Which is easier: stay-at-home mom, or working mom?

I actually started motherhood as a work-at-home mom. I think for many moms that’s the dream, to not need to find or pay for childcare, to be with your kids all day, and to earn money. I didn’t have a choice. My husband didn’t make enough to support us without my income, and as we lived above the after school program where we worked, I could easily take my baby daughter with me.

Well, there was nothing easy about it. I was completely stressed. I had deadlines to meet and a long to-do list that didn’t shrink just because I had a breastfeeding baby with me. My husband, as the executive director, was busy running the program so he helped minimally.

I thought that was hard. Then I had another baby who was born with a heart defect. After nineteen days in the hospital, we took him home to face breastfeeding difficulties, the challenge of administering multiple medications, six different doctors and three different therapist. I had my beautiful baby with me at work, with no childcare. Living the dream, right?

After the third child, my hours were reduced and I was able to work remotely after we moved across town. Thus three children were actually easier than two. However, still a challenge to get all my tasks done and all my hours in without childcare. During the summer, I usually was able to work less hours, so summer was like a dream for me. I was more like a stay-at-home mom, and we had time to go to the park, the beach, children’s museums, etc. I live for the summer.

Currently, my husband and I have figured out that to make the extra income we need to buy a house, it makes more sense for me to work at my current job more hours than for him to supplement with an additional low-paying job. Therefore, he has made the sacrifice to change his hours at work so he can watch the kids for about half of my work hours. I’m still doing all the cooking and laundry and much of the cleaning, and I haven’t figured out how to squeeze in 40 hours even with partial childcare. For some reason, my job doesn’t want to pay me for things like cooking meals and washing dishes, lol!

So I consider myself a mix of working mom and work-at-home mom. But which is the easiest? I’ve heard both arguments. Working moms say both that they miss their kids and wish they could stay at home, and that their kids drive them nuts and they’re grateful for the break away. Many stay-at-home moms I’ve talked to wish they could make a little income to supplement their husband’s paycheck.

Personally? I’m mystified at how working moms get everything done.

Since I’ve increased my hours and started working on location twice a week, there’s no way I cook more than 3-4 times a week. The laundry doesn’t get folded until the weekend, so it’s often in baskets getting wrinkled all week. I’m certainly NOT ironing anything. The bathroom might get cleaned. I haven’t filed anything since 2016. The floors MIGHT get mopped. On occasion.

How do you do it? My clear preference is to stay at home and NOT work (although I admit, the intellectual stimulation and challenge of doing adult stuff is appealing), but I know that many more moms prefer to work. What do you think?

One suggestion: having a goal planner like these is great for organizing your life, for working or stay at home moms.

I do have a few resources for you – if you’re interested in making money from a blog, I explain how to do that in this post here. Also, here are a few posts on finding jobs to work from home – if you’re as crazy as me, haha!

15+ side hustle ideas

Should you be a work-at-home mom?

80+ ways to make money that you can start today

If you’re like me and find your kids driving you crazy day in and out, check out my FREE email devotional Finding Peace in the Chaos. Sign up below to get started!