The debate of who is happier between stay-at-home moms and working moms has never and probably will never die out. Many women, working or not have always wondered which side is better and offers happiness.
Given the hefty challenges that working moms go through, they are tempted to wonder if their peer moms who stay at home have it easier. Stay at home moms on the other side sit, reflect and wonder if working moms are happier from working.
A study has revealed that working moms are actually happier than moms who stay at home because work allows the moms meet their financial needs, is fulfilling, provides a work-life balance, enhances their social life and support career growth and development.
On the other hand stay at home feel they are happier than working moms because it supports traditional home building, allows to personally care for their child and allow more time to pursue personal errands and passions.
Which Moms are Really Happier? Working or Staying at Home?
There is no direct and definite answer to this question. The best and most accurate reply would be “to each their own”.
Granted, there is no side where moms are happier than the other. Some women find more happiness while working than staying at home. Not all women are able to leave their children and pursue a career. Those that do are passionate about what they do, do what it takes to find a balance and that’s how they find happiness.
Equally some women are very happy as stay at home moms. They would give anything in this world to keep that privilege of being able to stay at home to bring up and care for their children. Even if they once worked, career no longer excites them and they find happiness in caring for their kids/family.
As such working moms can be happy either as a stay at home or as working moms. It all depends on so many factors, especially one’s personality.
We are all parents but all differ in our approach to parenthood, career, passion, and personal goals among others that make some women gravitate more towards working while others gravitate more towards homemaking. Nonetheless, both sides are valuable to their women and have their challenges as well.
Read: How to Quit Work and be SAHM
Reasons why Working Moms are Happier than Stay at Home Moms
1. Working helps Moms Meet their Financial Needs
Working allows women to have a source of income and sustenance. Some are working remotely, part-time, or full-time. They can either be the breadwinner in the family or simply are supportive spouses.
They hence have an income that they can use to meet their personal financial needs and sustain their lives that stay at home moms dont have. When working their are to cover for basic needs, child care, health care, self-care, and savings/investments among others.
Read: Choosing Between Career Goals or Financial Goals
2. Work is Fulfilling and Satisfies Passion
Women who are happy at work are those who have a passion for the work that they are doing. It is especially so for moms working in the creative field. Working simply allows them to be in their element and be the best version of themselves. It is by being in this state that they find true happiness, which may not happen if they were not working and were staying at home instead.
3. Working offers Work-Life Balance
Working adds a very important aspect to life balance for women. All rest and play with no work is boring and do not make for a complete and fulfilling life. While work may come in different aspects, many working moms find that work helps them to have a balanced life, which is very crucial in creating an all-around and happy person.
Read : Maintaining a Social Life while Working from Home
4. Enhances their Social Life
Working is exciting and offers so many opportunities to working moms for meeting, interacting, and working with different people and clients. If you are the social and extrovert type of a working mom then this aspect mean so much to you.
Some moms look forward every day to learning and working along with different people at the workplace. They derive so much joy from these interactions that makes them happy, which may not happen if they stayed at home and not working.
5. Work Allows For Career Growth & Development
One key goal for working is career growth and development. Many work to see that they go up the career ladder through promotions, learning and other recognitions. They add on to their educational qualification, portfolio, and experiences among others to achieve this goal.
When this type of woman is progressing and going up the career ladder, they feel so accomplished and happy. Such may not happen if they were staying at home.
Read: What to do When Doubting your Worth at Work
Reasons why Stay at Home Moms are Happier than Working Moms
1. Supports Effective & Happy Home Building
Women are generally natural homemakers. Give a woman a house and she will turn it into a home. Women are experts at ensuring things are running quite well in the house.
Some women do find joy in these tasks of ensuring that their home and the family are all ok. A working mom may not have the time or energy to keep up with what is required to keep a home, which is easier for a stay-at-home mom.
Read: Why Working Moms hate Work after Having Kids
2. Staying At Home offers a Chance to Care for the Babies
One of the main reasons why some working moms quit after having babies is their inability to let other people care for their children. Many can’t grasp the idea of leaving their children under the care of strangers, especially when they are so young.
As such they opt to be stay-at-home moms so that they can bring up their children. It is one reason that stay at home moms are happier and find it fulfilling than working. Such moms find joy in being there for the kids at the very minute of the hour than being in any office working.
They get to share special moments, milestones, and memories which mean so much to a mom, making them happy. A working mom on the other hand has so little and limited time with their babies, making them suffer from working mom guilt as they rarely have that quality time with the kids.
Read: Why Working Moms Lack Quality Kid-Time and What to Do About It
3. Offers Adequate Time for Personal Pursuits
While some days may be busier than others, stay-at-home moms generally have much more time on their hands than working moms. Therefore they have adequate time for personal pursuits such as hobbies, learning, and self-care among others. All these generally make them happier than if they were reporting to work.
Stay at home moms become creative and enhance their skills in cooking, gardening, and crocheting, among others that working moms dont have. They can even participate in community activities such as volunteering.
Further, they have enough time for adequate sleep, grooming, and spiritual nourishment among others which are important for women. As a result studies who that they are a whole lot happier than working moms.
How Women Define Happiness
There is no definite definition for happiness when it comes to this debate. The term becomes so relative and subjective as it depends on different contexts as well as what the women value most. Getting that which the moms value most is what will give them happiness whether while working or while staying at home with the kids.
As such one woman will find happiness in being able to bring up their children while others will find happiness from getting recognized, appreciated, and valued at the workplace. We are all equally moms and happy in our element, wherever that might be.
SAHM is hard. Being a working mom is hard. Just raising children, is hard! Therefore happiness for a mother cannot be subjected to whether she is working or whether she is a stay-at-home home.
My advice, therefore, is to provide for your child the best way you can whether that’s financially or by being there for the milestones, the disappointments, and the successes.
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