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invitation or commit to every event, he would be out of the house every night. But being a present force in the lives of his children, Daniel (16), Samantha (13) and John (10) is a priority. "It's important that I'm home and my kids see me and that I know them and they know me," Castricone says. Career versus motherhood Rachel Neuhaus, mother of two from Chester, has made her own adjustments to life as a wife and mother. Neuhaus was a domestic policy legislative aide and director of government affairs in addition to her jobs as a principle lobbyist for Hudson Valley's Builders Association. Eventually, Neuhaus and her husband, Steve, welcomed two daughters into the world. Neuhaus was faced with a maternal dilemma every working mom can identify with... should she entrust her babies to someone else's care while she focuses on work or should she sacrifice her own professional life to be a full-time mom? that budget and plunged together into the life of single-income parents. Neuhaus acknowledges the strain their decision has put on her sanity as well as finances, but, "It works for us," she says. Recently, Neuhaus started her own small business, Thumbelina Children's Accessories, in Sugar Loaf. She describes her new business venture as a, one-woman creation station. It has not been easy for Neuhaus to create a new business and keep track of the needs of her two daughters while Steve's heavy workload continually dominates his schedule. Between his position as a lieutenant in the Navy Reserves, his role as Chester's town supervisor and his current campaign for county executive, it takes a dedicated effort to ensure family life does not become a casualty of Steve's professional life. To prevent a family life melt down, Neuhaus capitalized on opportunities for her to bring the girls to Steve's work appearances. In addition, they make it a point to share at least one meal per day together. Steve wakes up early each morning to linger over coffee with his ladies before leaving for his day. Do what's best for your family The decision on how to parcel out our time is a personal one, with different considerations for each of us. Neuhaus believes if all her children take away from their sacrifices is putting their dishes in the sink and throwing in an occasional please and thank you, she knows I she is doing her job. Barbara Allen is a freelance writer and a mother of four from the Hudson Valley. Weighing the pros and cons The pros and cons of all moms whose maternal instinct wages war with professional ambitions are plentiful. Income vs. quality time Intelligent conversation vs. nursery rhymes Clean clothes vs. puke-stains Hot coffee vs. not enough coffee These are clearly the extremes of this conflict, but the emotional power of the maternal instinct is strong, and can render a woman incapable of recognizing the possibility of a reality somewhere in the middle. It's never an easy decision For Neuhaus, her decision was to shelve professional aspirations in favor of maternal ones. She and Steve reconfigured the household budget, agreed to make the necessary changes to accommodate HVParent.com Hudson Valley Parent 27 newburgh children's center daycare childcare afterschool program after school program day care child care