Pros and Cons of Being a Stay at Home Mom

There is a bad stigma of being a stay-at-home mom. Others have asked my husband if he feels like I do anything. Or am I just sitting at home doing nothing?

Being a stay-at-home mom is not what it used to be. If you think back 100 years, staying home with your kids was expected. It was crucial to run a house and raise kids as your husband went to work.

So much has changed in the past sentry! Are you trying to decide if you should stay at home with your kids? Do you want to feel important? What are the Pros and Cons of being a stay-at-home mom?

Pros of Being a Stay at Home Mom

1. You get to be a part of your kids' lives! Today my little boy was having a hard time. No matter what we were doing, he would smash a finger or fall down and bonk his little head. After about 2 hours of nonstop tears, I sat down on our big couch and read him stories. The time we spent cuddling and reading his favorite stories would never have happened had I been working. On a side note had he been at daycare, no one would have taken the time to take the time he needed to make his day better.
2. You are the teacher. Do you fear having your child pick up something that is not appropriate? Every day a parent answers hundreds of questions. I am so grateful that I am answering them and not another child or teacher at a daycare.
3. One on one attention. As a stay-at-home mom, I can focus on two kids. I honestly feel bad for teachers at daycare because they have only a few adults and a million kids. No child is getting the one-on-one attention they need. For example, my little girl really loves veggies and fruit. My little boy only likes meat and bread. No one would know that or care to make them eat a balanced diet if they weren't home.
4. Kids learn how to work. With laundry, dishes, trash, vacuuming, and on and on. Our kids learn how to keep our house clean. They learn how to make dinner and set the table. My little girl loves to help me out with all kinds of chores. When I ask her to empty the trash, she does and replaces the liners. Kids might have duties at daycare, but they don't learn how to clean a house. 
5. Your home to make a healthy dinner for your family. Working moms are tired when they get home. I know! The last thing you want to do is make dinner. Every night we can teach our kids what the meaning of healthy eating is. I try to make it a point to ask our kids what colors they are eating and why it is important to have variety as we eat. It is hard to do that with a Little Ceasers pizza or Happy Meal three days a week.
6. Our home gets cleaned. Owning a cleaning business, we often cleaned homes for working moms because they didn't have the time or willpower to do it. Most families would spend $100-$125 a month to get their homes cleaned every other week for 2 hours. Ya, they were nasty! I am grateful I can vacuum every other day if I want to.
7. Being a stay-at-home mom has saved us money. This might sound fishy, but it is true! After child care for two soon-to-be three kids. The gas on a second car, fast food dinners, house cleaning, preschool, and more. A second paycheck would not be enough to cover the other expenses.
8. You are saving a crazy world. As a stay-at-home mom, you can make a huge difference as you teach your children right. After working at a treatment center for troubled boys, I was surprised when I found out that 95% of those boys were from super-wealthy homes. Yes, the parents made a ton of money, but their kids were MESSED up! It was sad that most of these boys started getting into trouble because a parent was not home to catch the problem.

Cons of Being a Stay at Home Mom

1. You are thought of as trash. I don't know how many times others have told me I am wasting my life. I am useless. 
2. There is no recognition. If you are a working mom, you have a check to bring home. People at work may praise you. You may even get big raises for appreciation. As a stay-at-home mom, the largest thing you will get is a poopy diaper.
3. You may never feel pretty. After being up all night with a newborn. Up early to throwing up kids and late to drop off your kindergartener. You never have time to stand in front of a mirror.
4. You have to deal with screaming kids. Kids aren't always cute, cuddly, and happy! Often I will ask my little girl why she has been so grumpy all day, and she will say, "Because I don't know how to stop." Some days are just full of tears. No break for you!
5. Kids don't have as much social time. Playdates happen, but for most moms, they don't happen every day. With daycare, your kids are getting tons of social experiences.
6. You time? What is that? Don't expect to have any time for yourself! Working moms have at least lunch breaks.
7. It is harder to make friends. As a stay-at-home mom, you aren't working with other adults. It is hard to find other moms that want to hang out. It is okay; you will get used to talking about Mickey Mouse and Elsa all day long.

The choice is all yours! I have struggled as a working mom and a stay-at-home mom. As women, we make so many sacrifices. What are your goals? What will bring you and your family the most joy? Good luck!

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decisions possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." - Pros and Cons Team.

Written By: Sarah