Is it a sacrifice to be a Stay Home Mom?

Question

(Or Dad). If so is it WORTH it? Specify if you were the child or the parent.

Answer 1

Its worth it for some, not for others. You have to look at your situation. Keep in mind that if one parent doesn't work, the household expenses can likely go down a fair amount, so you don't really lose that entire salary.
- less spent on work related expenses like gas, drycleaning, etc.
- car insurance will cost less, once you tell them you don't commute to work
- you probably will be able to eat out less, which is a big money saver and probably healthier, as well.
- you DON'T have to pay for daycare.
- Lowering your household income lowers your taxes. (Right? its not how much you make, its how much you keep!) The "second" income that you might get rid of is "on top of" the primary income, and in effect might be taxed at a higher rate. Looking at total houselhold income, if it drops by some amount, that amount comes off the top, where it potentially was being taxed at a higher rate. (make sense?)

Beyond that are the intangibles. The very important intangibles. Its like a reverse Mastercard commercial.

"Salary lost: $27,000
Savings on car insurance: $800
Savings on gas: $1,200
Savings on Daycare: $5,000
Raising your own child, being there for the first crawl, step and word, being there everyday when school is out, being there to help with the homework, being there so your child is not a latchkey kid: Priceless."

My wife is a stay-at home mom, though she puts in a lot of time at the school. It was her choice, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Answer 2

I'm a mom. Yes, it is a sacrifice! First, you won't have nearly enough money to do lots of things and you may worry about it all the time. Second, it can be very boring. Yep, that's what I said and don't forget that those who go to work get a "break" from taking care of the child while the stay-at-home does it 24/7. And, depending on the job you do, you may have to bring stuff home and still not have enough time with your child. However, I hated my job (in fact, I quit six months before I got pregnant.) and I didn't want to bring it home and take it out on anyone, especially my son. And I would have missed him turning over, and crawling, and walking, and his first words. I wouldn't have been here when his teacher came and day care would be doing all that. Even now, I am having a hard time thinking that next year I will probably have to go back to work so he can go to pre K. I will miss him and worry about him! Yes, it is worth the comments from my brother and sister-in-law about my being lazy and "I should be working." They don't have a clue!

Answer 3

I work 3 hours a morning while my daughter goes to daycare, so I kinda am in both worlds. Working only a few hours menas that we sacrifice having the finer things in life, but I get to spend the majority of my day with my little one. I was there for all of her big firsts (first word, and first step) so I dont feel I've missed out. I know when she starts school I will be there to pick her up every day. Her going to daycare for 3 hours a day and has been great because it has taught her that someone else can take care of her so she's not overly clingy to me, and it has taught her great social skills. It also gives me a little break so that I dont go insane! My mom was a stay at home mom until I was 13, and then my parents got divorced and my mom had to work full time. I loved having my mom at home. She was the room mother in my class almost every year. She was there when I got home from school so I could talk to her about my day. I definitely would pick a stay at home mom as the better situation, and yes it very much worth it. I've never heard an adult say "Boy, I wish my mom was gone more" I've never heard a parent say "Boy, I wish I'd worked more when the kids were little." But unfortunately not everyone can do this, and you have to do what you have to do! If you are able to stay at home, I think it's important to make sure you get time for yourself though because everyone needs a break sometimes.

Answer 4

It really depends on your situation. Some times it's best cause if you work and take the kids to day care then the offset of the cost is not worth it. In other cases..some choose for one parent to work nights and the other to work days as to avoid day care...trust me...not good on a relationship. I would say it depends on the husbands income...but with that said..if you learn to live within your means..then that shouldn't be an issue. There are many benefits to being a stay at home mom...for the kids mostly.

There is however a down side..especially as the kids get older. you as the mom need something to bide your time other than house work. Volunteer work when they are at school is one way. But you need a social life outside of the home in addition to taking care of the needs of your family. With out it at some point you will begin to wonder what you have been missing...and then begin to wander if you know what I mean. Keep busy in the home and out of the home...make sure you have a life just like your husband does.

Answer 5

I am a stay@home mother of 3, (daughters are 15 and 17 & my son is 7)as well as the daughter of a mother both stayed home for some time, and worked for sometime. I dont feel like I sacraficed anything to be at home with my children, because there is so many more rewards from raising your children with the morals and values you deem as important! Plus, my girls that are both in High School know without a doubt that they can always come to me about ANYTHING. i have even been asked to help out a friend of theirs from time to time whos mother wasnt able to not work. Its the best thing I could have ever done!

Answer 6

I'm a stay at home mom and I have sacrificed dearly, my children I love them to death they are school aged now and I'm still home because I can't find a job with the right hours or certain days off that my kids have off from school so i'm stuck at home all day while they're in school bored to death I can only clean so much and shop so much for groceries!!!!! I miss interacting with other adults and earning a paycheck, I'm biding my time until my kids are old enough to stay home alone for a few hours but that won't be until they're around 14 15 yrs old so I have plenty of time, wahhhh

Answer 7

Strictly my opinion.......all the time that we had on earth prior to reproducing was OUR time. We could do whatever it was we wanted, gone anywhere, spent our money however we wanted. Once we introduced an innocent child to this world, it then became OUR RESPONSIBILITY to care for that precious human being. Sacrifice? Please......we only have our babies for a very short 18 years if we're lucky. It's really hard to be an effective parent when your not there. And, just a question for you...is your child worth it? If you don't know the answer to that, ask your child. I bet they'd know the answer.......

Answer 8

I am a stay at home Mommy and I love it!!! Its totally worth it....Luckily my husband has a very good job that allows me the privilage of being a stay at home mommy. Sure we dont get to buy EVERYTHING we want, and taking huge expensive vacations is out of the question...but I wouldnt trade seeing my baby girl's milestones for anything. We manage very well with only one income (its all about budgeting). I am very lucky to be able to be a stay at home mommy, sometimes it can get a little crazy, but everything seems like that after a while. Be a stay at home Mommy or Daddy if you can, becuase it is sooooo rewarding!!!

Answer 9

Yes, and No. I have 2 kids, and rarely have a moment for myself. I used to have hobbies, friends, and places I liked to hang out.

Now, I'm a soccer coach, baker, taxi, councilor, have a new set of friends, and the places I hang out mostly have very small bathrooms, and small everything else!

So, I lost some things, but I gained much, much more. Not to mention it just isn't practical for 2 parents to work, the daycare bills don't leave much leftover of one salary to be worth it, you're working to pay someone else to have all the little joys in your child's life.

Answer 10

I stay at homestead for the comparable motives...i pick to be the single to instruct my son. persons at daycares or babysitters have diverse strategies, values, etc. and that i clearly have faith the terrific individual to look after your infant is you. i think of that's a great challenge with the international appropriate now. Too many mom and dad are the two working and the international is elevating your infant, not you. I provide you each and every and all the credit interior the international for what you're doing. save up the solid paintings. After for persons asserting the experts of daycare are little ones being around different little ones, etc. .......you could take your infant to storyhour on the libraries, the park, or mommy and me communities the place they are in a position to have interplay with different little ones for that 10% of time, however the terrific places for the different ninety% of the time remains with mom.