Stay at home parenting has become a phenomenon that is being greatly encouraged in the United States in order to invest in the better future of the children. This is because the children are being left at home by both parents in many cases in the United States. There are many researchers who have been highlighting the benefits of a stay at home parenting on the lives of the mothers and on that of the children. They also are sure to mention that fact that when a mother chooses to stay at home, the decision could cut back on a number of costs inclusive of childcare, transportation and other expenses that could be associated with the woman’s employment. All of these factors suggest that there is a bright future in the decision of a woman to stay at home; we say that this future could only be bright if the decision is made by the mother and it is not forced upon them.
An article published in the Washington post in 2012 states that two paycheck families has become a norm in the US. There surely has to be a reason why. The article attributes the trend to the ever increasing social cost and the paralleled decline in wages which is ultimately resulting in inequality in the income of many households. This means that having one parent stay at home is no longer a choice that is available to American families. These are a few reasons why most of the children in America are growing up without a full-time caregiver present at home 24/7. And then there are also families where the women are the ones who are the family bread-earners in which case, the choice again is taken away and not left to the discretion of the family. According to a report published in CAP, seven in every ten women in the bottom 2 percent of the income groups earn equal to or more than their husbands. For these women, the education of their children and getting food on their table is a factor that gains priority over providing of emotional motherly care to the children.
Eliminating the above types of family setups, there are only few that are left with the choice of being a stay at home parent. There is still no denying that stay at home mothers could do a much better job at nurturing and educating their children better. The first and foremost benefit of a stay at home mother is that the interaction between the parent and the child could help enrich the life of not only the mother but also of the child. If sufficient attention is paid to the children’s eating habits, their co-curricular activities, and their academics, they would be able to perform better in all of these departments. We can also be sure that these children who are given the deserved attention are less likely to develop attention problems. A mother who stays at home has comparatively less responsibility to juggle with. The fact that being a full-time parent is the hardest job there is cannot be denied. But a mother who has only the home to focus on would have to feel less guilty about leaving the children behind and not being able to pick them up and drop them off at school.
The best point about being a stay-at-home parent is that this is the only role in the world that a woman can assume in which she is irreplaceable. Because while there could be more doctors, engineers and nurses to replace the one that leaves, there could be no other mother to replace the one who chooses to focus on her career. For a few, the realization alone could act as ample sense of fulfillment. Another benefit that is worth understanding here is that a mother who works hard on her children’s well-being not only invests in their future but she also adds to the brighter future of the society that these children live in. All of these benefits point us in one direction; that stay at home parenting could be productive for the children as well as the mothers.
Even all of these benefits do not give us the right to impose the decision on a woman because no matter what choice is made, it is the woman who later has to live with the consequences which give her the sole right to decide, because if the decision is forced on a mother, it could prove very counterproductive. The evidence lies in a study which concluded that 28 percent of the stay at home mothers reported depression that was increasing with all the days that passed. In comparison, the rate of this depression in working mothers was much lower at 17 percent.
In a perfect world where there are not financial problems, and the family unit comprises of both parents, stay at home mother could do a great deal of good in bringing the households closer together and directing the children towards a better future. The government, however, holds no right to decide that on behalf of any family. The best they can do is to make attempts at ensuring that as many families as possible could have the option to decide. All of these factors aside, the mother, should make this sacrifice for their children’s welfare.
Works Cited
Dionne, E.J. Two-paycheck couples are quickly becoming the norm. 18 April 2012. Web
McAllister, D.C. Nine Better Things I Learned About Becoming A Stay-At-Home Mom. 20 February 2015. Web
Valleskey, Brianna. Stay-at-Home Moms More Depressed, Angry and Sad, Study Says. 09 January 2015. Web
