For those who are full-time caretakers of the household and family, stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) burnout refers to a state of being depleted by this particularly challenging and often isolating role. Mothers are thought to be at higher risk for experiencing stress as they are typically the primary caregivers in family.
Many parents who choose to stay at home with their children may experience feelings of isolation, loneliness, loss of identity, and feelings of sadness that may feel like depression.
In a nutshell, Depleted Mother Syndrome (DMS) occurs when demands on the mother increase, and her resources decrease. As a result of this imbalance, the mother's emotional sensitivity to both internal, and external triggers becomes heightened.
Children who have a parent who stays at home may achieve better academic performance. One study found that 10th-grade children who had a parent stay at home when they were young achieved better grades in school than those who had working parents working away from home during early childhood.
Stress: You're changing diapers, potty training, feeding, cleaning, doing laundry, helping with homework, and doing a million other things all day, every day. These are some of the environmental stressors that make being a parent stressful.
Symptoms of Stay-at-Home Mom Burnout
Additional signs may include emotionally distancing from one's children–even leading to neglectful or violent behavior towards them–and a loss of enjoyment in one's parenting role. Parental burnout can also lead to suicide or escape ideations.
According to a recent Harvard Research Study that provides data from two cross-national social surveys of more than 100,000 men and women from 29 countries, working moms can breathe a sigh of relief – evidence suggests that children of working moms grow up to be just as happy as children of stay-at-home moms.
Take Breaks Regularly
Being a mom is a 24/7 job. This can become exhausting. How often should stay-at-home moms get a break? The answer is three times a day, at least.
Ideally, a parent should stay home with a child for the first 2 to 3 years of life.
A study published in the journal Social Science Research found that children of stay-at-home mothers were more likely to score higher on measures of academic achievement and cognitive development, when compared to children of mothers who worked outside the home.
Symptoms of Mommy Burnout
Extreme mental fatigue or physical exhaustion. Being “short tempered” Feeling emotionally depleted.
Emotionally unavailable parents are physically present but emotionally detached. They keep an emotional distance from their children, interacting with them only when necessary, and they remain uninvolved in their lives.
Yes, it's very normal to feel lonely as a stay-at-home mom. Being a stay-at-home mom is incredibly demanding. We don't get a break. We can't say 'no' to our co-workers.
Yes, it is a privilege to be able to be with my kids each day. And it's also true that being a stay-at-home mom involves a lot of sacrifices. For me, the key to enjoying this role and finding purpose as a stay-at-home mom is making peace with this paradox.
While there are a lot of factors involved, the average age when people move out of their parent's home is somewhere between 24 and 27. This makes logical sense – it's after many people have completed college and around the time when most people get married and/or are in a long-term relationship.
The stay-at-home mom doesn't have to be the one who does everything. Don't try to. If I tried to accomplish every single household task while raising children, I'm pretty sure I would end up self-medicating like the housewives of the 1950's and 60's did.
And while it's an unpaid position, it's far from easy. Being a SAHM comes with major responsibilities—not least of which is keeping little ones happy and healthy! —and there are loads of monotonous tasks that go with the territory (laundry and dishes, anyone?).
Many experts recommend savings of about six months' living expenses. Especially if you're fully reliant on just one spouse's income, you might choose to save at least this much or even more before quitting.
Data shows stay-at-home mothers almost doubled from 15 percent in 2022 to 25 percent in 2023. In addition, the SOM survey reports an increase in moms taking- on household and family responsibilities than during the height of the pandemic at 58 percent.
Research backs her observations. A Gallup poll found stay-at-home moms have higher rates of worry, sadness, stress and depression than working moms.
Being close to family also means more frequent visits from people you care about, which can lead to more quality time and stronger familial bonds. Living near loved ones can also be helpful in case of emergencies. It's nice to know your family can be there for you emotionally and physically when they live nearby.
Research has found that stay-at-home mothers are happier than those who go out to work. The survey said that if staying at home with the children were counted as a job, it would rank as having happier workers than any other trade or profession.