After dwelling on the benefits of being a stay-at-home mom, I do have to share about the disadvantages. As with anything in this imperfect world, not everything is as good as it seems. Being a full-time mom and working from home may be, in the eyes of some, the best of both worlds. In the short time I have been in this position, I have seen that it is just as challenging as any high-powered, out-of-the-house job out there.
Let me explain why. though I do celebrate the pros, being a stay-at-home mom comes with a few hurdles:
Being a stay-at-home mom means…
1. I have to multi-manage several tasks. This is no Martha Stewart moment. Being a stay-at-home mom brings with it all the stay-at-home work that needs to be done. there is no office-wide break or down time; at home, as a mom, you have to be on your feet at all times. there are meals to be made, chores to be done, a baby to care for, a husband to attend to, and home-based work to do. That’s a lot on my plate, even as a person who is used to multi-tasking. some days, I do just want to plop into bed in the middle of the day. It’s not an easy juggling act, and I salute the many moms out there who are in my position!
2. I still have to separate work from family matters. Because I work from home, I have to learn to find that balance between work and family. there is always the reality that work and family life will intertwine during the day. unlike being in an office, at home, I cannot ignore certain occurrences, such as when my baby is crying or when I need to cook lunch. Because my maternal instincts are on high alert at home, many things on the home front beg for my attention. however, just because I’m working from home doesn’t mean I’m always available. the fact is, I still need to perform professionally and deliver on all my jobs. While I am first and foremost a mom, my work (which helps pay for my contribution to the family income) still requires me to maintain a clear distinction from my personal life.
3. I have to do without the benefits of an office-based job. when I was working for a company, I had the benefits they afforded me with, such as assistance with my SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-ibig, and others. now that I am freelancing, I have to take on the responsibility myself. I must make my own HMO contributions without a company shouldering some of the fees. there are no more company personnel handling the different aspects of my finances — I have to do everything on my own.
I suppose, for now, these have been my current observations in terms of the “cons” of being a work-at-home mom. I think the “stay-at-home” part is worthy of praise, even more so if a mom chooses to work. I make it work for me, I guess, because it is a personal decision on my part to balance income-generating work with the work I do as a wife and mother. I think that my decision, as with other women in similar situations, deserves some sort of credit.
dainty mom: The Pros and Cons of Being a Stay-at-Home Mom (Part 2 of 2)
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