While a lot of people like to dismiss stay at home moms or dads and treat them as if they don’t do anything, their ‘jobs’ are more stressful than you might realize. While at first glance taking care of the kids and the home might not sound more stressful than having to leave the house for your job every day for many, it very well might be.
I recently came across information from a survey that was carried out in late 2018 that painted stay at home parents in a light that most people do not often see or take the time to consider. This poll of over 1,500 UK parents that was commissioned by AVEENO Baby noted that at least 31 percent of those who carried out the survey noted staying at home with the kids was harder than going to work, and 55 percent noted that having a baby is difficult even if you have a strong support system backing you. It’s not easy to be a parent, and it’s definitely not easy to be a ‘new parent.’
CBS News reported as follows on the topic back when the results of the survey were revealed:
“Becoming a parent is an amazing experience, but we understand that entering this new chapter of life can also bring with it a great deal of stress and worry, so we wanted to discover more about what new parents experience in the first few years, what they wish they had known and how best we can support them,” says AVEENO baby skin expert Rebecca Bennett.
Not only is parenting expensive according to a report by ChildCare Aware, it is challenging considering all the numerous decisions parents need to make.
“From what you put in your baby’s mouth to what you put on their skin, every small decision becomes much bigger and you worry you might not be making the right choice, or are being judged by others.
Amy Whipple-Myers isn’t surprised by this study. She’s the lead instructor at Nest Center City--a facility which offers parenting classes and even a place for kids to play and give mom and dad a break.
“When we look for challenges in parenting there are things we can always find a strategy for,” she says.
Like asking for help when you need it.
“An hour. An hour that’s for you. An hour to recharge. Because stay at home parents give and give and give. That’s your whole day,” says Amy.
AVEENO Baby hopes their survey will shed a light on common parenting struggles, strengths, and confusion in order to help new parents.
“We want to give new parents the confidence to feel they are making the right choices for their baby’s skin, so they feel more in control of this element of their new path of discovery.”
It was also noted through this survey that 22 percent of those who took it said you would never finish a cup of tea again if you had kids and 17 percent also said that your back would hurt all the time. While these statistics and concerns haven’t stopped the vast majority of those who were a part of this study from wanting to create families, and they still believe it’s all worth it, these results are something to think about. There is a lot more pressure on parents than most people tend to realize and the sooner we work to understand that the better.
Being a mom or dad doesn’t come with an instruction manual, and we all make mistakes or become overwhelmed sometimes. Being a parent in itself is a full-time job especially when you have young children or babies and yet some people manage that as well as getting out in the world and working a ‘real job.’ Do you think raising kids at home is more stressful or harder overall than having to go to work outside of the home? I, for one, see exactly where these people are coming from.