Working vs. Stay Home Moms: The Science Is In…

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As a full time working Mom I always wonder what it would be like to be a stay at home. I had a taste of it whilst on maternity leave, but the sole purpose of that time was to look after the new baby/s. If being a stay-at- home-Mom were a full time gig, it comes with a whole lot more responsibility!

With the increased cost of living, very few families have a choice as to whether Mom can stay home to look after the kids but I am sure that there are many who would love to have that option at least.

There are many studies that support the belief that a mother should be home with their kids during the first few years of their lives, such as the research done by Macalester College, Minnesota, and the University of California. According to these studies, children can benefit if mothers are allowed to delay a return to work until after the first year after birth. Returning somewhat later – years two or three- appear to be advantageous for children’s achievement later in life.

There are even studies such as the research conducted by Harvard Professor Kathleen McGinn which evidences that children under the age of fourteen who were exposed to working mothers, either part-time or full-time, for at least a year, grow up to hold more egalitarian gender views as adults. It even suggests that daughters of working mothers are likely to grow up to be more successful in the workplace than their peers. They earn more and are more likely to be in managerial roles.

If you think of it practically though, your children can benefit from both of these options. Should you be privileged enough to have the option, herewith a list of advantages of the two.

Stay-at-home Mom

– You will be there for every new milestone your child meets.

– You don’t have to stress about who will be looking after your child.

– As some studies suggest, your little one will not experience any separation anxiety as he or she will not be away from you for extended periods of time.

– In some cases it may even be less expensive to have one parent stay at home and look after the children, than sending them to daycare.

– You will have more time to maintain your home and manage your family life.

Working Mom

– Many stay-at- home-Moms get the feeling of isolation as they do not get the opportunity to interact with other adults very often. This will not happen if you are working.

– From a financial perspective, you may be able to provide more for your child.

– As you wont spend every waking moment with your children, you will have a more balanced lifestyle and not lose your identity.

– You will appreciate the time you spend with your children even more.

Are you working or stay-at-home mom, can you add to the list above? Let us know your thoughts!

7 Comments

  1. Elena

    May 19, 2016 at 11:37 pm

    Hola yo estube con mis hijos todo el tiempo, tengo cuatro hijos y apenas empecé a trabajar cuando mi hijo más pequeño empezó 1st grado. Y llego ala casa antes que ellos salgan de la escuela. Estoy. Feliz con mi trabajo por qué puedo trabajar y estar con mis hijos en casa 🙂

  2. Yvonne Perez

    May 27, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    So I am trying to do both…work from home. However, I am learning it’s very much like working. Time still needs to be set aside for uninterrupted work. I also don’t like the kids seeing me in front of a laptop too much because I want them away from screens, so what kind of examples le am I setting? My children are 4 months old and 18 months- and I value this time while they are small, so I want to be with them. I am learning to balance time with my kids, work, and time for myself so as not to lose my identity- (and time for my husband if I can fit it in! Lol)

    Working from home has given me more flexibility but still requires discipline and balance. I wake up at 4:30 am to get in a quick workou and count that as me time! But my day can end at 2 or sometimes earlier and the kids and I play. I don’t want to look back and regret that I worked too much and couldn’t spend time with them. That being said, I know working from home isn’t always an option, but I hope more companies embrace this or at least extend maternity leave to a year as Canada has done.

    • Cindy

      August 26, 2016 at 11:33 am

      I am doing the same as well and agree with you. I love being able to work anytime I can but be also able to hug/play with my son immediately when I want. I have been very blessed to be able to do this and hope to continue to be able to. I work as hard, if not harder as if I was working in an office.

  3. Haydee Moreno

    October 1, 2016 at 6:35 am

    I remember these kids of notes from my daughters it really use to ….. I love them to death ❤❤❤

  4. Suchitra

    October 2, 2016 at 2:16 am

    I was working on top position and resigned from my job as soon as my son was born. In exchange God gave me my own business for my sacrifice.Now after 14 yrs, I m blessed to have reared 2 wonderful children and enjoyed every moment and have awesome memories.i think that, one of the parent should be at home to enjoy their growth. Not everyone is capable of rearing their children with love and patience. It’s the quality which u hv to be born with. Nowadays, parents run after money leaving their children in the day care or relatives and karma comes back to them and their children put them in the old age home.

  5. Donna

    October 2, 2016 at 11:51 pm

    I was able to work part time for most of my child raising years. I was able to be there for most of the very special moments, and later volunteer in their schools and their sporting teams, make costumes …. The flip side is I kept my foot in business and my career.

  6. Giana Connors

    May 6, 2017 at 1:34 am

    I am fortunate to work full time from home. I raised my daughter while managing the expectations of a stressful job which I love. I made sacrifices by working odd hours at times so I can take her to Gymboree class or volunteer at her school. When I traveled for work, I was lucky to be able to bring her so she could see what the rest of the world is like. There were more ups but there were certainly some trying moments. I’ve been blessed to have a very supportive husband. Now 18 years later, our only child will be leaving for college in the fall. It has been a joy raising her at home but I loved having a job at the same time.

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