The following is a guest post from Jillian Johnson. Jillian is a working mom of three and wife to a hard-working southern man. Not so long ago, she began her journey to find happiness again after years of feeling less than satisfactory as a wife, mom, and friend. As her sense of self returned, she quickly realized her passion for helping other women overcome the lows of motherhood through self-discovery and personal development. You can find some of her most insightful advice on her blog LiveLoveJillian.com.
Are you a mom struggling with whether or not to go back to work after having your sweet baby? Maybe you have been home a while with your little one and feel like something is missing. Then, there is the question of whether you can financially afford not to work. You’ve probably been weighing the pros and cons of working versus being a full-time mom. Well, I’m here to share with you some awesome benefits of being a working mom.
For me, these benefits far outweigh any disadvantages. If you are a woman who enjoys feeling appreciated, who thrives on productivity, or who needs to feel a connection with the outside world; then being a working mom is likely the right path for you.
I vividly remember going back to work after I had my last baby. As you can imagine, the thought of leaving my little one with someone else was heartbreaking. After all, I was home with my first two children until my second was almost a year old, and even then, I only worked part-time for a while. But, after going back and forth with the idea of full-time stay-at-home-mom versus working mom, I decided “working mom” would benefit the family far more than stay-at-home-mom.
Below are the top advantages of being a working mom that drove my decision to go back to work. Because there are advantages for everyone in the family, they are broken into three categories that address how being a working mom benefits your children, how being a working mom benefits your marriage, and how being a working mom benefits you!
There are many benefits of being a working mom and here are some of them:
Children Benefit from Having Working Moms
No matter what style of mom you are, the ultimate goal is to do what is best for our children. The article, Children Benefit from Having a Working Mom, from the Harvard Business School, reviews a study of the impact a working mother has on her children. The findings indicate that children of working moms find equal value in contributions made within and outside of the home. By going to work, keeping a schedule, and maintaining a household, we teach our children to be strong, self-sufficient individuals. They learn…
- How to prioritize based on importance and self-fulfillment, which teaches them self-love
- The importance of a solid work ethic that emulates honor and pride for their efforts.
- That with accomplishment comes responsibility first.
How Being a Working Mom Helps Your Marriage
Each relationship is different, but one thing is for sure – it’s much healthier when you both contribute value to the relationship. By actively pursuing what makes you happy and feel accomplished, you are showing your spouse how you want to be treated while adding substance to the relationship. When you’re a working mom…
- You are able to help your spouse with the financials and relieve stress.
- Fathers tend to assist more with household chores and responsibilities according to a survey by Pew Research Center.
- You share the understanding with your spouse of what it means to be a working parent and have a stronger connection because of it.
Being Working Mom Helps Our Personal Growth
Before we were moms, we were just women. The needs we had then are the same needs we have now, except maybe in a slightly different form. We are human. Of course, we long for interaction and appreciation. When you are a working mom, you…
- Have a stronger sense of self-worth through accomplishment and appreciation from your peers.
- have time away from your children to reflect on, think about and appreciate your loved ones.
- are able to interact with like-minded adults and have conversations about things you can’t discuss with your children.
Ultimately, being a working mom gives us a greater sense of self. It allows us to stand apart from our children and spouse and be our own person without fear of falling in line with mom routine and letting it define us completely. As moms, we often struggle with feeling guilty about putting ourselves first. In this case, I hope I have given you enough benefits of being a working mom that guilt doesn’t stand a chance.
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