Know the Pros and Cons of Being a Stay-at-home Mum

Ogbugoh Joy

As exciting as it is to be a mother, it is also one of the toughest jobs there is. From waking at night to breastfeed your baby whilst running after your toddler, keeping an eye on them and objects they come in contact with, to being sleep deprived combined with the demands of running the home as well as the kids. This can get pretty exhausting for any mother. Which is why, some moms have chosen to quit their nine to five jobs, to focus on running their homes.

Being a stay-at-home mum comes with its benefits and pitfalls. So if you are on the verge of making a decision on the subject matter, you want to know what to expect.

PROS

You get to spend all the time in the world with your baby! A stay-at-home mum need not worry about her child’s welfare unlike working mums who worries and wonder if their babies are properly fed or looked after, if they are sleeping peacefully or crying hysterically. And who else can take better care of a child than its mom?
It’s cost effective. A stay home mum does not need to hire a nanny or pay heavily for a Daycare because she’s home taking care of her baby all by herself. She can save her money for diapers, toiletries and such other necessities.
She’s available to witness all her baby’s milestones. It is the desire of every mother to witness her baby’s first step and to hear her first word. Many mother’s miss out on these milestones because they were away at work, but not only does a stay at home mom get to witness these developments, she gets to also capture those moments in pictures and videos for memories.
She can successfully feed her baby exclusively on breast milk: The advantages of exclusive breast feeding range from lowering a baby’s risk of having asthma, preventing constipation, strengthening the baby’s immune system to lowering the baby’s chances of contacting infections such as respiratory infections and ear infections. Mother’s who desire to breastfeed their baby’s exclusively but have to work cannot achieve this desire.
Children thrive on the presence and love of their parents: While adults are always thinking of ways to make more money, all a child wants is the presence of their parents and their unending love. Children of a stay-at-home mum gets to enjoy the presence and attention of their mum.
A stay-at-home mom gets to help her kids with their home-works and projects.
No deadlines, no bosses, no annoying colleagues: A stay-at-home mum no longer needs to rush to work, beat traffic, deal with colleagues or any of the stress that comes with work.

CONS.

A stay-at-home mum probably has the same routine everyday which revolves around your kids. You wake up the next day to repeat the same routine. Eventually, it can get boring and lonely too. You begin to crave for adult conversations and miss those days when you could just up and go out to have a great time without having to worry about kids.
Boredom. Being a mum is the dream of most women, but a stay-at-home mum soon begins to feel like she is missing out on life. She loves her kids and would not trade them for the world, but she also wants to be a part of something else, she wants her life to be more than just being a mum.
Losing yourself. The burden of running the home and kids takes first place, so your looks starts to suffer. And since you are always home with no where to go, you lack motivation to dress up and wear make up. Why dress up if you don’t have anywhere to go to right? You wake up one morning to realise that you’ve been wearing the same hairdo longer than normal and God knows your nails haven’t had a manicure nor a pedicure in ages!
Life seem to pass you by. While your friends are getting promotions at work, attending events around the globe or planning trips away from town, you are simply watching life happen on TV. Soon, you begin to feel something is missing and you worry what would become of your life when your kids no longer need you as much as they do now.
Worrying Unnecessarily. Every wife needs to focus her energy on something productive outside her home. This will help create a healthy balance for her body and soul. In the absence of this, you become pre-occupied with the small stuffs.
Not having your own money. Even when your husband is supporting you financially, it does not beat the satisfaction of earning your own money and being able to do what you like with it.