HTT - Parent Edition

I'm borrowing today's Hot Topic from a dear friend, who posted this question on her blog: Which is harder, being a stay-at-home mom or a working dad?

It's a question that I've often posed in my mind, but I've never had the eggs to ask aloud to Mr. Dub. To his credit, he often remarks on how hard it is to be a mom and how he's not genetically composed to do it as well as I do. (Aw, shucks!)

Not to be too Swedish on this issue, I can see pros and cons to both sides. Let us review:


Working Dad

Hard because he ... Has the pressure of being the sole provider, must go to work at assigned hours, has to switch brain from working issues to family matters as soon as he returns home, is under tremendous stress from work projects, must climb the career ladder to earn more, which will then go towards family expenses, etc.

Easy because he ... Doesn't have a child following him around 24/7, can generally check out mentally from work when evenings and weekends come, misses out on most diaper changes, spit-ups, huge messes and accidents, can take a day off from work when sick or on vacation, etc.


Stay-at-Home Mom

Hard because she ... Is always on call, must put her child's needs before her at all times, has to act as a chauffeur, cook and nurse despite whether or not she wants to be any of those things, can't take a day off in her own house, is constantly consumed with her child's welfare, etc.

Easy because she ... Is her own boss and makes her own schedule, gets to set the rules, can wear loungewear every day if she chooses, gets to cuddle with her child instead of writing a report, has the best job in the world, etc.


After weighing this sampling of pros and cons, I must tip my hat to the mothers because they are truly more physically and mentally engaged during the day. (And, let's be honest, do more of the waking up at night.)

But I do want to tell the dads how grateful we are for their hard work. And it is hard, just a different kind of hard.

(And then, of course, there are working mothers, who do a bit of both things and have an entirely different perspective.)

But what do you think?

Which is harder - being a stay-at-home mom or a working dad?

And what would your husband say?