We actually have a cook, babysitter and housekeeper. My husband cleans more than I do. I hate doing the dishes and dh often runs the dishwasher at night. I was extremely ambitious. My three children keep me busy and I’m far from bored. I spent many years trying to juggle work life balance. I’m far happier now. I have time to take care of myself and focus on the children. Our family is better that I stay home. Every family is different. |
Wow this sounds like bragging and you're incredibly lazy. |
Yes, I never use those terms. I either note my profession or “retired”. I don’t tell anyone my “job” is SAHM because it’s not. Do all of the DHs who WOH full-time believe that they have a part-time “job” as a parent? Just because there is effort involved doesn’t make it a “job”. WTF? |
This thread is about going from SAHM to retirement. Pp says that ambitious women would be bored staying home. I was SVP and director level before staying home full time with no plans to return to the workforce. I would say my experience is relevant to this thread. I don’t have a FT housekeeper. She comes every other week. I am not lazy and I am not bored. And I have a ton of hobbies and projects I would love to do if I had more time. |
I have never heard of a SAHM being considered an occupation. Only on DCUM.
Signed, A SAHM |
DP here. I am also in a similar situation. Once I had my kids I did not want to juggle work and home. I am also a homebody who loved being with my kids and being a mom. We were also in a good financial situation so it was an easy enough decision. I will be an empty nester in 3 years and I want to do something (work, hobby, volunteer that I enjoy. I have truly enjoyed being a SAHM and feel fulfilled raising my kids, so anything I do after the kids leave should be at least somewhat as meaningful, enjoyable and fulfilling. My DH is of the opinion that I should live like I am on a vacation and do only things that please me. I am sure I can do that, but right now I worry about missing my kids too much and so going back to work and the responsibility may be a good diversion for me. |
I am one of the PPs and am like you. Same feelings. |
All of this. Only if you have a severely disabled child this choice might be made for you. I found it impossible to work with a severely autistic son. And my ‘new’ job of caring for the kids was actually a lot more work compared to my old, high level engineering job. The pay wasn’t good either. C’est la vie. |
All of this. Only if you have a severely disabled child this choice might be made for you. I found it impossible to work with a severely autistic son. And my ‘new’ job of caring for the kids was actually a lot more work compared to my old, high level engineering job. The pay wasn’t good either. C’est la vie. |
This is also my situation. Had kids late and when it became clear that my DC had issues and there were so so many appointments it was not a hard choice to make because I didn't make a lot of money (DH does so taxes) and we had just moved and had a house to set up. I was also working on getting pregnant again. I can't say a lot of long range thought went into my decision. We had to sort the kid out so I quit thinking once we got him all figured out I would return to work. There wasn't a plan just an immediate problem. Now 7 years later he still has a ton of appointments and we have our second kid who is not in school full-time. When they are both in school full time I want to go back to something and I look casually and would go back now if I found the right thing but I'm in a niche field. The thing that scares me in the middle of the night is something happening to DH and losing our income and health insurance. We save and have insurance but would not be able to stay in our house if something happened to DH.DS is very very expensive. We would have so much more money in the bank if he didn't have SN. |
You must not have kids. I have an Ivy League masters and have worked in stem for 15 years, a tough but interesting field, and for me ‘behind the scenes’ is anywhere my kids are not! My coworkers are not the most important validaters in my life. they will not show up in my hospital room or at my funeral. Professional accomplishments are great, but they are no match for raising my kids or taking care of family members in need, and that’s true for both me and my husband. Your presumption that this work is inferior and for the ‘non-ambitious’ is inherited from a legacy of devaluing work traditionally done by women. Why have you agreed to undervalue it? You really want to be promoting that agenda? |
+ 2 It's sad to see women tearing women down for performing roles that we ALL know are a LOT of work. Maybe men don't know this. But women do. And yet women are the biggest detractors of SAHMs or women who take care of the elderly, etc. |
My mother did this too. It filled her time I guess. |
I respect both working and SAHMs. I have been a full time working mom, part time working mom and now a SAHM. All have different challenges. I just think it is odd to say being a SAHM is an occupation and one day I will retire from being a SAHM. |
DCUM is too funny! Of course SAHM is work. On one hand you pay others $$$ to do these jobs — childcare, cooking, cleaning, laundry, organizing, counseling, driving to doc appointment (wait until you have to do all this for the parents) yet when a woman does it it’s “not a job”. It’s just fun time. |