The Pros And Cons Of Stay-At-Home Mother

When people hear the words “stay-at-home mom” a lot of things come to mind. Some may think of a lazy woman who is not contributing to society, or some might think of a woman who is trying to make the best decision for her children. This wide range of reactions to the words “stay-at-home mom” has been going on for years. More specifically, in the last couple of decades, mothers across the nation have been criticised and/or praised for their choice to enter the workforce. The answer to this debate on if being a stay-at-home mother actually benefits the child is still under deep discussion and probably will be for many more years to come. Hopefully, with some more information, women who are trying to choose between being a stay-at-home mom or being a working mom will be more educated and comfortable with making their decision. It is easy to see that we no longer live in the traditional world where mothers stay home with the children while fathers go out and work to provide for the family. When looking at statistics, we can see that the rate of working mothers has actually gone up drastically in the last couple of decades. In 1940, only 8.6% of mothers worked outside the home (Hoffman). However, by 1996, over 70% of mothers worked outside the home (Hoffman). This significant increase in the number of mothers entering the

He states “It is not only the mother’s role that affects the wellbeing of the child, it is a combination of the father’s role, the mother’s sense of well-being, and the parenting styles” (Hoffman). I agree with this statement because I believe that so many different factors go into making a child who they are, therefore, I think other variables, such as the family’s social status, the relationship between the mother and the child, and the child’s gender need to be