective to the business world, and many of the world's hugely successful corporations are run by or started by women.

Women no longer have to make a choice between staying home or contributing to the family income. Technology enables workers in many fields to work remotely, sometimes without ever even having to step foot on-site. It's easier than ever before to be paid for your expertise by running a consulting or freelance business out of the comfort of your own home. For mothers who have the qualifications and experience to offer services or knowledge to small businesses and even corporations, this is often the perfect solution. For freelancers, independent contractors and even small businesses with a few employees, umbrella corporations exist that make it even easier to conduct business with clients. These types of services are often lifesavers for the Executive Work-at-Home Moms who are running a business from home while raising children.

So while it may be true that women are leaving the workforce and possibly not returning to the traditional work setting, I believe that the number of Executive Work-at-Home Moms is growing. Women are realizing that it is possible to watch your children grow while making a significant contribution to the family income, and we're using our unique business sense to make it happen.