for feeling smug when mothers of school-agers describe themselves as "Full-time mums" or "Housewives"?

I am also a WAHM due to the snow. I love it - getting paid to sit on a computer, whilst DH entertains the kids (to ensure that they don't suffer rickets or lack of emotional input as a result of childcare). Best of both worlds - lovely!

My strike ot doesn't work either. mmmmmmmmm My unmade bed is calling me.

I don't envy SAHPs (okay, sometimes but I know that if I stayed home for more than a week I would remember why I prefer to work). I don't think they are lazy or resnet them or feel smug about my choices. I believe in living in a free world where individuals are able to make their own choices.

I think that people who spend their time worrying about other people's choices often do so beause they are unhappy with their own choices.

The only objection I have to people choosing to stay at home is when they want me to fund it with my hard earned measly income. If they are independantly wealthy and can stay home and fund the lifestyle of their choosing... then good for them.

Besides, my SAHM friends have bailed me out of many a childcare crisis, and for that I welcome their choice. :-)

Jeez, if I carried around this burden of smugness/jealousy/resentment towards the SAHM/Ds I don't think I'd have many friends at my kids' school.

Why doesn't the strike out work on my PC? I followed the rules!

"I want to campaign for the right to be a lazy fucker occasionally"

Absolutely. All those poor women around the world working their fingers to the bone in the home and in the workplace for fuck all. Sisters - I salute you. And I'm taking this nap on your behalf.

Thank you alb2. Today I am WAHM due to the weather. DD is at school and I am sat here reading mumsnet working

It's absolutely impossible to generalise "Careering" and YABU to feel superior. Yes, some SAHMs may be sat watching telly all day, but others will be working their socks off for their family, elderly parents...who knows.

Some working Mums, like you plan to be, will be wonder women, doing their economic bit as well as being wife and mum of the year. Others will be stressed and putting work before their families, leaving others to care for their neglected children.

Each to their own - not everyone is lucky enough to have a choice about returning to work.

I have been both a SAH and a WOH mum - bothe have their drawbacks and one is certainky not superior to the other. (Wish I was a SAH mum for the month before Christmas though!)

SITD

I'd KILL for some.

OMG - the bliss of sliding under the duvet at lunchtime with a frivolous book and a box of Hershey's peanut butter cups. [insert yearning face emoticon]

Sleep in the daytime mum sounds great.

I like to make use of childcare when I am lucky/unlucky enough not to have any paid work, in order to be a SITDM (sleep in the daytime mum).

Feeling you StayingDavid. Never mind whether we should be domestic goddesses or go-getter career girls, I want to campaign for the right to be a lazy fucker occassionally and not feel too guilty about it. Men seem to get away with it...

40denier maybe so for this thread, but there is a trend for these type of thread to generate a lot of animosity between SAH/WOH mums.

Glitteryballs - in the interests of openness, I should point out that I make use of the domestic shortcuts you referred to earlier, in order to have time to Mumsnet.

Housework fascinates me - I can sit and look at it for hours.

Actually on this particular thread, most WOHM have been quite reasonable and non-smug.

Hmm! I am a working Mum who envies the feck out of SAHM as I'd love to be a SAHM. On the other hand I am sure plenty of SAHM envy my fortune of part time work.

Horses for courses I say. There is nothing unfulfilling about being a SAHM - I'd love to do it. Tis the only time my house is actually organized.

I wasn't going to post until I read giddypickle as you generally can't win on these threads, whatever you do or say. But I think giddy sums it up pretty well.

Basically, from the various threads on MN it seems that all SAHM think working mums are bad parents who damage their children and all working mums think SAHM are lazy.

Lovely!

Think its hard enough being a mum without having to deal with all this sort of guilt and anger thanks. Personally, I think you need to make choices that work for you and your family and stop reading the daily mail judging mums for their parenting/work balance.

whatswrongwithyou, i'm with you. at last someone who gets it.

bunbaker, Work Outside the Home I think. What does SM stand for anybody?

I just it's so sad people can't let people decide without judging or feeling superior. I am a sahm but will work as soon as I can. My bf had to send her dd to a cm at 3 months because she needed to pay her mortgage. I just depends on your circumstances. I think that the person who started this text is a nasty piece of work!

Yes they do - and I'm all for them doing so if that's what it takes to get by. As I said, even that wouldn't fit in with my circumstances as not many employers give school holidays off.

The fact that some people are compelled to do these jobs doesn't mean I should feel obliged to do so.

Wizened Old Harridan Mothers (in my case, anyhow)

OK, so what does WOHM stand for?

sorry - housewives

"It's always been clear that my having a job would be unsustainable; okay, maybe there's some little sweetshop out there who'd let me mind the till during school hours and give me school holidays off, but frankly, no thanks."

a. Bet there's not - not that'll let you have time off all hols

b. Some folks have to take that job in 'some little sweetshop' to make ends meet.

IMO, once upon a time housewifes did all the things that we are "supposed" to do, wish we had the time to do, but can't because we don't have time. For example, shop for fresh veg and meat everyday instead of going to the supermarket, keep the house properly clean and not just skim the surface, do the ironing and not pay someone else to do it or buy clothes that don't need it, sit down as a family for an hour at mealtimes and not all eat on the go etc etc.

Keeping a house was and still is/ a full time job. Women who also decide to work for whatever reason often do have to make a few short-cuts along the way or risk going mad. Some women choose not to and stay at home. I am not criticising either. I will probably be going back to work, but I don't think those who SAH have it easy. My mum was a SAHM and I don't remember seeing her sitting down and relaxing once. She made her own yorkshire puddings and baked. No Aunt Bessie in our house! YABU