Working mom VS. Stay-at-home mom?

Question

Which do you think is better for your child? What are the pros/cons of each?

Answer 1

I have had the opportunity to do both. When my first was born, I had to go back to work when she was only 4 months old. It killed me to leave her so young, but at the time (and situation) it was the best for both of us (since we needed an income!) I had her stay with my best friend. When she was old enough, she came to work with me at preschool. Since then, I've gotten remarried and had another child. With her, I was able to stay at home for two years after she was born. That was nice. I felt like I was able to spend that precious, quality time doing what I was supposed to do... just take care of my baby. When she turned two, I was ready to go back to work again. Since I am a preschool teacher, she was able to come to work with me like her sister before her. So, for me, I think being able to have the balance between raising your child and needing to feel like I am contributing to the family income. Plus, with my kids close by me as I work, I am not worried about what is happening with them. I have piece of mind and the knowledge that I am allowing them to have time of their own as well.

Answer 2

I am a stay at home mom of a 2 year old and I love it .. Some of the Pros of being a stay at home mom are you can teach your children new and exciting things every day all day and you get to spend quality time with them and they appreciate that . A con however of being a stay at home mom is you get burnt out sometimes but this is why i try and get out at least once a week with other ladies from my church or go out with a friend. If you want you can be a stay at home mom and work too just work at night when your kids are in bed. Another con stay at home moms seem to think is bad is the kids not getting enough time with other kids well as a stay at home i know for a fact this is not true my son spends times with other kids thru play groups and thru church and when we go to the park he gets time with other kids and he loves it.. ENJOY BEING A STAY AT HOME MOM IF YOU CAN ITS GREAT ... i hope i helped you a little bit and if you have any other ?'s feel free to email me
Shannon

Answer 3

I believe that neither is "better". Of course the stay at home mom is there for all the important and special moments and she is the sole person for taking care of the child. The working mother balances both but tends to miss out on some of the moments.
Sometimes, working mothers are working mothers because they have to be. We can't all afford to stay home and raise our kids, although I'm sure most of us want to.
In 5 months I'll be crossing this bridge. I really wish I could stay at home and enjoy every moment but the reality is, I wont be able to afford it. I live in a big city with big bills.
I give all mothers, whether stay at home or working great respect for doing what they do.

Answer 4

Well obviously a stay at home mom is always there for her child. They will be very close and won't have to go through the whole daycare senerio. I wouldn't like it if someone else spent more time with my child everyday than me. You develope a bond and your relationship with your child might be lacking if you are never around. Not to mention as a parent you will miss out on so many things. I personally am so glad and feel fortunate that I was able to stay at home with my kids and raise them the way I thought they should be raised. I think the kids are happier too.

Answer 5

I used to be a working mom of 3 children, and to be honest I stretched myself thin. Literally having no time for my children, husband, home, and myself. I thought if I stopped working I would complete lose my independence and myself. When my Husband and myself decided we would give it a try, we were in for a suprise. My children started to excel in school getting to the top of there class, family dinners were fun conversations the whole family got into. My husband and I had more time to ourselves, because the kids having had enough time with me durning the day were not constantly at my heels for attention. Not only that my husband started taking the kids for a couple hours during the week so I could have some time to myself. It isn't always easy, and yes you do get bored. But in this case the benefits definitely out weighed the cons. Staying at home has made us a stronger family and has brought me closer to my children and husband. I am not saying this is the right path for everyone, and sometimes you don't have that choice when you do need that extra income. Woman fought so hard to get equality in the work place and always tried to have the best of both worlds, and I know a lot of women who felt they were giving up that right in order to stay home. I stand by decision, because it was what was best for my family, you just need to decide what is best for your family.

Answer 6

There are NO cons to a Stay-at-home mom. Your child will be raised by his/her parents and not a day-care. The world may say oh but the wife needs to work to make ends meet. Don't listen to them. Hopefully you husband can support all of you. If he can't then be poor and be happy. What good is all the money in the world if you missed half of your kids childhood because you were working?

Answer 7

From my experience growing up, a stay at home mom is more stablizing for a child. Also, more important, when in teenage years, your not really wanting to be communicative, but if a parent who is kind and really listens is around, children of all ages end up talking about everything under the sun to the adult. My mother was the only stay at home mom for miles around, and children came out of the woodwork to be around someone who cared and listened.
I remember feeling bad for most of these kids, because their mother's and father's, could not understand why it was needed to establish slow, day to day, relationships with growing children, before they can feel comfortable talking freely with you. Children really do better with less "things" and more parenting... even if they don't sound like it, and wouldn't admit to it. :) I believe the buying of things was the most often given reason for why both parents worked full time jobs...
These children grew into adults who brought their intended marrage partners to my house for my parents' approval, not their parents. This was the biggest telling sign to me.
I know this is not a popular way to live, but if you can really trust your husband to be 100% behind you, it would likely be helpful to more then just your children alone. I think a stay at home father would be just as helpful, if the mother is more career driven, or for whatever reason better able to provide a roof over the head and such, I have just never seen one in action.

Answer 8

I think both are just fine. What truly matters is the time you give your child during each day. Or children. Staying at home is good because you get to share a lot of things that may be missed at day care or elsewhere. Working mom's have it good to, if they feel happy in their career, they get to instill good work habits for their children's understanding. It's all in how you accept each role. I am very fortunate that I get to work at home, so it's the best of both worlds. Good luck on the decision.

Answer 9

to three degree, different moms may be somewhat jealous! no longer each human being may have sufficient money to be a stay at homestead mom, and as on your case, have sufficient money to be a operating mom! The argument is a lengthy status one, and also you'll discover rude those that do not have the means to carry close your selection. If it feels excellent to you, don't worry about different's reviews. Doing the perfect by your baby is the biggest. i'm due in November, and am battling a similar selection. i'm thinking section-time to satisfy both needs. you are able to continuously make funds, yet you won't be able to continuously make up for lost time!

Answer 10

I think that staying at home can be good for a child, but they also need interaction with other kids so you have to plan ahead for that with play groups or other kids in neighborhood.

As far as moms go, some women are content staying at home filling their lives with their kids. I tried it for 2 years and found myself growing more and more resentful because I totally lost sense of who I was, what my interests were... and I really craved adult interactions.

If you choose to be a stay at home mom, make sure you have activities for your self too.