Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Stay at Home Full Time or Work Full Time?

Is it better to be a stay-at-home mom or work full time? This is one of the questions that many women keep asking themselves.
When I talk about this subject with my mom, who worked part time and was home when we came home from school, she is convinced that staying at home with your kids is the best you can do for your children. There is no convincing her that it would also be okay to be out of the house for a full day of work.
I guess I can see her point.. your kids are only young once and if you have the option and desire to be with them as much as possible then you should do it when they are small, because you can never get that time back. But when you talk with a person that works full time and who has a great career then they believe it is better to be working. They do not feel that their sanity would survive if they were to stay at home full time. I guess that it is a very personal issue and each woman will have to find what suits them.

But how do you find out what suits you, your kids and husband better? I have talked with quite a few women who have tried to take a break from work to be at home with their children and they were so miserable that at the end it was better for everyone involved that they returned to work. Being a stay-at-home mom is very hard (although some do not agree - especially if they haven't tried it) and it is not a job for everyone.
I love being at home with my girls, who are 3, 5 and 7. I also have the great advantage that I can work from home. But sometimes I feel that there is never any ME time. When nobody is home I am working and then I have to pick up the kids, grocery shop, cook, clean, help with homework etc. So when the kids are finally in bed I get to relax. That is probably better than many other women who still have to do laundry and any chores they couldn't do during the day because they were out of the house.
Either option is good (stay-at-home mom or work full time) as long as it suits yours and your family needs. The most important is that everyone involved is happy - then who cares what the neighbors say!!!

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