What is a "Mom" job and how can I get one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For moms who just want a little extra money and something to do, I know quite a few who teach preschool (the 9-12 kind) while older kids are in school or substitute teach. They don't make much (probably comparable or less to the yoga post) but I think they find it satisfying to be working in some manner.

I have a decidedly not mom-job, with inflexible and unpredictable hours. Luckily I love my job and my husband has some flexibility!

This is my opinion of this phrase also. Like, getting a "job", as opposed to a "career". Something that helps with some money on which your family is not dependent, but may be helpful, that has little to no known upward mobility, and that is easy to get out of. So, I used to work part-time, but it was at a career. There was always a path forward. And we depended on the income that I made. Now I work full-time in the same field, based on the experience I still had working part-time. So, I considered it a "mommy track" of a career, and not a "mom job". The job would be something that is only doable totally around the schedule of the primary income and the schedules of the children. Whether or not it is intellectually stimulating is not part of the equation to me, but of course that would be a great opportunity.

My contract position is flexible which is why I thought of it as a good mom job. It is my own business and I am actually making more money than I did working in a big company. Flexiblity is key for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work from home full-time with occasional travel and make $180k. So is mine a mom job or not?

Sounds f'n awesome. What do you do? Law?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we calling these "mom" jobs? Because dads don't care enough about spending time with kids to demand a flex-time job?

Moms are usually the ones pursuing these jobs, right? Don't try making this into some kind of political statement.

Because having highly educated women actually desire low-paying jobs isn't political? If it's gendered and about economics, it's political.

Sorry you're bent out of shape over choices other women make that have nothing to do with you. I'm a highly-educated woman who, like the PP, has had it with stressful, long hours that prevent me from taking care of my children the way they deserve to be taken care of. So reading this thread and getting ideas for jobs that would make life a whole lot more enjoyable, is extremely helpful. You can spin it into some "gendered" nonsense though, if it makes you feel better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we calling these "mom" jobs? Because dads don't care enough about spending time with kids to demand a flex-time job?

Moms are usually the ones pursuing these jobs, right? Don't try making this into some kind of political statement.

Because having highly educated women actually desire low-paying jobs isn't political? If it's gendered and about economics, it's political.

Sorry you're bent out of shape over choices other women make that have nothing to do with you. I'm a highly-educated woman who, like the PP, has had it with stressful, long hours that prevent me from taking care of my children the way they deserve to be taken care of. So reading this thread and getting ideas for jobs that would make life a whole lot more enjoyable, is extremely helpful. You can spin it into some "gendered" nonsense though, if it makes you feel better.

Sorry if you don't understand why gender and work-life balance aren't important issues take seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we calling these "mom" jobs? Because dads don't care enough about spending time with kids to demand a flex-time job?

Dads have to work a lot to support these moms who work mom jobs.

Not all dads. And most of them are happy that their wives are able to do what makes them happy. Sorry your husband isn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we calling these "mom" jobs? Because dads don't care enough about spending time with kids to demand a flex-time job?

Moms are usually the ones pursuing these jobs, right? Don't try making this into some kind of political statement.

Because having highly educated women actually desire low-paying jobs isn't political? If it's gendered and about economics, it's political.

Sorry you're bent out of shape over choices other women make that have nothing to do with you. I'm a highly-educated woman who, like the PP, has had it with stressful, long hours that prevent me from taking care of my children the way they deserve to be taken care of. So reading this thread and getting ideas for jobs that would make life a whole lot more enjoyable, is extremely helpful. You can spin it into some "gendered" nonsense though, if it makes you feel better.

Sorry if you don't understand why gender and work-life balance aren't important issues take seriously.

I agree with this PP. Come on, ladies. Gender and work issues are important to everybody, not just women. It's a human issue, not a women's issue. I recommend you all read Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time by Brigid Schulte.

[Anonymous]

I have a mom job, if we can call it that (125k). My hours are 7:00 to 3:00, Spring break and Winter break off, all snow days off (I work for a school district so they are extremely considerate if kids are sick etc)). I would love the flexibility to work from home at least twice a week, but I am not complaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we calling these "mom" jobs? Because dads don't care enough about spending time with kids to demand a flex-time job?

Moms are usually the ones pursuing these jobs, right? Don't try making this into some kind of political statement.

Because having highly educated women actually desire low-paying jobs isn't political? If it's gendered and about economics, it's political.

Sorry you're bent out of shape over choices other women make that have nothing to do with you. I'm a highly-educated woman who, like the PP, has had it with stressful, long hours that prevent me from taking care of my children the way they deserve to be taken care of. So reading this thread and getting ideas for jobs that would make life a whole lot more enjoyable, is extremely helpful. You can spin it into some "gendered" nonsense though, if it makes you feel better.

Sorry if you don't understand why gender and work-life balance aren't important issues take seriously.

People like you simply like to blame women who scale back at work or quit entirely because you feel that should never even be an option. How about this: you continue on your daily work treadmill and the rest of us will do what we need to to create better balance in our lives.

Many women simply aren't interested in leaning in to work and prefer to instead lean into family. Good for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we calling these "mom" jobs? Because dads don't care enough about spending time with kids to demand a flex-time job?

Dads have to work a lot to support these moms who work mom jobs.

Not all dads. And most of them are happy that their wives are able to do what makes them happy. Sorry your husband isn't.

I'm a dad with a "mom job." My wife is in finance and I am in-house. I work regular hours, do drop offs, handle sick days/snow days, etc. I make 180K and work 8-5 sharp. No travel. DW makes several times that and travels. I was a biglaw partner and made the switch because even though we had tons of money, we were very quickly headed to a divorce because someone had to take a step back. I did and am happy. DW is happy working. And we still have plenty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we calling these "mom" jobs? Because dads don't care enough about spending time with kids to demand a flex-time job?

Dads have to work a lot to support these moms who work mom jobs.

Not all dads. And most of them are happy that their wives are able to do what makes them happy. Sorry your husband isn't.

I'm a dad with a "mom job." My wife is in finance and I am in-house. I work regular hours, do drop offs, handle sick days/snow days, etc. I make 180K and work 8-5 sharp. No travel. DW makes several times that and travels. I was a biglaw partner and made the switch because even though we had tons of money, we were very quickly headed to a divorce because someone had to take a step back. I did and am happy. DW is happy working. And we still have plenty.

Good for you and awesome for your family! It takes a secure man to scale down and let his wife make more money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work from home full-time with occasional travel and make $180k. So is mine a mom job or not?

Sounds f'n awesome. What do you do? Law?

I'm very lucky. I work in finance. My office is out of state and I travel there every three weeks or so. I also travel for other meetings. I am very fortunate, I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we calling these "mom" jobs? Because dads don't care enough about spending time with kids to demand a flex-time job?

Moms are usually the ones pursuing these jobs, right? Don't try making this into some kind of political statement.

Because having highly educated women actually desire low-paying jobs isn't political? If it's gendered and about economics, it's political.

Sorry you're bent out of shape over choices other women make that have nothing to do with you. I'm a highly-educated woman who, like the PP, has had it with stressful, long hours that prevent me from taking care of my children the way they deserve to be taken care of. So reading this thread and getting ideas for jobs that would make life a whole lot more enjoyable, is extremely helpful. You can spin it into some "gendered" nonsense though, if it makes you feel better.

Sorry if you don't understand why gender and work-life balance aren't important issues take seriously.

People like you simply like to blame women who scale back at work or quit entirely because you feel that should never even be an option. How about this: you continue on your daily work treadmill and the rest of us will do what we need to to create better balance in our lives.

Many women simply aren't interested in leaning in to work and prefer to instead lean into family. Good for them.

You're making a huge leap there. I am NOT blaming women who scale back at work. Where did you read that? Please point that out to me.

The fact of the matter is that until more of us actually make the effort to *think* more deeply about issues of work-life balance and why the burden of childcare largely falls upon women (whether they want to or not), we are not going to be able to make changes in policy and American work culture that push well-educated women into taking low-paying jobs. There should be well-paying, family-friendly jobs, that capitalize upon the education and work histories of mothers.

And, frankly, your simplistic dichotomy of leaning into work vs leaning into family is short-sighted. I love my career, and I am able to take my children to school, pick them up, attend sports practices, supervise homework, etc., and use my education while contributing to my family's finances, health care insurance, education, retirement, and savings.

[Anonymous]

Not the OP, but this thread is very helpful. Thanks to all who have posted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we calling these "mom" jobs? Because dads don't care enough about spending time with kids to demand a flex-time job?

Dads have to work a lot to support these moms who work mom jobs.

I'm one of the PPs who works a 32-hour week in my professional job. My husband also has a family-friendly (though full-time) job, and we make almost equivalent salaries. In other words, he makes about 20 percent more but we'd make pretty close to equal salaries if my job was full time. And we both make less than we might in less family-friendly jobs. So no, he doesn't work a lot to support my "mom job." We both support each other so we can both be there for our kids, and have as fulfilling a career as we can manage within that parameter. And we made some financial tradeoffs (smaller house, fewer vacations) to make that happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a mom job, if we can call it that (125k). My hours are 7:00 to 3:00, Spring break and Winter break off, all snow days off (I work for a school district so they are extremely considerate if kids are sick etc)). I would love the flexibility to work from home at least twice a week, but I am not complaining.

That's really good! 125K is really high. I can't imagine you being a teacher and leave by 3 or an administrator and leave by 3.
Are you a "specialist"?