Is there really a difference? working or stay-at-home Mom!

In light of some recent comments on being a stay-at-home mom, I felt the need to write this. Before I begin, I want to convey my own point of view- that there really is very little difference between a woman whose choice is to work and financially support her family (a very important requirement in today's world) or a SAH (stay-at-home) Mom who chooses to give up her career and care for her child. Both, two opposite sides of a coin seem so very different but have the same outcome. The WELFARE of a child. I have seen both sides and I can truthfully say that both come with their share of worry, happiness, interospection and concern. To give you a better picture of what I'm trying to convey:

1. A working mom thinks and worries about her child throughout her day (it's countless). A SAH mom will think about how different her life would have been as a working mom (at least a couple of times during the day).

2. A working mom has to complete several tasks based on her job role and these are deadlines she has to meet. A SAH mom also has several jobs to complete most involving deadlines too.

3. A working mom hurries to finish her daily tasks so she can leave on the dot and thus spend more time with her child (or kids). A SAH mom is also always in a rush to finish her work everyday and enjoy precious time with her child. 

4. A working mom does not have a day off. Her work day offs are spent catching up on time with her kids and other home duties that need to be cared for. It's the same for a SAH who works round the clock for her family.

5. Both the working and SAH mom cannot escape the 'alarm clock'. Late to bed and early to rise they always wish that a day had more than 24 hours. Even if it did, it still would not suffice.

6. It's wrong to think that a working mom misses those precious 'first's' of her child. With today's technology, it's so much easier to relive those precious moments. As a working mom (I worked till my son was seven months old) I missed most of his firsts but because he often repeated them, I was able to enjoy and capture them. Watching these moments over and over again always seem like the first for me.

There are many more but this should drive home the point. That they're both focussed on the task of raising responsible, loving and non-judgemental children. That we need to cut them some slack and stop comparing them. That whatever the title, they're a 'MOM' first and their choices don't define them. There..I've said it and I'm glad I did.