How having kids affects women's earnings and career

An ongoing theme that I explore on this blog is how having children affects women's earnings and career. The Atlantic recently asked readers to comment on the issue and they printed many of the best comments in this article below:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/04/women-money-and-bias-the-economy-is-classist-then-racist-then-sexist/255742/

I thought this was an excellent point - although I don't agree with what the author went on to suggest (basically that it is not so important as it is a matter of choice)

'The biggest remaining pay gap is about women overwhelmingly being the partner to sacrifice for marriage and kids. That means not just taking time off from work, but also getting onto the "mommy track" of working reduced hours, not killing oneself for the top promotions, or choosing jobs with more benefits and security at the expense of pay.'