What Being A Working Mom Is Really Like

I’m admittedly not a “people person.”

So it’s probably surprising to some of you that I would never in a million years consider being a stay-at-home mom and actually prefer being a working mom. But like I said, I’m not a people person. That also includes little people. Honestly, I don’t really like anyone’s kids but my own (and that’s on days when she isn’t driving me absolutely insane).

I have nothing against SAHMs; I think SAHMs are quite possibly superhuman.

Seriously, look at my friend Amy over at Amy’s Balancing Act. She is killing it as a SAHM. In fact, she and I teamed up to talk about the pros and cons of being a SAHM vs. a working mom. I’m here to tell you that first of all, I could never do what she does – the SAHMing or the workouts LOL. But that doesn’t mean being a working mom is always great either.

Things I love about being a working mom:

I get regular adult interaction.

I can’t begin to tell you how isolated I felt as a new mom even though I was working part time hours at the office and regularly talking to classmates on Zoom video calls. Sitting at home all day doing housework and taking care of a baby can be depressing, if I’m being honest. While I loved having a break from work, I felt like I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything because I was on Mom Duty 24/7.

As a working mom, I’m out of the house at a minimum five days a week.

Even though I don’t like being around people all the time, it’s nice to drop the baby talk once in a while. I’m not saying I have full blown conversations with other adults by any means – I avoid small talk at all costs. But not having to be someone’s designated snack bitch all day is a definite pro of going to work.

Speaking of food, lunch time is relaxing during the work week.

Whether I’m at lunch with my mom or on my own, it’s quiet. I don’t have to listen to Elsie screaming at me for giving her chocolate milk after she specifically asked for chocolate milk. Nope. I enjoy my meal in peace.

My workday is also relatively peaceful.

Aside from occasional phone calls or questions from coworkers, I generally work in solitude. This means I actually finish tasks. I’m not interrupted midway through writing an email with changing wet pants after a potty accident.

Related post: When To Start Potty Training Your Toddler

And let’s be honest, the income is good.

Maybe if I worked a job where the income didn’t outweigh the costs of daycare, I would consider being a SAHM. Fortunately for me, I split daycare with Elsie’s dad. My income remains vital to our quality of life, and being a SAHM is not an option.

Related post: Peaceful Co-Parenting For Dummies

But there are some downsides to being a working mom:

Daycare costs can be too much for some families though.

Admittedly, if I paid daycare by myself and still only made the rate I did when I started my current job… well, daycare would probably be 1/3 of my weekly salary. AKA not entirely viable. Paying for daycare in generally is definitely a con of being a working mom.

As an introvert, I really dislike getting out of the house much.

Being a working mom can suck on days when I feel drained and just don’t want to be around people. Most mornings I wake up dreading work – not because I hate my job, but because I just don’t have the energy to deal with coworkers and customers.

On the weekdays I have Elsie, I really only get about four hours with her.

Since her dad and I split our time 50/50, I get her either two or three weekdays and every other weekend. That means on weeks when he has her for the weekend, I’m only getting about 12 hours of interaction with her for that week. The rest of the time I have her she is sleeping or at daycare.

Sometimes it can feel like someone else is raising my daughter.

Elsie learns so much at daycare, and for that I am thankful. She can count to 20, spell her first name, and has known her ABCs for months now – and she isn’t even two yet! But knowing that I’m not the one teaching her most of those basic things? It feels like I’m not as involved in her life as I should be.

Being a working mom is so much easier than being a SAHM.

Truly, I do not have the patience to be a stay-at-home parent. I highly commend anyone who is able to do it, because it is not easy. I am lucky to have a job where I bring home a good paycheck each week to provide for my family. Yes, I work hard for that paycheck. But I know being a SAHM is so much harder.

Don’t believe me? Go read what Amy wrote on her blog, Amy’s Balancing Act, about her experience as a SAHM.