I have been blessed to be both a working mom and a stay at home mom, and one thing I have learnt in both roles is that being a mom is hard either way. No one has it easier, and just because you are a stay at home mom doesn’t mean your child will ease off on you with those tantrums or because you are a working mom your child will be a little more mindful and be a little nicer and let you sleep in come Saturday morning. One thing I know is that kids will be kids and they don’t care if you spent all day with them, or if you worked extra hours today. But in my year of being a stay at home, I have been able to learn some important lessons and a huge appreciation for mothers in general, whether they be stay at home moms or working moms.
Misconceptions of being a stay-at-home mom
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You don’t really do much, LIES! honestly being a stay at home mom means constantly working. There are no real breaks and if you have little kids that are not in school yet then your work load is even more.
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Its a stress-free job, well I learnt that was quite the opposite, of course over time the stress does ease off but those first few months I was so confused. At-least with a job you have a schedule and your days are pretty much set out for you, but as a stay at home you are having to sort out your day as well as your families so you really have to learn how to balance it all.
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You don’t have a real job, one thing I learnt while being home is a lot of stay at home moms end up being side hustlers and working twice as hard doing their own little business as well as maintaining the family.
Misconceptions of being a working mom
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You have it easier, you get to drop the kids most of the day and get a break. But honestly mommy guilt makes it really hard to get that break. And while at work you are so busy trying to get through your day in time so you can get your kids in time, and still have time to spend with them so they still remember they have a mother. Its just a constant struggle.
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You miss out on everything, lets be real yes being a working mom you do miss out on some stuff but, there her plenty of working moms who make twice the effort to make everything. They set up their life in such a way that they can make up and let their kids know they don’t come second.
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You are not giving your all as a mother, I think most mom’s that work are doing for a reason and their kids and family are always number one reason, so to already be thinking selflessly and wanting to do something for your kids then you are already giving your all. And like I said earlier, most moms plan their lives and schedule around their kids and will do just about anything needed to make sure they are going above and beyond for their kids.
Being a mother is a selfless job, you are constantly giving so much of yourself and whether you choose to stay home or work it doesn’t change the type of mother you are, your kids see what you are doing either way and I am sure they appreciate everything you do for them. Its not an easy job!
I was a working mom for 7 years and one thing that I hated is being away from my son or when he would get sick having to call in and miss work. For the last 3 years I've been a stay at home mom and I LOVE it! I do miss going out every day but I would't trade it for the world.
Stay at home mom or working mom, there is no getting a break once you are mom. People should stop judging other moms and tend to their own lives.
Every mother is a hero. Whatever you do as long it's for the best of the whole family, you should be appreciated. Kudos to all the mothers out there, you are the strongest human being ever!
Thanks for raising consciousness in this post. Being mom is a 24/7 job, and in my opinion, much tougher than a 9-5. Yup, raising and teaching human beings is more challenging and requires a larger skill set than any blue or white collar profession (of course, I adore my children, and this is Truth for me =). xo
I love how you have experienced both sides and illustrated the misconceptions. I'm not a mother, but I see how hard my mum and older sister work (but at their job and in their homes). Mothers are so inspiring.
We don't have kids yet, but we see how hard and busy our older sister is. It makes us think about how hard it was for our mother (and father) to raise and take care of 3 kids including a set of twins!
I am not a mom yet, but I'm surrounded by a lot of moms (duh!) who are both working and non working and this post rings so many bells.
Sometimes I defend both in their arguments, but I end up wondering if "grass is greener on the other side" is a good fit in this scenario.
SAHMs and Working Moms are always misjudged and I feel really bad. I've been both and I understand both sides and what people say about us. All I can say is, we do what we think is best for our family and no one can judge us for that.
You definitely hit the nail on the head with misconceptions of stay at home parents. It is a selfless job and one you dont realise how hard it is until you do it yourself
I agree, being a mom is no easy job! I'm currently a work-at-home mom and I'm glad that I get to enjoy the best of both worlds. There are instances, however, when my work needs to take a back seat because of my son's school activities.
Great write up, my sister is a stay at home mom and always so busy with so much.Mom's need more and more recognition!
I'm not a stay at home mom, but I can totally relate… I have a 1-year-old and my husband thinks I just lounge around all day with her on the days he isn't here. It's almost more relaxing at work sometimes hahah
very wise words, i definitely dont think stay at home mums have it easy at all
Being a stay at home mom is a full time job, mother was one for most of my life and I know what she has to do to keep the household together.
Motherhood shouldn't be a competition. For the last 12 years I've been mainly a work at home mom, but I've also worked out of the home. There are pros and cons to both working out of the home and staying home with the kids. I think all moms just need to be easier on themselves.
yesss momma! I LOVE this! I am a stay at home mom and people just do not understand what its like to stay at home, its a FULL time job!
I feel like I could occupy tons of time when I stay home. I sometimes want to just stop my part time job so I can get caught up with my mom life.
I just wrote a post very similar to this if you want to check it out! It's SOOOO true. No matter what your mom journey looks like, it's NOT EASY! We all feel judged, and we are all doing the best we can for our families! Good job mama!
https://www.moneyforwhatmatters.com/mommin-aint-easy/
I've also had the pleasure of being a stay-at-home mom and a working mom. And you're right, they are both hard. They're hard in different ways but none-the-less still hard.
I am a working mom, but work from home half of the time, so ALL of this rang true for me.
I too have experienced both staying at home, working from home, and working outside of the home. All have their struggles. As moms we do whats best. Thank you for sharing! xoxo
You're so right. I've also been on both sides of the fence and whilst there are differences, I wouldn't say that working or SAH is better. Your first misconception of being a working Mom also depends massively on your job. As a teacher, coming home to one kid for me was a break!
I try never to be judgemental – every woman can do whats best for her & her family as far as im concerned 🙂
Thanks for this. Many of us struggle with this issue, especially other people's opinions. I hope others learn from this.
You are so right! I was a working mom and now a stay at home mom. Some days I want to go back to work but other days I love staying home. Both are hard! Both are great! Being a mom is hard but also amazing. Part time work doing something that you love would be great!
This is all so true! I have done both.
Such a great post. I agree with everything you said!
So true. I've been a stay-at-home mom AND a working mom and both are tough. I know women judge each other for parenting differently than we do, but if we all just accepted the fact that we are all doing the best we can, I think life would be a lot easier. We would definitely be able to support each other more. Love your article!
i have done both working in the home and outside as well.I much prefer working in the home because its much more rewarding than working for someone else