As a stay-at-home mom for many years, I often found myself immersed in a blissful stage with my infant and wondered how working moms could sacrifice missing those tender everyday moments to be in the work force.
Other times, I found myself wearing the same spit up covered pajamas for three days and felt as if I lost IQ points everytime I read the book Goodnight Moon. In those moments, I was envious of the ladies who could escape the clutches of motherhood and find adult interaction at work.
It leads one to wonder, who is happier, stay at home moms or working moms? According to a December 2011 article published by the American Psychological Association, moms who work during their child's infancy and pre-school years are healthier and happier.
The findings came from the analyses of the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development data, which began in 1991 and spanned more than a decade. Researchers interviewed 1,364 mothers shortly after their child’s birth and conducted follow-up interviews within the 10-year span.
The author of the study, Cheryl Buehler, PhD, professor of human development and family studies, at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, wrote in a press release,
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Mothers employed part-time reported better overall health and fewer symptoms of depression than stay-at-home moms, while there were no reported differences in general health or depressive symptoms between moms employed part time and those who worked full time.
The analysis found that mothers employed part time were just as involved in their child’s school as stay-at-home moms, and more involved than moms who worked full time. In addition, mothers working part time appeared more sensitive with their pre-school children and they provided more learning opportunities for toddlers than stay-at-home moms and moms working full time.
These findings don't come as a shock to me. A part-time working mom would seemingly get the best of both worlds. She could have the time to be present with her children when she was at home but also find fulfillment by having a career.
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Full-time working moms might face guilt from being pulled away from their family, and I can only imagine how challenging it could be to juggle both a career and wear the hat of "mom" after a long day at work.
Let's be honest here, though. Being a Stay-at-home-mom is rewarding but can also be a thankless job. Women in the workforce have oppurtunities to get positive feedback for their performance while the ladies at home might not get acknowledgment for their work.
The "benefits" of staying home aren't top notch either. Sure, you can wear your pajamas all day and bask in the glory of listening to your little one count to ten over and over. The overtime is relentless, though. How many times have you heard a mom who stays home complain about the fact that she doesn't get sick days, a lunch break, or paid time off?
According to a Salary.com survey, stay-at-home moms work an average of 96.6 hours per week. After adding the salaries of all the different jobs that a full time mommy does, ranging from a janitor to facilities manager, the annual income a stay-at-home mom should earn would be $115,431.
I have recently found myself in the new catagory of a work-from-home mom, and it can be quite a juggle as well. I wonder what the level of happiness is for the women who watch their children and attempt to work at the same time?
Although I really do enjoy my work as a writer, I must admit that as I type this, my two-year-old is rummaging through unfolded laundry and throwing socks at my head. I can tell you one thing for certain, it's not making me happy.
What do you think of the survey findings that show part time working moms are happier and healthier? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
