While we cannot question a mother’s love for her child, many have attested that staying at home than working outside can take a toll on themselves. That is why being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job on earth, as considered by some.
For instance, especially new mothers, their daily routine changes dramatically after they give birth. Infants need consistent monitoring aside from feeding, burping, changing diapers, bathing, and more. In their free time, home chores are waiting for them such as cleaning, doing the dishes, laundry, cooking, etc. These tasks would almost take a whole day to complete, and they haven’t even met their personal needs yet. Raising a kid may be full of joy and adorable chuckles, but it requires so much more responsibility in return.
In fact, one study revealed that parents staying at home with their children find the job more demanding than going to work. Despite what non-parents have to say about being a stay-at-home mom as a piece of cake, the survey results tell us otherwise.
If you ask people what they think about stay-at-home moms, their answers will vary. People who think staying at home is an easy job are usually those who have no experience in raising a child. And those who agree that being a stay-at-home mom is one of the most challenging jobs in the world are usually those who have kids already.
Below is a list of why being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job:
Once they decided to be a stay-at-home mom, especially when doing the child-rearing alone, they would certainly feel like they can’t put their needs first anymore. A child alone needs to have his needs fulfilled with the help of the mother every single time as children can’t be independent overnight.
Stay-at-home moms walk all over the house just to ensure everything is kept clean and tidy – going back and forth to the child with all the crying and clinginess. As a result, they tend to forget about their personal needs, sometimes even taking a bath!
Unlike having a day job (or graveyard shift), being a full-time stay-at-home mom will give them no salary from any company. All those hours spent on a job well done but without the health benefits in case they get sick. Not to mention they work 24 hours in 7 days which is much more work than having a regular job!
Mostly new parents often feel like they’re not doing well enough in raising their child. One trip to the pediatrician and they would feel like they were too negligent when the baby got sick. Relatives and neighbors also have something to say about parenting that stay-at-home moms might sometimes take personally.
If they could say no to a task given by their boss when they had a job, being a stay-at-home mom will put them under scrutiny if they refused to do something (like changing dirty diapers). Especially for those who do not have any helper in the house, they had to take the obligations alone, without second thoughts.
According to a study, stay-at-home moms are more likely to suffer from depression, stress, and guilt, among other negative feelings. Since children usually won’t notice or even care if their stay-at-home mom is upset, this will leave mothers feeling more disappointed for not receiving even a bit of appreciation from their kids. And when stress gets to them, they could experience a bad day and scold their child, then regret it afterward. Guilt builds up for every moment of vulnerability and anger that they did not want in the first place.
Even in their free time (while the kids are napping), stay-at-home moms still have too much on their plate. Their short breaks become cleaning up toys, and resting on the couch becomes organizing all the other mess around. Sometimes, the only break they get is during the night when the kids are already sleeping soundly.
When stay-at-home moms spend all day with their kids, they would feel the need to interact with a grownup. This is especially true for those who do not have any adult companion in the household. They would even feel guilty even for an hour of leaving the kids just to get their hair done in a salon. All these stay-at-home moms need is to have a conservation with people who understand them, but they would end up choosing to be with their children.
When working for a company, your hard work usually gets paid in form of a salary raise and other compensation. For stay-at-home moms, all those hard work are often gone unnoticed, especially by the children themselves. Maybe all they get is one day (Mother’s Day) in a year, assuming it goes well.
Unlike in a regular job, a stay-at-home mom wouldn’t get an hour of lunch break. That could mean 30 minutes eating lunch, and 30 minutes taking some rest (or chatting with coworkers). The stay-at-home moms usually spend an hour just trying to make their kids eat their lunch, sometimes may even take more. That does not include cleaning up after the spilled drinks and thrown food on the floor!
Some people assume that raising kids only means giving them a milk bottle and some food, but it’s way beyond that. Stay-at-home moms are often told not to stress too much because ‘kids are easy to handle’. These assumptions downplay all the effort and hard work of a stay-at-home mom, only adding to the overwhelming stress they’re already feeling.
It is time to recognize the roles of stay-at-home moms and make sure their efforts are appreciated enough. In fact, according to a study, it reported children who had parents in the house while growing up tend to be happier, smarter, and more behaved. But whether you’re a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, raising a child to be an independent contributor to society is the ultimate goal. Having enough quality time with your kids should always be a priority to help them embrace a good childhood.
Give some support to a stay-at-home mom by sharing this article. Maybe you’ll help other people appreciate them more, too!
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