User:Maggie0715/Stay-At-Home Parenting/Bibliography

What is a stay at home parent? A stay at home parent is a parent (mother or father) that stays home to take care of the child/children and the house while the spouse works. Being a stay at home parent is not all sunshine and rainbows as society thinks. It is not the perfect job for everyone. Being a stay at home parent has its advantages but it definitely has its disadvantages. It effects people in many different ways. Some ways are good and even amazing and other ways the effects could be debilitating.

Some of the advantages of being a stay-at-home parent is that you get to watch your child/children grow and learn everyday and you don't have miss any of their first (milestones). Such as the first time they crawl, talk, walk, and many other big milestones. The stay-at-home parent also gets to make sure that the quality of the child/children's care is what is should be. The parent can also make sure that the child/children's daily life is consistent which is very important for young children. Studies have also shown that when a parent stays home the child is more happy. The child may even be less stressed and less aggressive when they start school. Being a stay-at-home parent can also help financially.

By being consistent on a daily basis is very important for a young child/children's development because they learn from the adults. It helps the child/children to learn what is expected of them. It helps them to understand responses and reactions. It helps them to learn structure.

By being a stay-at-home parent you don't have to pay for child care. Child care is expensive. The average cost of child care is averaged to be $9,100-$9,600 per year, which is equivalent to around $760-$800 a month ! That is a lot of to pay some one to watch or basically raise your child/children while both parents are working. With that amount of money you, that could be a house payment! Not only is the cost outrageous but you will also worry about what all your child is being exposed to. They can be exposed to many different viruses. You could also be concerned if your child is being treating right. But daycare also has it advantages because it gives your child social skills that they wouldn't get at home.

Some of the disadvantages may consist of parents may feel abandoned/alone, get depressed, some may experience anger, and it also mean less income for the home. If you ask people what they think of a stay at home parent you will get many different answers. Some of the answers you may get are they are lazy, they have it made they don't have to do anything, that's the best job anyone could ask for, its not like they do anything all day long, and the list goes on. They don't know the daily struggles that some may go through. Many stay at home parents struggle with depression, feeling abandoned, being angry because they may feel as if they can't do anything right, or even feel helpless because they aren't contributing financially.

Some stay-at-home parents may not socialize with other adults all day long. Meaning the only social interaction they have is with their child/children. This may make them feel abandoned/alone which can cause depression or even anger. More that a quarter of stay-at-home parents feel this way or have felt this way.

It can also meant less income for the home. Stated earlier it was said that it can help financially. It can also be a disadvantage. The spouse may be only making enough money to cover bills. When you are stay-at-home parent you are home more which means higher electric bill, higher water bill, higher grocery bill etc. . Not only are you loosing over all income for the house but the utility expense is rising. This can make it financially harder.

The stay-at-home parent has so many more responsibilities than a working parent. Some of the responsibilities may consist of doing the all of the grocery shopping and errands, paying the bills, keeping up with the house work, raising the child/children and animals, some even take care of the yard work, takes care of the finances and the list goes on and on. The reason for this is because the stay-at-home parent "has more time" because they stay at home while the other is working and has less time. The parents don't divide the daily tasks up between the two of them, instead it all falls on the one that is at home.

As you can see being a stay-at-home parent has its many advantages but it also has its many disadvantages. Before you decide to become a stay-at-home parent you need to discuss with your spouse to make sure you will be able to handle it mentally and financially. Being a stay-at-home parent takes a lot of work and is a 24/7 job. If you do decide to become a stay-at-home parent make sure you have a great support system. Find you some other stay-at-home parents to communicate with. Make sure you are making time for yourself. If you do find yourself feeling depressed please talk to your care provider.