Mom Defends Her Decision to Keep Toddler in Daycare While on Maternity Leave

And, as she points out in her post, that's "about the best you can get in America," so she certainly isn't complaining.

However, given that her firstborn is now toddler-aged and in daycare, she admits that "the thought didn’t even cross our minds" to pull the child out of daycare so she could be home for those 5 1/2 months.

So, they simply didn't — and according to the mom, she doesn't feel even the tiniest bit guilty about it.

And each time, she gives them the same stock answer: Her daughter would lose her spot in school if they pulled her mid-year.

But there's also a bit more to it than that …

"Her friends are there and she loves to play all day," the mother explains in her post. "If she was home with me all day, she would get way less attention and stimulation."

There's also another factor at play: The poster's husband works from home and needs privacy and silence to concentrate. If her daughter were home all day, the mom insists the house would be total "chaos," and that she'd probably wind up constantly chasing after her toddler, trying to prevent her from barging into her dad's office.

"What I don’t say (for fear of judgment) is that I’m really enjoying this time spent with my baby, and my days are a million times easier without my toddler being home," she confesses in her post.

It's also had a positive impact on her mental health and productivity.

"I’ve gotten so many of our house projects and family To Do’s completed in the past weeks," the mother continues. "It’s incredible."

More from Mom.com: Daycare Does Not Mean You Love Your Child Any Less

"A kid’s life is already upended when a new baby comes home," one person pointed out. "Why would you want to disrupt their routine even more? This is the best situation for everyone involved."

"Yes, keeping their routine is so important," someone else agreed. "And with a new baby, you are not in a position where you can easily meet all the needs for the toddler. Everyone would suffer."

"Precisely!" yet another mom added. "My 19-month-old daughter loved her preschool and her friends. Why would I take her away from them to stay home with a fussy newborn and a sleep-deprived mommy?"

(She's got a good point there.)

"Why the f would anyone pull their toddler out of daycare for this?" one person asked.

Others chimed in to say that sometimes, if the reduced income causes a strain on family finances, then keeping your kid out of daycare just makes fiscal sense. But that's not the case for everyone and certainly no reason to start questioning a new parents' motives.

"Maternity leave is not vacation," one mom wrote in response. "I will say it until I'm blue in the face. You're not taking vacation, you're taking leave to do your other full time job for a few weeks – be a mom. You wouldn't take your kid out of daycare when you're WFH, would you?"

"Please don't give a second thought to anyone who questions how you spend your leave," she urged.

So much so that the new mom wrote an update thanking them for their support.

"Most of the people who question this decision are either people who don’t have kids, or were/are stay at home parents (my mom chief among them)," the Redditor explained. "I think most people with a toddler understand! And for those asking, I work at a large CPA/consulting firm. They work us hard (average 50-80 hour weeks), but they give us a lot of time off too!"

Here's hoping the unsolicited opinions stop soon, because this mama definitely shouldn't be shamed for making a decision that feels right for her family — and so far, is clearly working.