Stay at home : Why Being A Stay-At-Home Wife Is (also) Fulfilling!

Last year has most definitely been a surprise for all of us. We went from getting over our 2019 holidays to being confined at home with our family unit. Those of us who were used to working in an office had to suddenly adapt to being home day in and day out.

Inevitably, this sparked a new conversation on working from home, dividing the chores, taking care of the children, and so on and so forth. Being a young professional myself, as well as a wife and mother, I had to juggle all of these hats without losing my mind.

In the midst of all of this, something I had been thinking about for a couple of years made a return in my mind: as much as I love my job and find joy in being employed, I would love to stay at home!

When I spoke of this with my friends, family, and -yes- a few coworkers, half of them looked at me like I was irrational, and the other half clearly thought I was lazy. But I am neither.

Hear me out: being a housewife is as fulfilling, if not more, than working outside the home! I have so many reasons to believe this, despite the fact that I am surrounded by men and women who inspire me professionally.

So, stay with me while I list all the benefits of staying home.

*I should, however, put the disclaimer that I know not all people can afford to stay home, not all people are in a long-term partnership or have children. This argument is targeted to head of households, mostly women. Stay if you may, skip if it does not apply!

#1: Better health

If you are like me, you probably work 45+ hours, maybe in front of a computer, sitting down. You have moderate to high stress levels because of deadlines to meet, people to please, projects to manage. You have very limited time to make your lunch, eat, let alone take a walk outside, have meaningful conversations, or even sleep the recommended number of hours for adults. Staying at home and catering to house duties means you get to manage your time and tend to what means the most to you. You get to allow time to cook nutritious meals, integrate some exercise in your routine, call your friends and family for a quick chat (given they have the time), and actually rest. The combination of lower stress levels, physical exercise and sleep certainly result is improved health.

#2: Happy children

Whether you choose to keep your children 100% at home, mix home and daycare or send them to daycare all week, you will definitely have more time to dedicate to them as a stay-at-home mom. You will have the time and energy to actually bond with them. If little Johnny wants to show you that new karate move he learned, you will not be stressing about tomorrow morning’s report. When little Sarah wants to cuddle with you for a few minutes before bed, you will not be thinking about finishing up a few emails before you doze off yourself. You will be in the present time, to experience the memories, give them your time, love, affection and education. You will have the vigour to organize their space, find activities for them, listen to their ideas and fully connect. They will forever remember those moments and will grow into happier more balanced adults.

#3: Better marriage

Because your significant other will be outside taking care of his work and bringing home the bacon, chances are you will have a newfound gratitude for him working every day. On the other hand, he will enjoy coming home to a peaceful oasis, and will fully appreciate the sacrifice it takes to maintain the ship, as well as care for children. This mutual appreciation and complementarity between the provider role and the nurturer role are much needed in a healthy relationship. Also, having a little bit on down time leaves you the opportunity to cater to your own personal needs, like beautifying yourself. What man does not enjoy running home to a beautiful tranquil wife or girlfriend? Find him so I can have words with him! Your sex life will also benefit from you being home from the reasons mentioned here and above. What woman does not want a better sex life? Find her so I can have words with her!

#4: Better home

The choice to stay at home, or should I say luxury to do, so is also an opportunity to tend to your actual house. We spend a lot of time between these walls and we should try to make them as inviting, comfortable, inspiring and beautiful as possible. Being home-based means you can do the basic maintenance in the home like cleaning and organizing, but also enhancing with decorations and small renovations. The role that this plays in your peace of mind is paramount. Not only for you but for those who share the home with you. This transforms the house into a home. It makes everyone unwind at the end of a long day. I for one have seen a tremendous improvement in myself, my husband, and my children’s moods as soon as I began focusing on our habitat (I will be making an article or two later on about some tips). The house will also become more appealing to your friends and extended family, making it a place where lifelong memories are made!

#5: Better spirituality

Now one thing I know for sure is being done with employment about the choices you make, the direction you want to give your life, and how you want to go about it. Whether you believe in God or not, or adhere to a religion or not; or you even just meditate when possible, being a housewife or stay-at-home mom carves out time for a deeper connection with your spirituality. I, for example, had more time to consume the material I was interested in and get informed on the topics that appealed to me. I connected more with the people with whom I shared beliefs, and had very interesting conversations with the ones that did not. I took time to help out in my local community and in my circle as a result of being freer with my time. All these changes were immensely fulfilling to me, and I believe they will be for you as well, whether we share the same kind of spirituality or not.

#6: Personal growth

Being home is the perfect opportunity to act on your interests. Take that dance class you have always wanted to take. Learn to knit. Lose the weight. Develop your side business or participate in gigs. We often have to work outside as a result of needing the money, but most of us have passions and hobbies that we would jump on were we to have the opportunity. I would not have time to do Penpal Gigi if I was still running around all day at my job and I must say I am apprehensive about going back. Plenty of men and women have followed what their hearts desired instead of what their wallets needed because of the time spent at home. Great ideas were born, amazing content was shared, talented artists were discovered and some even got back their mental health. Whatever your personal growth looks like to you, being at home is an opportunity to strive for that.

#7: Financial surprises

Another positive outcome of not working outside revealed itself to me. It can be very costly to work outside! From lunch money to gas, to transportation fees. It will also include work attire, social outings. The small expenses add up and at the end of a year, the amount of money spent on ‘nothings’ equals the money you will have to save, invest, or put into your personal projects. It will of course be in opposition to the loss of your salary, but this teaches you to do more with less, whether it is 100$ or 10 000$. Often enough, when we are making salary revenue, we do not grasp which are the little things that empty out our wallets. This new financial perspective helps out.

Final thoughts:

So, there you have it: being at home can lead to better health, happy kids, a dream marriage, a welcoming home, growth in your ideas and spirituality, and a brand-new perspective on finances.

For any woman who values these things, staying at home can and will be utterly satisfying; as much as that great career you have!

What do you think about the idea of staying home? Yay or Nay?