Someone 22 or younger CAN in fact qualify for SSDI based on their parents work record. And the work credits needed for a young person to qualify on their own work record are significantly reduced, so the argument that a young person that becomes disabled has a disadvantage with the current SSDI rules, just isn't true.

Choosing to Stay at Home does make a person vulenerable financially in some ways. When someone attempts to return to the workforce without an advanced degree or valued trade, they will be unlikely to make much income and have a decent SS retirement income as well. In this economy, young college graduates are often struggling to find jobs of any type, so there is no guarantee that the OP could have found work, had she been healthy, after her kids left the nest anyway.

My mother, who is 70, warned me that I needed to be careful to maintain my financial independence regardless of my husband's income and having children, because some of her friends were devastated financially in the 80's and 90's when they failed to receive alimony after being married even 20-30+ years.

The flip side is that being able to be a SAHM is a wonderful gift to your family and is very fulfilling personally for many...