Being a stay-at-home parent or hiring a nanny

Having a child is never an easy thing to do. Whether you’re on baby number one or baby number five, there are still so many things that can stress out an expectant parent. This is only exacerbated by the thousands of know-it-alls that troll our internet spaces spouting any number of unwanted advice and opinions. They’ll tell you all the ways you can screw up your child by doing this or not doing that, they’ll insist that you should learn from the mistakes of others. They’ll give you instructions on how to have a baby boy or how to have a baby girland then criticise you for having a preference in the first place. If there’s one piece of advice a majority of mothers can agree on it’s that your baby is your baby, and you should be the one to make the call. This extends to the big decisions of whether you would like to return to your career after the birth or if you’d like to stay home and raise you’re little bundle of joy full time.

For some this decision will be a no brainer – particularly those of you who are on baby number two or up – but for some this can be one of the more stressful decisions they have to make. First things first, you should definitely be aware that there is no right or wrong decision here, not on a general scale, there is only what is right for you and your family in your situation. If you find yourself in a position where there is no choice, you simply must return to work, there is quite literally no shame in that. You are providing for your child and that is heroic in itself. Similarly, if you find yourself in a situation where you aren’t able to return to work (most often due to health limitations of yourself or your newborn) this is also perfectly valid, and you should not be putting yourself down.

If, however, you are in that middle point and you have every privilege that affords you the decision there are plenty of factors to weigh in on whether to stay at home with your little one/s or to hire an experienced nannyto lend a helping hand.

Benefits of Stay-at-Home Parenting

This is often looked upon by third parties as the easier option for new parents. It’s often revered as the right thing to do. Little to people know that stay-at-home parenting is actually often more demanding than a full time job – though hopefully more rewarding.

Having their primary caregiver at home with them promotes healthy bonding and benefits development. Studies have shown that physical touch can help prevent developmental delays as well as an array of health conditions. In staying home, you are extending the time spend physically bonding with your child. Similarly, if there are any issues such as health concerns these will likely be recognised much earlier and can be addressed straight away.

Providing consistent support and being present and available to meet your child’s needs can be highly beneficial to their emotional development and help with their self-esteem and confidence later in life. In staying at home, you are ensuring you are able to show up for all the big events from the early childhood milestones onwards. This level of support and consistency generally leads to child that feels safe and happy.

This can be a lower stress option for both you and your child/ren. Yes, being a new parent often brings stress and can be a very steep learning curve, but so does most parts of life. As a stay-at-home parent you are free from job related stress that piles on top. You’re also cutting out the work life juggle that many working parents struggle with. Not having to get the kids ready for their day whilst also having to be physically and mentally prepared for a full workday yourself reduces the overall stress in the house. A stressed-out parent is much more likely lash out and negatively impact their little ones. Staying home also allows you to establish a structured routine for your family with more power to adhere to it. Studies have shown that children benefit from routine, particularly in their younger years as it promotes feelings of security.

Benefits of Hiring a Nanny

Following the birth of your little one, many parents find themselves completely overwhelmed and exhausted in a way they could only imagine. Bodies are running full of new hormones and an abundance of primal instincts are unavoidably activated. It’s a beautiful and hectic time for all family involved. Thankfully Australia is a country that has pretty decent parental leave to allow for this new way of life to settle. For many, once this initial time is up, they are ready to get back to their career. It often shocks them how much they missed excel spreadsheets, articles on bariatric equipment, rude customers, or their chats with aged care equipment suppliers – all the things they hated before.

Hiring a nanny allows us to get back to that long standing belief that it takes a village to raise a child. In previous years this would have been grandparents or other family members that pitched in and allowed parents to resume their normal lives – at least a little bit. For many, full time parenting is far from the dream. While it is often looked on as a selfish way of seeing things, having a nanny helps socialise your child and affords you a balance from being a new parent and person outside of that.

Having a nanny can benefit the child in many ways, not least of which includes the capacity of the parents to increase their income to better support the child financially. If picked well, a nanny can be a very positive contributor to the child’s education as many have achieved qualifications in childhood development. This is also increased by their ability to expose the child to cultures and experiences that the parents may still be unable if they were at home with the child.

A nanny will ensure that all your child’s nutritional, emotional, intellectual, and developmental needs are met just the same as you would being at home with them. The choice between staying at home and returning to work is a purely personal one and will not negatively impact your little one in any way.

About
Latest Posts

Ellen Must

Ellen Musk is a fictional in-house editor at Mad House publications and writes for Startup Life and Tech Yeah. She has a passion for technology, innovation and science. Her articles are produced right here in the Mad House and often cover subjects like new startups, interesting stories from the marketing world and tips for aspiring entrepreneurs.

If you are interested in joining Ellen as a member of our contributor community, visit Madhouse.pub or email [email protected]