POLOKWANE – Stay-at-home-mom, Pertunia Malamolele says being a stay-home-mom is harder work than a 9-5 job.

Pertunia, who has taken on the role since 2016, said she loves spending time with her children and that it is the most precious thing she could ever experience.

“If you think about all the hours spent on time with the children and housework, it’s a lot of work for one person, especially when it seems like other people don’t understand or appreciate what you do,” she said.

She added that she had realised that her children love it when she’s home and come back from school to find her waiting for them unlike a child coming back home to a nanny or an empty house.

“No one should mis-quote me with what I’m about to state, but I feel most children who have a parent (mom or dad) who stay at home tend to achieve better academic performance at school. I’m not saying children that have working moms do not perform better academically, it’s just my belief and what I have observed thus far as a stay-home-mom. It’s a privilege for the kids too,” she said.

What other parents do not understand or know, Pertunia explained, is that depression can also affect you.

“I’ve been depressed at home at some point, and I’ve learned to deal with it in a smarter way. I’ve learned to create a fun schedule/routine for myself everyday where I wake up, clean the house, eat breakfast, exercise and then I go shower. When I’m done, I read an interesting book or binge on various series programmes or movies while eating healthy snacks. And in no time, my little ones are coming back from school. It’s so refreshing knowing that you keep yourself busy at home while you wait for your loved ones to return from work and school.”

Pertunia concluded that she would like society to respect and appreciate stay-home-parents the same way working parents are.

“I can’t think of a more rewarding job, nor a more challenging one than being a stay-home-mom.”