8 Benefits of Being A Stay-At-Home-Mom (SAHM)

After my first child was born, I worked for a few months before deciding to stay home with him full-time. There was definitely an adjustment period, since it was a new experience for me. However, I have never regretted my decision to become a Stay-At-Home-Mom (SAHM). I love being able to spend these crucial years in my children’s lives with them.

I also had the peace of mind that my children were safe and well taken care of, because they were with me. You hear so many stories of kids being mistreated in daycares, this sends a shiver down our spines. No parent wants to be affected by bad caregivers. Thankfully, that’s not a worry I had.

As a humble ode to all SAHMs out there, I have prepared 8 benefits of being a SAHM.

1. You are your own boss

Well, kinda. Every SAHM to young children knows who the real boss is…the baby. But! Even though we have to work around the baby’s schedule and needs, you pretty much are your own boss. You do not have a supervisor hovering or micro-managing you. You set your own rules and how you want to go about things.

2. Freedom to organize schedules

You do not need to request permission from your boss to get days off so you can take care of important matters. You also are at liberty to organize your week as you see fit, and how it best works for you and your family.

3. You are present for your kids

This is absolutely priceless. You are there for your children whenever they need you. If they become ill at school, you don’t have to stress because you have to request permission to leave early. If they wake up sick, you don’t have to call out and request a sick day at your job. When they have a problem or simply want to talk about their day, you are available to listen to their worries or concerns.

As a bonus, your bond with them grows because you are able to spend more time with them. You are always available to guide and help them in anything that they may need.

4. Never miss a first

You don’t have to go through the heartbreak of having another person tell you how they took their first steps or said their first words.

You have the blessing of being able to witness all of their firsts. These memories are so precious because those days will never return. And you can have the opportunity to be there to take it all in.

5. Not stressful as an outside job

Being a SAHM has its own challenges and stressors. However, it is not at all like the ones you face in the workforce. You don’t really have to struggle with stressful deadlines or horrible bosses, that you just tolerate because they are your superior and you need the job.

Even though your boss (baby, children and/or family) can be a bit demanding and require a lot of you, it’s definitely more laid back and enjoyable. You actually WANT to show up every day and do your best.

6. Easier to schedule appointments

This one may sound kinda silly, but it used to be a huge pain for me. Where I live, most doctors work on a Monday through Friday, 9-4 schedule. It is so difficult to schedule some appointments because they are closed on evenings and weekends. But this is not a huge problem now, because I have the freedom to organize my itinerary and schedule doctor visits during their business hours.

7. Freedom to organize vacations

You can go on vacation during the low seasons, whenever works best. Since you do not need to wait for HR to approve your request, you can just go whenever you want. Especially before the children are of school age.

8. Save money

We save sooo much money. We don’t have to pay for daycare! That alone saves you a huge chunk of money. Everyone that has children knows that decent daycare (not even the best in the nation) is so expensive. It’s like paying a second rent.

Then there are other areas that we save money on: our car maintenance is lower because we don’t have to constantly sit in traffic, which also helps us save money on gas. Since our children stay home, they barely get sick because they are not picking up germs at daycare. In turn, saving more money that otherwise would have been spent on medical related care.

I cook our meals most of the time (this also includes packing my husband’s lunch for work). Not only is it a healthier choice, but it also saves us a lot of money.

These are just some money-saving areas (to name a few) in which we help the family’s economy.

These are a few of the benefits that being a SAHM has. The emotional benefits of the children’s upbringing are immense. They develop a feeling of security and stability when a parent is home and available for them. Once they grow older and are of school age, it’s a joyous feeling when they return home and one of their parents is home to greet them.

It’s also a huge blessing. In this day and age, parents are often forced to hire a person to look after their children because both parents have to work outside of the home. The early years of a child are crucial. These years play an important part in learning and bonding with their caregivers. Being home allows for that foundation to flourish, and you are able to instill your values in your children without outside interference. Therefore, laying a strong foundation that will be stablished by the time they begin school.

Overall, it has huge benefits for the whole family.

However, this life is not for everyone and that’s ok. But for us that are SAHMs, we know how precious and fulfilling it is to walk this path.

Are there any other benefits that I didn’t mention, and you have experienced? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

If you would like to know what the drawbacks are of being a SAHM, check out my post The Reality Of Being A Stay-At-Home-Mom.