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Your baby is on the way and the time has come to choose whether to hang up your suit jacket for good or to become a full time working mom. What are some of the crucial factors that you should be deliberating? Consider the following list of pros and cons of being a working mom to help you decide.
Pro #1. You aren’t isolated
Although baby talk can be considered an added skill, a working mom has numerous opportunities to interact with other adults, whether they are colleagues, clients or supervisors. Mothers who stay at home with their children all day can quickly develop a feeling of isolation from the rest of the world.
Pro #2. You can provide more for your child
If you’re earning an income, you typically have more money to spend on your children. This means being able to buy them some of the things they want and being able to enjoy more experiences with them, such as holidays or outings on the weekend.
Pro #3. Your life is more balanced
Being a working mom means that you are able to have adult time as well as time with your children, giving your life a sense of balance. Spending all your time with your little ones can lead to a loss of identity as you forget who you were before you started drowning in nappies and baby powder.
Pro #4. Time spent with your child is precious
When you spend eight hours each day at work, you really treasure the time that you can spend with your child. Rather than taking these opportunities for granted, you revel in them and anticipate them towards the end of each day. Time spent with your child becomes a privilege rather than a necessity.
Con #1. You can miss out
The thought of leaving your little monster for eight hours can seem appealing at first but the fact is that you may miss out on a lot of firsts. Hearing from the babysitter that you missed little Johnny’s first word (“NO”) may be a tough pill to swallow, not to mention the overwhelming sense of guilt it could summon.
Con #2. “Tired” is an understatement
You wake up, go to work, power through eight hours’ worth of mental taxation, fight traffic, get home and have an evening of household responsibilities demanding your attention. You eventually get to sleep for a few hours, only to repeat the cycle again the next day. No wonder you are always exhausted.
Con #3. Your child doesn’t want you to go
As a working mom, you need to leave the house at a certain time, regardless of whether your family is happy about it or not. Leaving a hysterically crying baby is not an easy task, especially when you’d really rather be at home.
Con #4. You can’t measure up
Being a working mom means that, at some point, you will probably feel like an inadequate mother to your baby. At the same time, you will feel like you can’t measure up to the standards of your childless colleagues. Your peers are working towards career goals at the same pace they did before and you’re under a lot of pressure to keep up with the same workload you managed pre-baby.
Try not to judge yourself too harshly and do not allow others to do the same. The decision to become a working mom is personal and one that only you can make. Every choice will have its pros and cons, so decide what will work best for you and your family based on your unique circumstances.
