| User Login |
 |
|
Careers
|
|
| Save & Share Article |
|
|
Careers > Stay At Home Mom
 Posted by Miss_J
Dec 08, 2006 05:39 AM
Stay At Home Mom
Email this topic
| Download this topic
|
For nine months, they are a part of us. We feel every movement, every kick and every hiccup. It's during this time that our bond begins. We enjoy our maternity leave at home preparing for our new arrival, and then it hits us. Do I really want to go back to work after the baby is born? What's best for me? What's best for the baby? What's best for the family? Most mothers struggle with these questions and the answers are never easy. Should you be a stay-at-home mom?
|
|
| PROs |
 |
|
| CONs |
 |
|
The Milestones
The first smile, the first laugh, the first steps-you're there with video camera in tow. The "firsts" only happen once and stay-at-home moms are an eyewitness to each and every one.
|
Personal Identity?!
Yes, your kids are beautiful, wonderful, and brilliant. There is a line, though, that is crossed, when you have to start deciding how to spend the day to appease, nuture and empower those children and then somewhere, somehow, your wants/needs/desires are left behind. It is difficult to find a happy medium where you are boostering your child's sense of self and your own (and VERY important!).
|
|
rate this
|
rate this
|
|
|
Breastfeeding is Easier
Stay-at-home moms have cornered the market when it comes to breastfeeding. No need to express, no need to freeze, no need to rent expensive pumps, no excusing yourself to the office restroom - simply pick up baby and feed baby.
|
Little Errands Can Be Big Deals
A working mom realizes that she's out of diapers - she pops into the local convenience/drug/grocery store on her way home, grabs the diapers and is in and out in 5 minutes flat. The stay-at-home mom, realizing she's out of diapers - gets herself ready, gets baby ready, straps baby into child safety seat, drives to convenience/drug/grocery store. Un-straps baby from safety seat, remembers to grab the pacifier and/or bottle to keep baby happy, runs into store, grabs diapers, fumbles through purse, locates money and pays cashier one handed. Returns to car (picking up bottle that baby dropped in the middle of the parking lot), throws diapers in the front seat, straps baby back into child safety seat and returns home. A simple trip to the store is never EASY with a baby in tow.
|
|
rate this
|
rate this
|
|
|
The Bonding
For her first nine months you were the only world that she knew. At birth, she was thrust, head first kicking and screaming, into the real world. Stay-at-home moms are able to continue that bonding experience 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. You are always there to reassure and encourage her as she explores her strange new world.
|
Transitioning From Having a Staff to Being the Staff
You've worked hard to advance your career and you enjoy a position of authority. Your days are fast-paced. You're entrusted to make important decisions and delegate responsibilities. As a stay-at-home mom, there is no one to delegate to. Important decisions include: green sweater or blue sweater, peas or carrots, fabric softener sheets or liquid, PBS or Nickelodeon, grocery shopping or not. That type of transition can be difficult.
|
|
rate this
|
rate this
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Control the Schedule
Stay-at-home moms set the schedule. Baby's nap time, feeding time and play time work in sync with Mom's laundry time, cooking time, cleaning time, and resting time. Thanks to the stay-at-home mom, the schedule runs like a well-oiled machine.
|
Lack of Adult Conversation
You know all of the songs that the purple dinosaur sings, you build the best block castles and peek-a-boo is the last game that you played. Suddenly, you find yourself with an overwhelming urge to trim your husband's fingernails-and it hits you-it's been awhile since you've had a real adult conversation. You're world revolves around baby-and you've forgotten that there is another world out there. A world where people talk politics, not play dough; current events, not creative sock puppets-an ADULT world that's passing you by.
|
|
rate this
|
rate this
|
|
|
Control Over the Environment
Will baby only fall asleep listening to Celine sing "My Heart Will Go On?" Do you delight in watching her face light up with the "Teletubbies" comes on TV? Does she smile when she hears daddy return home from work? By staying home, we are able to adjust baby's environment to meet her every need.
|
Stress on Your Marriage
Perhaps you resent that he gets to go to work all day and do grown up things. Perhaps it bothers you that you change a million diapers a day and he makes a big stink about changing one in the evening. Perhaps you're so tired at the end of the day and you'd rather go to sleep than to spend quality time. Maybe you don't have anything to talk about. Being a stay-at-home mom is a constant balancing act.
|
|
rate this
|
rate this
|
|
|
Childcare is Expensive
When deciding whether or not to return to work, it's important to consider the cost of childcare. Childcare is EXPENSIVE! Financially, do you bring home enough money to cover the cost of childcare and have some left over, or will you be working just to pay for childcare?
|
It's the Hardest Job You'll Ever Do
You put in 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. You don't get a paycheck. No benefits. No retirement. You're not allowed to get sick and even if you do, it can't slow you down. You get pooped on, peed on and thrown up on. Your trendy purse is replaced with a hefty diaper bag, dinner dates are replaced with play dates. You do this day in and day out-and rarely (if ever) hear the words "thank you".
|
|
rate this
|
rate this
|
|
|
| Post your PRO |
|
|
| Post your CON |
|
|
|
|
|
|
more |
more |
|
|
