What is harder to do? Take care of kids, or work full time?

Question

Is it harder to take care of 2 kids full time? (one of them just turned 3 a couple months ago, and the other will be 5 in a couple weeks. both boys)... Or is it harder to work a full time job?

Answer 1

From a mother of four... all ages. I think its definitely more rewarding to stay at home and take care of your children, although you miss the income from a full time job. I just recently closed my own business after 10 yrs and now I work a little bit out of the house, while taking care of my home and kids fulltime. If you are not a person who is self motivated and can organize your time, staying at home is harder, your day will slip by, but if you can 1) afford to stay at home 2) organize your time you will be much happier as a stay at home mom. I had a live in nanny and a full time housekeeper while I was running my business. Both my children and my husband are much happier with me being at home. Only you can make your loved ones happy and secure. Boys are so busy. I have 2 of my own and I find that having planned out play time with the littles are great. Make your schedule of activities for them outside - to tire them out and then bring them inside for some "help" mommy time - mine always loved helping with laundry - pushing the baskets around - pretending they are race cars.. and then its lunch and nap... Then it becomes your time. Enjoy your babies. they grow up too fast... (mine are 9 and 12 with the girls 4 and 6). Follow your heart. Although... Im a realist and if you need to work... for income for the family, by all means there are great pre-schools with wonderful activities out there, that allow you to go to work without worry. And on the bright side... they are not home long enough during the week to mess up the house. Good luck....

Answer 2

That really depends on a lot of factors. Is the person staying at home taking care of the kids meeting all of their needs or sitting there in front of the computer or TV all day long? Is the person working full time in a very demanding/ stressful job or sitting around doing much of nothing? How old are the kids?

I can tell you from experience that working a full time job is a piece of cake compared to the work I do when I get home w/ my kids.

Answer 3

I have done both, and although its the most rewarding job you will ever have, being a parent is the most challenging and sometimes even heartbreaking job too!!!

We have 4. I worked full time when the first two came along. The last two, I have had the luxery of being a full time mom.

Being a full time mom is the greatest thing in the world for me. But its not for everyone. Some women need to work (for monetary reasons or because they have a passion for a certain profession)

Kids are resilent. With love and patience and sacrafice, kids will be fine either way. So choose what makes you the best mom.....if you love being a home Go for it! You will have to do without some of the extras but if you feel rewarded and fulfilled as a full time mom cudos to you. At the same time, if you feel lonely or unfilfilled or miss working....work. You can work part time or full time....your kids will be fine. Dont feel guilty or bad because you are making the best choice for your situation.

to answer your question.....its subjective. It depends on YOU. It depends on the job and the kids and the support system you have!

smile and enjoy your kids cause they are going to grow up so fast you wont believe it!!!!

Answer 4

It depends on the job, I think both are equally hard! Raising kids is very difficult and it can be stressful, same as working full time. Even though they don't have to deal with little kids they do have to deal with grumpy bosses or annoying co-workers. In some circumstances working full time is more difficult. Before I had my kids, I was a full time teacher. I had to take care of THIRTY plus kids at a time, by myself. Which I believe was much harder than taking care of kids at home. Staying home with my kids now is like a breeze compared to when I was working.

Answer 5

I don't believe that anyone can answer this question for another person. It truly does depend on the person and their situation. There are people that would much rather stay home with their kids, but have to work because of money - for them, it's probably harder to go out to work. There are people that NEED to work outside the home in order to stay a sane parent - for them it may be harder to stay at home. Some parents would love to get out and work, but can't because any job they do will not cover the cost of child care.....the list can go on and on.

If you are asking this question in regards to yourself, you need to determine what your needs and your families needs are and make the best decision based on that. There's nothing wrong with asking advice from people, but please don't put so much weight into their opinions/judgments that you end up going against what you feel is best.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

It depends on the situation...What type of job...waht ages are the kids...etc. I have had experience with both. I worked full-time in a busy specialty practice clinic as a nurse and I have been a SAHM with my 2 daughters (2 & 1). They are so different it really is hard to decifer which is actually more difficult. I am making my decison based on that fact that I hate ebing away from my kids...so I am going to say working full-time at the clinic was more difficult. My kids are my world so I don't even look at being home with them as a job (even though I operate a Licensed Day Care Center in my basement) I look at it as having fun, my job is fun I couldn't say that working at the clinic!

Answer 7

Well being a mother is harder cause its 24/7 and no breaks but I find working harder cause after work I have to come home and take care of the kids. I am tired and want to rest. Then I am upset cause I missed my kids all day. I have 3 kids 3mos, 3yr, 5yr. I work on the weekends and thats tolerable but am also in school.

Answer 8

Well. I work full-time, and care for my son. And I did take my 12 week FMLA but honestly I was relieved to get back to work and out of the house. But I do not think it is at all easier. When I was on leave, I could sleep in and cuddle with my son, and there wasnt any rushing..and there seemed to be much more time in the day.

Now I work and am up at 5am and out the door at 6:30 and dont get back home till 4:30. And then there is still all the housework, and caring for my son.



I mean if you didnt have kids and you only work full time



Well then that is WAAAYYYY easier..:)

Answer 9

To me it would really depend on what your full time job was. If you were the head of a corporate company that was constantly busy and trying to meet deadlines and had to get funds for this or that and managed billions of dollars that could be more stressful.



I wouldn't say it's harder to take care of two children, but more tiring - children need a lot of attention, and while it's more joyous to care for them than it probably is to work full time, it's definitely a full time job and requires patience, understanding, management skills, etc.

Answer 10

I know which one you want to hear and you'll probably get a lot of it this time of day. But, not from me.



The answer is simple. The full time job is a much larger burden than staying home with the kids you love.



It was easy to come to this conclusion simply because of pay. There ARE full time baby sitters but they don't make much. The baby sitter has exactly the same job as you do but with more kids and they aren't even hers. After business hours you have the exact same job as your spouse, taking care of the house and watching over the young ones.



I'd much rather stay home with my kids than go to work. I think you've come to the same conclusion.

Answer 11

In my opinion it is harder to take care of two kids full time. My little girl just turned two yesterday, and my little boy will be one in March. They are a hand full, but I love them. I have also worked full time and I still think raising two kids full time is harder.

Answer 12

i work in a nursery, so i have kids to look after either way. but now i have two kids of my own , i think looking after them is harder than working full time, its not just the kids, its chores etc too, its none stop. least a work you get a break from chores.

but working full time then coming home too look after kids is even harder!

Answer 13

harder to take care of kids . . DEFIANTLY. cuz u still gotta get a good job ne way in order to take care of ur kids. and yea. . .when u work full time, u don't really have a few lives at stake if u don't keep ur eye on them. lol unless ur a doctor

Answer 14

Work is only 8 hours a day, at the end of the day you can forget about what you need to get done, and what you have to get done the next day.



Caring for your children is never ending, constant worries, there's always something to do, and you hardly get the 10-15 minute breaks people normally get at work or even 30-1 hr lunch at work.

Answer 15

Takin' care of a child is a really tough job, I personally think it's harder than workin' a full time job. I wouldn't trade bein' an at home mom for nothin'! The rewards r great 'n nothings better than gettin' love in return 'n watchin' ur child grow, if it's possible.. Money can't top it. Takin' care of children require a lot of patience 'n a bunch of attention. A job gives u breaks 'n set hrs. for u, but bein' a stay at home mom, ur on duty 24/7. Cleanin', cookin' 'n takin' care of two children is tough work 'n I give u a lot of props for it if thats wut u do.

Answer 16

I've done both. I think it's harder to take care of 2 kids, especially if both are not in school yet. There's no escape and virtually no time to take a break. It gets easier when at least one is in school, and when both are in school, there's no point hanging around the house all day.

Answer 17

It depends on the kids, parenting skills, and the job. Also keep in mind, people who work fulltime, also take care of their kids.





Its interesting though, I suspect there a both those who are working fulltime and caring for kids right now, answering your question. Hmmmmm.

Answer 18

Taking care of 2 kids I would say, it's a 24hr job.

Answer 19

I have stayed at home, and I have worked....I have more piece of mind working, however now I work full time, and then go home and work full time as a momma.

Answer 20

defiantly take care of kids as its so boring i go to work to not do that job My hubby use to say how easy my job was so we swapped and i ain't going to swapping back lol he wanted it he can have it i dont cook or do cleaning or washing its all done by time im finished work lol

Answer 21

I've done both and I really think its harder to take care of my two year old and three year old!

Answer 22

A full-time job is easier...you get to leave that at the end of a shift! Motherhood is more than full-time and never stops.