Is staying home with children harder than going to work?

For some parents, staying home with a newborn sounds like holiday when compared to the typical 9-5.

But, one study reveals that going to work may actually be the easier option.

The poll shared many pearls of wisdom from new parents nationwide, such as: most meals will be consumed with one hand, you can – in fact – function on four hours’ sleep, a cup of tea will never be finished again and live television is a thing of the past.

The study conducted by AVEENO Baby surveyed new parents with 31% claiming staying home with kids is much harder than returning to work.

AVEENO Baby Skin Expert Rebecca Bennett explained the survey was completed with the intention to comfort new parents – and give them a confidence boost.

“Becoming a parent is an amazing experience, but we understand that entering this new chapter of life can also bring with it a great deal of stress and worry, so we wanted to discover more about what new parents experience in the first few years, what they wish they had known and how best we can support them,” said Bennett.

“We want to give new parents the confidence to feel they are making the right choices for their baby’s skin, so they feel more in control of this element of their new path of discovery.”

Of the 1,500 UK parents surveyed, 55% say having a baby is “hard work,” with 20% admitting parenthood is “very difficult.”

Many may have said that being a new parent is difficult, but 48% of the new parents polled described their journey into parenthood as the “perfect experience.”

71% of respondents also admitted that the combination of social media and parenting made them feel more competitive in capturing their new life. 22% even said the social platforms add pressure to be the “perfect parent.”

While one quarter of respondents said new parenting is easy – the study found that no matter how many parenting books you read or Google searches you complete, starting a family is hard work.

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