I Was Raised by a Stay at Home Mom and It Made My Life Better

For whatever reason, there’s a stigma attached to the idea of a stay at home mom. I’m here to tell you just how it impacted my life for the better.

I was raised by a stay at home mom. While to some that may be the norm, it’s not to most. Many people grew up in a family where both parents worked full time. And many of those same people seem to regard stay at home moms in a negative way.

The reason for this just doesn’t make sense to me, personally. Many people regard mothers who stay home with the kids as lazy. There are some who even go so far as to call them moochers, living off their husband’s dime while relaxing at home. I think those people need a firm slap in the face by reality.

The work of a stay at home mom

Let me just preface this by saying that every household is different. That being said, much of the work of a stay at home mom is the same. They take care of young children who aren’t in school and keep up with the housework – all while maintaining their own happiness and getting food on the table.

But that’s far from all they do. When they’re not keeping up with the housework, they’re making sure the kids stay out of trouble and instilling positive values and morals in them day by day.

It’s estimated that if a stay at home mom was paid for the actual work she does, it would be the equivalent of $115,000 US dollars each year. [Read: 8 things you can tell about a girl by looking at her mom]

Does that sound lazy to you?

I was raised by a stay at home mom and it impacted my life greatly

And in a positive way. There are so many times I think back to my childhood and am grateful my mom was there for certain things. Had she been at work, I wouldn’t have had her guidance or love or support.

Even though my mom did return to work when I was a teenager, she impacted the more vital years of my life because she was a stay at home mom. Here are all the ways my mom – and many other stay at home moms – affect their children’s lives for the better. [Read: How to have a better life]

#1 Home cooked, healthy meals. Okay, not every single meal was healthy and homemade. However, the large majority of the foods we ate were made by my mom. We had real meals. Yes, there was the occasional pizza night or macaroni and cheese night. But she made sure to make full, balanced meals most of the time.

When both parents work, there just isn’t time for that. This has instilled positive eating habits in my adult life, too. Because of the way I ate when I was young, I crave those healthy foods. I crave those real meals every night and I’m healthier because of that. [Read: 6 health trends and what they can do for you]

#2 Parental influence almost all of the time. Because my mom stayed home, she was always around. And we all know how much trouble a kid can get in without parental influence. With my mom around, there were definitely far fewer opportunities for me to get into trouble.

Not only did I remain a well-behaved child, I understood why I should have been good because my mom explained it to me repeatedly when I did something bad.

#3 I played outside frequently. Now, my mom may not have known just what she was doing when she kicked all of us kids outside so she could get housework done, but it was major. Many children whose parents were absent at work didn’t have a parent forcing them to go outside.

This may not seem very beneficial, but hear me out. I learned to use my imagination. I played in the mud and dirt and got fresh air – all of which benefit the immune system. To this day, I crave the outdoors based on my childhood playtime. [Read: Outdoor date ideas for a fun time with your love]

#4 Attention. One of the biggest reasons children act out and start misbehaving is because they’re not getting the attention they need at home. Much of this has to do with parents who work full-time and then come home and need to work on housework.

Children are missing that one-on-one parent time they need. When there’s a stay at home mom in the mix, this attention is met. I always felt like I was cared for individually – even though I have 7 other siblings. That would have been really difficult if both parents worked all day.

#5 Consistency with rules and punishments. Much of what causes children to misbehave is when they don’t have consistent discipline. One parent lets them do something bad that the other never would. It makes them confused and causes them to bend the rules depending on who is home at the time.

#6 Help with homework. School is not only very important for a child to learn, but it also affects their self-esteem. When kids do well in school, they feel good. Many kids don’t get the help at home they need to succeed when both parents work full time. Having a stay at home mom made it easy to get my work done and get help when needed.

#7 Less sick days. Do you actually know how much more children get sick in daycare versus being in their own home? I was always pretty healthy growing up. In addition to playing outside and getting that fresh air, I was in a familiar environment. I didn’t have other sick children around to get me ill, too. [Read: How being social can strengthen your immune system]

#8 A firm structure. When I was little, our days were very structured. I knew what to do and when. I had firm meal times and bed times. While most of this was probably to the benefit of my very busy mom, it helped me understand how beneficial structure is.

It also kept me in line and content growing up. I knew when I would get to eat, so I didn’t throw a fit when I got hungry. Bedtime was always the same, so I was never up very late and on the verge of exhaustion-induced crankiness.

#9 Better childhood development. Babysitters, nannies, or daycares just don’t have the same care for a child’s advancement as a parent does. When someone has a stay at home mom, they develop much faster and better.

They have someone there to speak to them and teach them far more than they would learn elsewhere. Personally, I was advanced in my schooling and I attribute that to my early development. I went into school knowing far more than children who didn’t have stay at home moms.

#10 A good example of a hardworking woman. I can’t say that I understood this when I was a child. I’ll actually admit to being less than appreciative of all my mom’s hard work growing up. The truth is, this is probably the most important thing I learned from my stay at home mom.

When I grew up and realized just how hard it is to maintain a clean home and have healthy meals made, I understood just a fraction of what my mom did. This made me appreciate my mother more. It also allowed me to see just how much I myself am capable of.

[Read: Child of a narcissist – 16 lasting effects you just can’t ignore]

A stay at home mom is so much more than just a mother. They’re chefs, teachers, maids, guidance councilors, wives, friends, and more. To my mother, I would like to say thank you for all you did for your children.

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