Housewife? What’s the best way to tell people what I “do for work”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Oh, I’m not a worker.”

“I’m a moocher.”

And yet, no one judges SAHMs, right?

What? Of course they do. I certainly do.

I have mixed feelings about well-educated SAHMs who SAH after their all kids are in school full-time. I have several of them as friends, and I enjoy their company, but I believe they're wasting their educations. I know several of them suffer from anxiety and/or ADHD and can't seem to manage both a career and family. They have not thrown themselves into house and home either. They're relatively unproductive members of society, especially given the tremendous amount of privilege they have. The irony, of course, is that they are all politically liberal, but have no problems assuming a very traditional role at home, having a man as a plan, and encouraging their own daughters to attend college and graduate school presumably to pursue their own careers.
Most of the SAHMs I know are financially dependent on the husbands, which is a calculated financial risk they assume but are unwilling to mitigate.
The several financially independent SAHMs I know I think are still wasting their educations, but at least they have their own money and won't be SOL if they find themselves divorced or their husbands unable to work.

You think an education is wasted if it’s not used to earn a paycheck? Sounds like you could use a better education!

I know a female MD who quit to stay at home. She was quite young. She said being a doctor was too stressful.

I believe that was a waste of an education and she took a medical school slot from someone who truly wanted to be a doctor.

+1. OK I agree with this and I think looking at a ROI is necessary. Part of the reason why I don't feel "bad" and am proud of being a SAHM is because I have a bachelors degree only. I worked for 20 years and earned back what I paid for college in less than 4 years. That DR never came close.
I remember meeting my cousins friends at UPENN 15 years ago- most of them wanted to be career women and then there was a few that talked about meeting a Wharton guy and I remember thinking what a waste it was that they went to Penn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Oh, I’m not a worker.”

“I’m a moocher.”

And yet, no one judges SAHMs, right?

What? Of course they do. I certainly do.

I have mixed feelings about well-educated SAHMs who SAH after their all kids are in school full-time. I have several of them as friends, and I enjoy their company, but I believe they're wasting their educations. I know several of them suffer from anxiety and/or ADHD and can't seem to manage both a career and family. They have not thrown themselves into house and home either. They're relatively unproductive members of society, especially given the tremendous amount of privilege they have. The irony, of course, is that they are all politically liberal, but have no problems assuming a very traditional role at home, having a man as a plan, and encouraging their own daughters to attend college and graduate school presumably to pursue their own careers.
Most of the SAHMs I know are financially dependent on the husbands, which is a calculated financial risk they assume but are unwilling to mitigate.
The several financially independent SAHMs I know I think are still wasting their educations, but at least they have their own money and won't be SOL if they find themselves divorced or their husbands unable to work.

You think an education is wasted if it’s not used to earn a paycheck? Sounds like you could use a better education!

Come on, are you really going to argue this? These SAHMs moms are not doing high stakes volunteering like helping women extricate themselves from abusers, helping refugees get asylum, or petitioning for IEPS for underprivileged kids. These SAHMS are wasting their T20 college educations and law degrees by spending their days organizing class parties for overprivileged kids, shuttling kids to soccer games, and doing Costco runs to supply snacks for field trips. That law degree could have been used by someone who might be volunteering to serve at clinic for undocumented families or something.

How common is it really to hold these types of volunteer positions?

Most people are working for a paycheck. Most people are paper pushers. If you got lucky in life you’re a high earning paper pusher. Really don’t see how working for a corporation is any better or worse than driving kids to soccer practice. I feel like the posters who over emphasize careers and jobs are likely unintelligent. I work myself but would never return if they stopped paying for me.

Hello, do you live in the US? If you are a paper-pusher at a corporation, you're able to get health insurance, earn money to buy food and pay rent, and you can use that position as a stepping stone for a better job. In countries with socialized medicine and safety nets, you don't have to worry about being an unemployed SAHM because in the case of divorce or your husband dying, you'll still have access to healthcare, and you'll likely get a lot of support for housing and other necessities. In the US, if you end up a divorced or widowed mom with kids, you are SOL. You hopefully have family money or find a decent paying job despite being out of the workforce for many years.

Your response is interesting because my European friends all appear to need to work way more than their US counterparts. They have fewer legal protections from marriage or aren’t even married, their spouse/partner earns a much lower salary, and social welfare systems expect a woman to work her entire life. It’s why European governments have to provide lengthy maternity leaves. What many view as a family friendly policy is also kind of putting women on government welfare because they had an a baby. I’m not convinced either system is better, but I do know many moms who stay home and have only met one SAHM in Europe.

Also, housing markets are much more expensive in other countries and you can’t get a 30 year fixed mortgage.

Your entire post is BS though with the “access to healthcare.” You lose all credibility right there.

By any measure, European countries with socialized medicine do better than the US. Lifespan, maternal mortality rates, number of children who are living in poverty, number of children who lack access to regular food, etc., etc. Americans don't live as long, American mothers die at an alarming rate giving birth (especially Black mothers), and an embarrassing percentage of children are food insecure and homeless in this country. Where do you get the idea that quality of life is better in the US? It's better for the wealthy, but then again, it's better for the wealthy in Europe, too.
And as for the access to health care, tell me, how does an unemployed woman with young kids fare in the US healthcare system? How well do you think Medicaid works?

This only applies to countries that are 95% or more white

Canada and the UK both have sizeable non-white minorities and their stats are much better than the US, too. Basically, the US stinks for lifespan, maternal health, poverty, and child welfare compared to every other peer nation.

FYI Canada’s healthcare system is a disaster. People are on waiting lists sometimes for YEARS just to get a primary care doctor.

NP - Still miles better than the US system. I would not call Canada's a disaster, and especially not in comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m thankful that I never meet drama queens like OP in real life.

OP no one cares if you’re a SAHM, you’re tye only one making a big deal out of it.

That’s not true. I’ve found that some people really have a problem with it, especially when I wasn’t working pre-kids!

And no, I didn’t sit around all day, I volunteered at numerous institutions, cooked from scratch, read voraciously, became a practitioner of an ancient art form, gardened, and tried to fit in exercise. (Now with kids, the exercise piece is the only one that I’ve been able to keep in the picture.) But even if someone in my situation didn’t do all those things, that should be okay too!

I honestly think it says more about the person who would be “bored out of their mind”, that they can’t think of ANYTHING to fill their time with other than a job (where other people tell them what to do with their time).

But full disclosure, I do have a learning disability that I hide and mask (so maybe my mind is already lost….lol). But I don’t let it define me or let it stop me from just doing my best and being happy with that!

I say keep your head up, look em in the eye and tell them that you care for your family and your home (which of course is NOT to say that those who work do not do so.). Why is that so devalued.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m thankful that I never meet drama queens like OP in real life.

OP no one cares if you’re a SAHM, you’re tye only one making a big deal out of it.

That’s not true. I’ve found that some people really have a problem with it, especially when I wasn’t working pre-kids!

And no, I didn’t sit around all day, I volunteered at numerous institutions, cooked from scratch, read voraciously, became a practitioner of an ancient art form, gardened, and tried to fit in exercise. (Now with kids, the exercise piece is the only one that I’ve been able to keep in the picture.) But even if someone in my situation didn’t do all those things, that should be okay too!

I honestly think it says more about the person who would be “bored out of their mind”, that they can’t think of ANYTHING to fill their time with other than a job (where other people tell them what to do with their time).

But full disclosure, I do have a learning disability that I hide and mask (so maybe my mind is already lost….lol). But I don’t let it define me or let it stop me from just doing my best and being happy with that!

I say keep your head up, look em in the eye and tell them that you care for your family and your home (which of course is NOT to say that those who work do not do so.). Why is that so devalued.

Congratulations, you just won the prize for most pretentious statement on DCUM! Marvelous feat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Oh, I’m not a worker.”

“I’m a moocher.”

And yet, no one judges SAHMs, right?

What? Of course they do. I certainly do.

I have mixed feelings about well-educated SAHMs who SAH after their all kids are in school full-time. I have several of them as friends, and I enjoy their company, but I believe they're wasting their educations. I know several of them suffer from anxiety and/or ADHD and can't seem to manage both a career and family. They have not thrown themselves into house and home either. They're relatively unproductive members of society, especially given the tremendous amount of privilege they have. The irony, of course, is that they are all politically liberal, but have no problems assuming a very traditional role at home, having a man as a plan, and encouraging their own daughters to attend college and graduate school presumably to pursue their own careers.
Most of the SAHMs I know are financially dependent on the husbands, which is a calculated financial risk they assume but are unwilling to mitigate.
The several financially independent SAHMs I know I think are still wasting their educations, but at least they have their own money and won't be SOL if they find themselves divorced or their husbands unable to work.

You think an education is wasted if it’s not used to earn a paycheck? Sounds like you could use a better education!

Come on, are you really going to argue this? These SAHMs moms are not doing high stakes volunteering like helping women extricate themselves from abusers, helping refugees get asylum, or petitioning for IEPS for underprivileged kids. These SAHMS are wasting their T20 college educations and law degrees by spending their days organizing class parties for overprivileged kids, shuttling kids to soccer games, and doing Costco runs to supply snacks for field trips. That law degree could have been used by someone who might be volunteering to serve at clinic for undocumented families or something.

How common is it really to hold these types of volunteer positions?

Most people are working for a paycheck. Most people are paper pushers. If you got lucky in life you’re a high earning paper pusher. Really don’t see how working for a corporation is any better or worse than driving kids to soccer practice. I feel like the posters who over emphasize careers and jobs are likely unintelligent. I work myself but would never return if they stopped paying for me.

Hello, do you live in the US? If you are a paper-pusher at a corporation, you're able to get health insurance, earn money to buy food and pay rent, and you can use that position as a stepping stone for a better job. In countries with socialized medicine and safety nets, you don't have to worry about being an unemployed SAHM because in the case of divorce or your husband dying, you'll still have access to healthcare, and you'll likely get a lot of support for housing and other necessities. In the US, if you end up a divorced or widowed mom with kids, you are SOL. You hopefully have family money or find a decent paying job despite being out of the workforce for many years.

Your response is interesting because my European friends all appear to need to work way more than their US counterparts. They have fewer legal protections from marriage or aren’t even married, their spouse/partner earns a much lower salary, and social welfare systems expect a woman to work her entire life. It’s why European governments have to provide lengthy maternity leaves. What many view as a family friendly policy is also kind of putting women on government welfare because they had an a baby. I’m not convinced either system is better, but I do know many moms who stay home and have only met one SAHM in Europe.

Also, housing markets are much more expensive in other countries and you can’t get a 30 year fixed mortgage.

Your entire post is BS though with the “access to healthcare.” You lose all credibility right there.

By any measure, European countries with socialized medicine do better than the US. Lifespan, maternal mortality rates, number of children who are living in poverty, number of children who lack access to regular food, etc., etc. Americans don't live as long, American mothers die at an alarming rate giving birth (especially Black mothers), and an embarrassing percentage of children are food insecure and homeless in this country. Where do you get the idea that quality of life is better in the US? It's better for the wealthy, but then again, it's better for the wealthy in Europe, too.
And as for the access to health care, tell me, how does an unemployed woman with young kids fare in the US healthcare system? How well do you think Medicaid works?

This only applies to countries that are 95% or more white

Canada and the UK both have sizeable non-white minorities and their stats are much better than the US, too. Basically, the US stinks for lifespan, maternal health, poverty, and child welfare compared to every other peer nation.

FYI Canada’s healthcare system is a disaster. People are on waiting lists sometimes for YEARS just to get a primary care doctor.

NP - Still miles better than the US system. I would not call Canada's a disaster, and especially not in comparison.

Have you actually lived in Canada? Because I have. The healthcare system may not be worse than the US system but is most certainly not better. They both suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Oh, I’m not a worker.”

“I’m a moocher.”

And yet, no one judges SAHMs, right?

What? Of course they do. I certainly do.

I have mixed feelings about well-educated SAHMs who SAH after their all kids are in school full-time. I have several of them as friends, and I enjoy their company, but I believe they're wasting their educations. I know several of them suffer from anxiety and/or ADHD and can't seem to manage both a career and family. They have not thrown themselves into house and home either. They're relatively unproductive members of society, especially given the tremendous amount of privilege they have. The irony, of course, is that they are all politically liberal, but have no problems assuming a very traditional role at home, having a man as a plan, and encouraging their own daughters to attend college and graduate school presumably to pursue their own careers.
Most of the SAHMs I know are financially dependent on the husbands, which is a calculated financial risk they assume but are unwilling to mitigate.
The several financially independent SAHMs I know I think are still wasting their educations, but at least they have their own money and won't be SOL if they find themselves divorced or their husbands unable to work.

You think an education is wasted if it’s not used to earn a paycheck? Sounds like you could use a better education!

Come on, are you really going to argue this? These SAHMs moms are not doing high stakes volunteering like helping women extricate themselves from abusers, helping refugees get asylum, or petitioning for IEPS for underprivileged kids. These SAHMS are wasting their T20 college educations and law degrees by spending their days organizing class parties for overprivileged kids, shuttling kids to soccer games, and doing Costco runs to supply snacks for field trips. That law degree could have been used by someone who might be volunteering to serve at clinic for undocumented families or something.

How common is it really to hold these types of volunteer positions?

Most people are working for a paycheck. Most people are paper pushers. If you got lucky in life you’re a high earning paper pusher. Really don’t see how working for a corporation is any better or worse than driving kids to soccer practice. I feel like the posters who over emphasize careers and jobs are likely unintelligent. I work myself but would never return if they stopped paying for me.

Hello, do you live in the US? If you are a paper-pusher at a corporation, you're able to get health insurance, earn money to buy food and pay rent, and you can use that position as a stepping stone for a better job. In countries with socialized medicine and safety nets, you don't have to worry about being an unemployed SAHM because in the case of divorce or your husband dying, you'll still have access to healthcare, and you'll likely get a lot of support for housing and other necessities. In the US, if you end up a divorced or widowed mom with kids, you are SOL. You hopefully have family money or find a decent paying job despite being out of the workforce for many years.

Your response is interesting because my European friends all appear to need to work way more than their US counterparts. They have fewer legal protections from marriage or aren’t even married, their spouse/partner earns a much lower salary, and social welfare systems expect a woman to work her entire life. It’s why European governments have to provide lengthy maternity leaves. What many view as a family friendly policy is also kind of putting women on government welfare because they had an a baby. I’m not convinced either system is better, but I do know many moms who stay home and have only met one SAHM in Europe.

Also, housing markets are much more expensive in other countries and you can’t get a 30 year fixed mortgage.

Your entire post is BS though with the “access to healthcare.” You lose all credibility right there.

By any measure, European countries with socialized medicine do better than the US. Lifespan, maternal mortality rates, number of children who are living in poverty, number of children who lack access to regular food, etc., etc. Americans don't live as long, American mothers die at an alarming rate giving birth (especially Black mothers), and an embarrassing percentage of children are food insecure and homeless in this country. Where do you get the idea that quality of life is better in the US? It's better for the wealthy, but then again, it's better for the wealthy in Europe, too.
And as for the access to health care, tell me, how does an unemployed woman with young kids fare in the US healthcare system? How well do you think Medicaid works?

This only applies to countries that are 95% or more white

Canada and the UK both have sizeable non-white minorities and their stats are much better than the US, too. Basically, the US stinks for lifespan, maternal health, poverty, and child welfare compared to every other peer nation.

FYI Canada’s healthcare system is a disaster. People are on waiting lists sometimes for YEARS just to get a primary care doctor.

Your anecdata is misleading. Health outcomes in Canada are superior to the US, despite the inconveniences of care in Canada. Even worse, the US spends far more money per capital on healthcare than Canada, but has worse outcomes. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022

Another gaslighter who wants to pretend the US population has worse health outcomes than other nations because of our healthcare system and not, of course, because of our ridiculously unhealthy lifestyles…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Oh, I’m not a worker.”

“I’m a moocher.”

And yet, no one judges SAHMs, right?

What? Of course they do. I certainly do.

I have mixed feelings about well-educated SAHMs who SAH after their all kids are in school full-time. I have several of them as friends, and I enjoy their company, but I believe they're wasting their educations. I know several of them suffer from anxiety and/or ADHD and can't seem to manage both a career and family. They have not thrown themselves into house and home either. They're relatively unproductive members of society, especially given the tremendous amount of privilege they have. The irony, of course, is that they are all politically liberal, but have no problems assuming a very traditional role at home, having a man as a plan, and encouraging their own daughters to attend college and graduate school presumably to pursue their own careers.
Most of the SAHMs I know are financially dependent on the husbands, which is a calculated financial risk they assume but are unwilling to mitigate.
The several financially independent SAHMs I know I think are still wasting their educations, but at least they have their own money and won't be SOL if they find themselves divorced or their husbands unable to work.

You think an education is wasted if it’s not used to earn a paycheck? Sounds like you could use a better education!

Come on, are you really going to argue this? These SAHMs moms are not doing high stakes volunteering like helping women extricate themselves from abusers, helping refugees get asylum, or petitioning for IEPS for underprivileged kids. These SAHMS are wasting their T20 college educations and law degrees by spending their days organizing class parties for overprivileged kids, shuttling kids to soccer games, and doing Costco runs to supply snacks for field trips. That law degree could have been used by someone who might be volunteering to serve at clinic for undocumented families or something.

How common is it really to hold these types of volunteer positions?

Most people are working for a paycheck. Most people are paper pushers. If you got lucky in life you’re a high earning paper pusher. Really don’t see how working for a corporation is any better or worse than driving kids to soccer practice. I feel like the posters who over emphasize careers and jobs are likely unintelligent. I work myself but would never return if they stopped paying for me.

Hello, do you live in the US? If you are a paper-pusher at a corporation, you're able to get health insurance, earn money to buy food and pay rent, and you can use that position as a stepping stone for a better job. In countries with socialized medicine and safety nets, you don't have to worry about being an unemployed SAHM because in the case of divorce or your husband dying, you'll still have access to healthcare, and you'll likely get a lot of support for housing and other necessities. In the US, if you end up a divorced or widowed mom with kids, you are SOL. You hopefully have family money or find a decent paying job despite being out of the workforce for many years.

Your response is interesting because my European friends all appear to need to work way more than their US counterparts. They have fewer legal protections from marriage or aren’t even married, their spouse/partner earns a much lower salary, and social welfare systems expect a woman to work her entire life. It’s why European governments have to provide lengthy maternity leaves. What many view as a family friendly policy is also kind of putting women on government welfare because they had an a baby. I’m not convinced either system is better, but I do know many moms who stay home and have only met one SAHM in Europe.

Also, housing markets are much more expensive in other countries and you can’t get a 30 year fixed mortgage.

Your entire post is BS though with the “access to healthcare.” You lose all credibility right there.

By any measure, European countries with socialized medicine do better than the US. Lifespan, maternal mortality rates, number of children who are living in poverty, number of children who lack access to regular food, etc., etc. Americans don't live as long, American mothers die at an alarming rate giving birth (especially Black mothers), and an embarrassing percentage of children are food insecure and homeless in this country. Where do you get the idea that quality of life is better in the US? It's better for the wealthy, but then again, it's better for the wealthy in Europe, too.
And as for the access to health care, tell me, how does an unemployed woman with young kids fare in the US healthcare system? How well do you think Medicaid works?

This only applies to countries that are 95% or more white

Canada and the UK both have sizeable non-white minorities and their stats are much better than the US, too. Basically, the US stinks for lifespan, maternal health, poverty, and child welfare compared to every other peer nation.

FYI Canada’s healthcare system is a disaster. People are on waiting lists sometimes for YEARS just to get a primary care doctor.

Your anecdata is misleading. Health outcomes in Canada are superior to the US, despite the inconveniences of care in Canada. Even worse, the US spends far more money per capital on healthcare than Canada, but has worse outcomes. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022

Another gaslighter who wants to pretend the US population has worse health outcomes than other nations because of our healthcare system and not, of course, because of our ridiculously unhealthy lifestyles…

I'd like to see you data, if you believe in science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Oh, I’m not a worker.”

“I’m a moocher.”

And yet, no one judges SAHMs, right?

What? Of course they do. I certainly do.

I have mixed feelings about well-educated SAHMs who SAH after their all kids are in school full-time. I have several of them as friends, and I enjoy their company, but I believe they're wasting their educations. I know several of them suffer from anxiety and/or ADHD and can't seem to manage both a career and family. They have not thrown themselves into house and home either. They're relatively unproductive members of society, especially given the tremendous amount of privilege they have. The irony, of course, is that they are all politically liberal, but have no problems assuming a very traditional role at home, having a man as a plan, and encouraging their own daughters to attend college and graduate school presumably to pursue their own careers.
Most of the SAHMs I know are financially dependent on the husbands, which is a calculated financial risk they assume but are unwilling to mitigate.
The several financially independent SAHMs I know I think are still wasting their educations, but at least they have their own money and won't be SOL if they find themselves divorced or their husbands unable to work.

You think an education is wasted if it’s not used to earn a paycheck? Sounds like you could use a better education!

Come on, are you really going to argue this? These SAHMs moms are not doing high stakes volunteering like helping women extricate themselves from abusers, helping refugees get asylum, or petitioning for IEPS for underprivileged kids. These SAHMS are wasting their T20 college educations and law degrees by spending their days organizing class parties for overprivileged kids, shuttling kids to soccer games, and doing Costco runs to supply snacks for field trips. That law degree could have been used by someone who might be volunteering to serve at clinic for undocumented families or something.

How common is it really to hold these types of volunteer positions?

Most people are working for a paycheck. Most people are paper pushers. If you got lucky in life you’re a high earning paper pusher. Really don’t see how working for a corporation is any better or worse than driving kids to soccer practice. I feel like the posters who over emphasize careers and jobs are likely unintelligent. I work myself but would never return if they stopped paying for me.

Hello, do you live in the US? If you are a paper-pusher at a corporation, you're able to get health insurance, earn money to buy food and pay rent, and you can use that position as a stepping stone for a better job. In countries with socialized medicine and safety nets, you don't have to worry about being an unemployed SAHM because in the case of divorce or your husband dying, you'll still have access to healthcare, and you'll likely get a lot of support for housing and other necessities. In the US, if you end up a divorced or widowed mom with kids, you are SOL. You hopefully have family money or find a decent paying job despite being out of the workforce for many years.

Your response is interesting because my European friends all appear to need to work way more than their US counterparts. They have fewer legal protections from marriage or aren’t even married, their spouse/partner earns a much lower salary, and social welfare systems expect a woman to work her entire life. It’s why European governments have to provide lengthy maternity leaves. What many view as a family friendly policy is also kind of putting women on government welfare because they had an a baby. I’m not convinced either system is better, but I do know many moms who stay home and have only met one SAHM in Europe.

Also, housing markets are much more expensive in other countries and you can’t get a 30 year fixed mortgage.

Your entire post is BS though with the “access to healthcare.” You lose all credibility right there.

By any measure, European countries with socialized medicine do better than the US. Lifespan, maternal mortality rates, number of children who are living in poverty, number of children who lack access to regular food, etc., etc. Americans don't live as long, American mothers die at an alarming rate giving birth (especially Black mothers), and an embarrassing percentage of children are food insecure and homeless in this country. Where do you get the idea that quality of life is better in the US? It's better for the wealthy, but then again, it's better for the wealthy in Europe, too.
And as for the access to health care, tell me, how does an unemployed woman with young kids fare in the US healthcare system? How well do you think Medicaid works?

This only applies to countries that are 95% or more white

Canada and the UK both have sizeable non-white minorities and their stats are much better than the US, too. Basically, the US stinks for lifespan, maternal health, poverty, and child welfare compared to every other peer nation.

FYI Canada’s healthcare system is a disaster. People are on waiting lists sometimes for YEARS just to get a primary care doctor.

Your anecdata is misleading. Health outcomes in Canada are superior to the US, despite the inconveniences of care in Canada. Even worse, the US spends far more money per capital on healthcare than Canada, but has worse outcomes. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022

Another gaslighter who wants to pretend the US population has worse health outcomes than other nations because of our healthcare system and not, of course, because of our ridiculously unhealthy lifestyles…

I'd like to see you data, if you believe in science.

You need to see MORE data that Americans eat a diet consisting of over 50% ultra processed food, that approximately 70% of the adult population is overweight or obese, and that we drive literally everywhere rather than walking or biking or otherwise using our bodies?

Or do you need to see data that indicates that all of the above lifestyle decisions are extremely unhealthy? Or the scientific research that suggests one doesn’t need access to universal healthcare to stop eating garbage? Or to go for a walk?

If so… yeah, there’s tons of data backing up my assertion that Americans live extremely unhealthy lifestyles. Wake up, Rip, you’ve clearly missed a lot.

[Anonymous]

Just lean into it and be like, "I'm a housewife." I work but DGAF what anyone else does, it's a basic DC starting point of conversation but anyone with any social skills will pivot quickly and ask a not work related question. Don't go on about being a "CEO, psychologist, program management specialist, nurse, dog trainer, cleaning woman, nanny, tutor, etc" who does at least 500k a year of work and no one cares.