Pros and Cons of Being a Work at Home Parent: An Evidence-Based Analysis

As a data analyst and technology professional working remotely with two young kids, I have direct experience with the ups and downs of balancing work and parenting from home. Over the last few years, I‘ve experimented with different techniques and systems aimed at improving productivity, mental health and my ability to juggle competing demands.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share insights from published research and hard-won lessons from my own experience as a work at home parent.

The Growing Trend of Remote Work + Parenting

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work was on the rise. From 2016 to 2020, the percentage of employees who worked from home full-time increased from 4.3% to over 8% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

The massive shift to remote work expanded those numbers dramatically. By mid-2022, over 60% of U.S. workers were doing some or all of their work from home (Gallup). Parents of young kids especially gravitated towards remote or hybrid arrangements.

As per Pew Research data, over 50% of working parents state that having flexibility to choose their hours is "very important" to them. This desire will likely keep a large percentage working from home moving forward.

So while combining full-time employment and parenting under one roof poses challenges, this model is rapidly becoming normative. Let‘s examine the key upsides and downsides.

Pros of Working at Home with Kids

These major benefits make remote work appealing for moms and dads alike:

1. More Time with Children

On average, parents spend only 34 minutes per day actively engaging with their children. For those working on-site full-time, these fleeting moments often feel painfully insufficient.

As a parent currently working from home, I log over 90 minutes of one-on-one time with each child daily. This includes reading stories, coloring, playing games, cuddling and helping with virtual school. My partner and I also save nearly 2 hours per day without commutes, freeing up more family time.

2. Greater Flexibility

In one 2020 survey of remote workers in tech (Buffer), 99% cited increased flexibility as the biggest perk. The ability tailor your hours based on parental duties and personal needs is invaluable.

I often begin work pre-dawn to allow uninterrupted focus. Then I break to assist with breakfast, snacks and school questions as needed. I return to work during nap quiet time and after bedtime for more complex projects. This ability to fluidly transition between roles helps me better fulfill both.

3. Reduced Childcare Costs

The average annual cost of center-based daycare was $16,659 for an infant and $12,320 for a 4-year-old in 2021. With two kids in care full-time, yearly expenses can easily exceed $30,000. For parents earning median household incomes, daycare costs alone would devour over 25% of their pay.

By caring for kids while working, parents save tremendously. In high cost-of-living areas, these savings may even enable going from dual income to single income while maintaining lifestyle.

4. Healthier Environment

Commercial daycares are notorious breeding grounds for germs and illness. As per CDC research, toddlers in childcare contract between 6-10 colds yearly, vs just 2-4 for kids cared for at home (NCBI).

While home isn‘t completely sterile, avoiding high-exposure settings reduces sickness absenteeism personally and for the whole family. We definitely still battle seasonal bugs. But year-over-year, our durations and frequencies of illness have notably declined since shifting my daughter from daycare to home.

5. Tax Benefits

Working parents qualify for several work-related tax credits and deductions, including:

• Child and Dependent Care Credit: Reduces tax bill by 20-35% of childcare expenses, saving eligible filers $1,000 to $2,100 (IRS)
• Home Office Deduction: Lets you deduct expenses based on the percentage of home work use, up to $1,500+ savings (Motley Fool)
• Self-Employment Tax Deductions: Reduces your small business or side gig tax obligation by allowing deductions for utilities, mortgage interest, repairs, etc.

Because both my husband and I work from home currently, optimizing these credits and deductions yields over $4,000 in annual tax savings.

Cons of Working at Home with Kids

Despite the benefits above, combining jobs and parenting under one roof has substantial challenges:

1. Lack of Boundaries

In Buffer‘s annual state of remote work report, 35% of parents state enforcing work/life boundaries is "extremely" or "very" difficult. Without spatial or visual divides between roles, kids see you as available even during focused work blocks.

My five year old will happily attempt climbing onto my lap as I‘m plugging away at complex data visualizations. Physically removing myself into a "work area" helps communicate when distraction isn‘t okay. But the beckoning call of "mommy, mommy!" still rings out regularly. Tuning it out amid deep mental focus requires Jedi-level selective attention skills.

2. Distractions Destroy Productivity

A home environment poses endless potential disruptions, from potty accidents to sibling squabbles. In studies quantifying effects of distractions, even brief moments of divided attention versus sustained focus hampered performance:

That 34 word per minute gap demonstrates why distraction-defying noise cancelling headphones now feel non-negotiable. Still, physical tugs or screaming matches can override even the best sound barriers.

After returning from maternity leave, distractions drove my personal productivity down by over 40%. By implementing focus blocks, optimized work scheduling, and behavioral reinforcement techniques, I‘ve improved output by 25%. But I remain 15-20% less productive than during childless pre-kid days in the office.

3. Household Responsibilities

Daily tidying, laundry, meal prep and appointments plants vast logistical and mental loads on stay-at-home parents‘ shoulders. In heterosexual couples, women continue shouldering the lion‘s share of domestic work.

Even in seemingly equitable partnerships, moms spend over an hour more on housework and three more hours per day on child rearing than dads. This can breed resentment without deliberate rebalancing.

4. Social Isolation

Humans require meaningful social connections. Yet constant togetherness with small children inhibits regular adult interaction. In one study of over 10,000 moms (Cigna report), stay-at-home moms showed the highest loneliness scores versus working mothers and women without kids. 43% reported feeling alone "always or sometimes."

Personally, the dearth of in-person socializing over the pandemic distanced me from friends. Online mom groups and video calls couldn‘t fully replace that connection. My mood, self-esteem and marital relationship all suffered until deliberately remedying isolation.

5. Judgment From Others

Cultural stereotypes still perpetuate the notion that stay-at-home parents "don‘t work." Their labor goes unseen, devalued and diminished. Internal and external pressures whisper that moms should contribute financially or they‘re wasting education and talents.

Through soul-searching, I‘ve come to embrace my worth isn‘t tied to income generation. I work incredibly hard juggling household, childrearing and employment duties. But offhand remarks questioning my choices still sting.

Tips for Making it Work

If you want to effectively integrate working and parenting from home, here are some research-backed tips:

Create Physical Separation

• Dedicate a distinct work-only area, deliminated by doors, curtains or furniture layout
• Use "Do Not Disturb" signs like hotel rooms when focus is mandatory
• Conduct phone calls or meetings out of earshot, offsite or in a parked vehicle if necessary

Optimize Schedules

• Track your circadian rhythm and align work hours with peak energy periods
• Take breaks before reaching mental exhaustion to retain focus
• Alternate cognitively demanding work with simpler repetitive tasks

Leverage Technology

• Employ noise cancelling devices, apps that diffuse sound
• Use tools like Slack, Google Voice, email autoresponders to manage communications
• Block distracting websites during work windows; use website blockers to discourage kids‘ unauthorized usage

Refuel Your Tank

• Plan weekly in-person interactions with friends/family
• Put monthly solo activity time on the calendar (no kids allowed!)
• Practice daily stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing or yoga

Know Your Worth

• Run the numbers to quantify your labor value if paid hourly
• Remember all jobs have pros and cons; "perfect" balance is a myth
• Be your own champion and define success on your own terms

With the right expectations, boundaries and tools, the benefits of working from home with kids can outweigh the struggles. But ultimately you must reflect carefully and continually to ensure your needs are met.

Conclusion

As remote and hybrid work cement as mainstays for American office workers, balancing parenting alongside employment from home will keep rising. The allure is clear with benefits like saving thousands in childcare expenses annually, enjoying more time together as a family and avoiding lengthy commutes.

However, the daily realities of juggling a job with childcare also surface substantial pain points. Distractions tank productivity by over 30% in studies. Trying to shoulder work, parental and domestic responsibilities breeds burnout. Isolation from adult interaction threatens mental health. And unfair societal judgments can exacerbate already inflated mom guilt.

By learning how to create physical separation between roles, structure days intentionally, leverage focus-enhancing tools, refuel your personal tank and define self-worth clearly, success as a work at home parent becomes possible. But ultimately you must reflect carefully on what balance and environment allows you and those you care for to thrive. Then continue optimizing as kids grow, careers progress and life shifts unfold.