According to a survey conducted by Redbookmag.com, the more kids you have running around the house, the happier you’ll be. The survey is the first of its kind. Experts looked into the lives of 558 stay-at-home and work-from-home moms. They found that mothers with four or more kids consider themselves to be “very” or “extremely” happy. A house full of kids might sound a little scary to you, but as the writer of the study points out, “For stay-at-home moms, managing four or more childrsten will mellow all but the most stubborn of perfectionists.”
A Look Into The Life Of The Stay-At-Home Mom
So instead of driving you crazy, the study suggests that the more children you have, the more mellow you’ll become. The study also found that for many women who consider themselves stay-at-home moms, parenting isn’t their only job. Almost 2/3 of stay-at-home moms contribute to their household income. About 25% said they ran a business from home.
In this day and age, a stay-at-home mom’s duties aren’t just cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and taking care of the kids (as if that isn’t enough). The survey reported that 72% of stay-at-home moms said society doesn’t understand how much they really do. When asked what type of salary they deserve, the women answered $50,000.
The mothers in the survey stayed at home for different reasons. In this study, 36% said it was because they wanted to, while 15% said it was due to childcare being too expensive. Another 7% said their careers weren’t family-friendly, while 6% of moms said they stay at home because their partner wanted them to.
Survey Finds That Stay-At-Home Moms Are The Happiest
Another survey asked more than 3,000 mothers whether or not they were satisfied with their lives. Researchers found that stay-at-home moms scored a 87.2% in the happiness ratings, higher than women in any other profession. The mothers who reported being the least satisfied were working in marketing, advertising and public relations.
The report said, “Homemakers are happier than people working in any other occupation, but they work double the hours most people think.” Past surveys have shown that more than 1/3 of mothers who go to work would like to give up their jobs and stay at home with their children.
Is it the joy of spending time with their children, the freedom to plan out their day as they please or the comfort of not being in a stressful work environment that makes stay-at-home moms the happiest?
Sources:
Good Housekeeping
Redbook Mag
Daily Mail