When you're a stay at home mum there is no denying you’re running around and managing your children, partner and home while your partner is working to financially provide for the family. Most people think you're likely living the life of luxury with no job, no boss, and no workplace stress, but little do people know of the pros and cons of being a stay-at-home mom before. So if you intend on becoming a stay-at-home mom from the corporate world, we list exactly what you should consider.
Some of the advantages of being a stay at home mum are the primary reasons a lot of women chose this path. You are intimately connected with your child's development have an upper hand on household management, your contribution to the family income gets reduced but the workplace stress is gone. With this said with every positive in life has a negative which can lead to stress.
Focus on your child
Pro - You can cherish the precious moments with your little one, by spending time and always being there when your child needs as opposed to being stuck in the office at work.
Con - If you are always there it can feel like you're trapped as there will be times when you wish you could steal some time for yourself.
Mental Health Tip - Having time to yourself is important to any parent. Your mental and physical health depends on getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising, and just plain relaxing. Pick up an activity that allows you to be by yourself doing what you enjoy, that way you can always come back to your child refreshed and rejuvenated.
Fully responsible for raising your child
Pro: Your child will be with you the majority of the time so you won't feel like a nursery worker is raising them on your behalf. You will be able to determine what and when they eat, their schedule, and the values they are taught. You also are fully responsible for their safety.
Con: It's easy to create a bubble and isolate yourself and your child from the outside world. Any fears you have are also transferred onto your child.
Mental Health tip: Get together with other mom friends and clubs which can be run by a group or organise playdates to make sure you are exposing all of you to social environments as you raise your child.
Master of your home
Pro: You get to run an efficient home. Dinner is cooked, cleaning is done, getting the children to extra curricular clubs when they need to be and keeping the family schedule under your control.
Con: You may feel like it all falls on you. Even if your partner is the world's best teammate, there will be times you feel super-stressed trying to keep up with it all while raising kids.
Mental Health tip: You can still be in control and delegate some of the tasks to house help and your children. This way you will be teaching your children them important life skills and responsibility. Even a stay-at-home parent can benefit from hiring out some help with chores every now and then.
Financial Factors
Pro: Staying home can be a more economical choice for some families than having to pay for childcare, petrol/travel, car maintenance, dry cleaning, wardrobe, lunch out, and salon costs.
Con: That two-person income gets cut down to one paycheck.
Mental Health tip: Get a part-time job this can help with the new family budget and keep you on track, reduce your stress, and make economic choices easier for you. It will also keep you financial independent the you want to treat yourself from time to time.
Different kind of work stress
Pro: Being a parent can be very enjoyable even when your toddler puts body cream all down your best outfit, your stress level will probably be much lower than if you were having to raise your child while working outside the home and where every antic can make you angry.
Con: children can be more than a handful with whining, fighting, and misbehavior. You can have additional stresses due to reduced finances and any additional relationship stress.
Mental Health tip: When you are feeling stressed, use stress-management practices such as breathing exercises, quiet time, or meditation. You can also teach these to your children so they learn to manage their stress.
You're never alone when you are a stay-at-home mum, most of the time you can't even go to the bathroom by yourself. It's becomes easy to create a bubble and isolate yourself as well as your child from the outside world. it is extremely hard and can cause mental exhaustion, if you are a stay-at-home mum or know anyone who is get them to check their local council and join others mums to keep them alive! As the saying goes "A continual deficit in social interaction can also affect our mental health.
Useful Links
Listen to Podcast Ep:18 Stay-at-home Mum Vs Working Mum
