Page 26 | Is this a ‘Soft life’

Bulbsbulbsbulbs · 29/07/2026 20:53

Sounds great to me! Life should be about what makes you happy, so those who think it's soft obviously are happier with a tougher life so that's fine for them.

JLou08 · 29/07/2026 20:50

Smudgist · 29/07/2026 19:38

Sounds like a lovely life.

Never understand people who think you have nothing to talk about unless you work FT. Why on earth does it make a difference? Unless your conversation is all about work, it makes no sense.

It is really odd. Their whole life must revolve around work. My friends and I talk very little about work. I like to switch off from work, I'd find it boring if work talk was a big part of my social life.

missmollygreen · 29/07/2026 20:48

likelysuspect · 29/07/2026 19:27

I would love it

I dont like working to be honest.

Well it is only the the dh who is actually working full time.

So a soft life for you op, yes

JLou08 · 29/07/2026 20:41

Sounds like a dream life. 6 hours would be enough to keep me stimulated whilst raising a young child. I'd probably need more when DC got older but whilst young it would be absolutely perfect.

realitychick67 · 29/07/2026 20:39

Goatsarebest · 29/07/2026 20:34

What about the millions not in paid work either through non availability or incapacity. Do their lives have no meaning. The vast majority of working lives make no difference to the world or society whatsoever. Getting paid 200k to draft legal contracts for two multi nations to merge is not anymore meaningful than anything else. Staying late to meet deadlines, commuting, spending time with toxic colleagues, filling in spreadsheets with inputs and outputs. Then 40 years have gone. That's fine if that's what you value, but it's not intrinsically more valuable than what someone else values. I would say it's less, but that's just my view.

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Well said!

OrangeFlower14 · 29/07/2026 20:39

@Wellthatwasabrupt is this you?
Has somebody criticised you? It will just be jealousy.

Noidea2026 · 29/07/2026 20:39

Wellthatwasabrupt · 29/07/2026 19:25

And would you want it?

Has Dh, one young Dc and dogs, lives overseas by the beach and countryside, nice house with pool and sea views.
Works 6 hours per week from home. Does all drop offs and pick ups, food shop, dinners, majority to do with Dc and sorting bills. Has a cleaner.
Dh works Mon-Fri -finishes 4.30, no one works weekends.
Days are free based around Dc school drops, coffee with friends, Pilates, yoga, studying or reading if you like, watching Netflix all day if you like, shopping, beach, pool, garden

Would you call this a soft life? Would you like it, be honest?

I used to think work was the be all and end all. But now I would happily not work to spend time with my kids. I dream about a lotto win so often 😂😂 sadly, financially it’s better for us both to be at work. We both work FT and have 5 kids, 3 are under the age of 3. Wouldn’t change our life but it’s nice to dream

Anyahyacinth · 29/07/2026 20:38

Depends how safe your future is.

Don't see how the day is free if there is shopping cooking and laundry to do

Dragonscaledaisy · 29/07/2026 20:37

I'd hate to have to organise my days around school hours and children. Far too rigid for me.

FlyingToniBoxes · 29/07/2026 20:37

BarrelofBeer · 29/07/2026 20:28

My dad was like this.

"Hello, is that Mr BarrelofBeer"
"I am he."

To be fair to him my dad was a salesman from 1952.

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He gets a pass then :) My dad also answered the phone in quite bizarre ways (from today's perspective) back in the day - more along the lines of "Puddleton 352..." [break to listen] then "speak!" Really that was very rude...

Joe Blogs was more of an age to be the son of a salesman from 1952, so he did not get a pass.

Bigbottleofketchup · 29/07/2026 20:37

I would love a slightly tweaked version of this.

I’ll work one or two days, have four children (currently have three and would love one more but worry about diluting time with them), no pets, and be close to a city.

That would be perfect!

Goatsarebest · 29/07/2026 20:34

JugBouquet · 29/07/2026 20:18

Don’t be silly. Everyone needs to be able to support themselves — that’s not ‘capitalism’. Everyone needs meaningful work, paid or unpaid, if they have another means of supporting themselves. The OP appears to have neither.

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What about the millions not in paid work either through non availability or incapacity. Do their lives have no meaning. The vast majority of working lives make no difference to the world or society whatsoever. Getting paid 200k to draft legal contracts for two multi nations to merge is not anymore meaningful than anything else. Staying late to meet deadlines, commuting, spending time with toxic colleagues, filling in spreadsheets with inputs and outputs. Then 40 years have gone. That's fine if that's what you value, but it's not intrinsically more valuable than what someone else values. I would say it's less, but that's just my view.

Simonjt · 29/07/2026 20:34

Wellthatwasabrupt · 29/07/2026 20:17

Dog tax?

Working more hours for you?

And what about her doing more childcare, house organisation, bills…everything else ‘For him’

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Dog tax is a way of asking for a photo of the pooch. Ah typo, I wouldn’t want my husband working more hours than me, not for me.

Blueblell · 29/07/2026 20:31

It sounds great! but not forever. Do you have enough money for the future when your situation may be different.

NoSoapJustUseShowerGel · 29/07/2026 20:28

Wellthatwasabrupt · 29/07/2026 20:23

I didn’t realise there was anything wrong with writing that!

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There is - “herself and her DH” is incorrect.

So many people use myself/yourself etc incorrectly.

BarrelofBeer · 29/07/2026 20:28

FlyingToniBoxes · 29/07/2026 20:25

The wording is weird isn't it?

A million years ago, when I was fairly young, I briefly had a boyfriend who answered the phone by saying "Mr Blogs speaking" and if asked to speak to Joe Blogs replied "this is himself". Obviously that relationship didn't last! It made him sound like a salesman from 1952.

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My dad was like this.

"Hello, is that Mr BarrelofBeer"
"I am he."

To be fair to him my dad was a salesman from 1952.

Ibi · 29/07/2026 20:28

I don’t really understand the soft life bit, but if they both like it, then what’s the issue? It wouldn’t be for me, but you just have to live your life the way you want. What other people do for work and leisure has no bearing on my life!

Screamingabdabz · 29/07/2026 20:28

It sounds idyllic but I’d have fewer dogs and more kids.

Allthegoodhorses · 29/07/2026 20:27

FlyingToniBoxes · 29/07/2026 20:25

The wording is weird isn't it?

A million years ago, when I was fairly young, I briefly had a boyfriend who answered the phone by saying "Mr Blogs speaking" and if asked to speak to Joe Blogs replied "this is himself". Obviously that relationship didn't last! It made him sound like a salesman from 1952.

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How many times do I have to say it is a reflective pronoun to people. Unfortunately now everyone seems to use it, even on the traitors, I loved that show until they got to the round table then said "I'm voting for yourself Daniel" ARRRRGHHHH

KatRee · 29/07/2026 20:27

Sounds wonderful! Ideally I’d want to be close to friends as well, and within easy reach of a city, but if I really had that much time to fill with just as I pleased, it would not be a problem!

realitychick67 · 29/07/2026 20:27

Pallisers · 29/07/2026 20:05

Do people really think that paid work is the only real meaning to life and at the end of life the books you read, the children you reared, the conversations you had, the relationships you had are all just "filler" if you didn't participate full time (defined for some reason as 40 hours a week) in the means of production. What about the job? how do you parse that. 6 hours a week designing jewellery that people love or 40 hours a week managing a hedge fund that could probably be managed better by Malkiel's monkey? Which is filler?

Capitalism has certainly done a number on people.

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Couldn't agree more! Obviously we all need a means of survival, but we all want different things out of life and I think it's sad how jaded and cynical many people have become.

Laveritas · 29/07/2026 20:26

Sounds idyllic, but without the kids please!

Original poster

Wellthatwasabrupt · 29/07/2026 20:26

FlyingToniBoxes · 29/07/2026 20:25

The wording is weird isn't it?

A million years ago, when I was fairly young, I briefly had a boyfriend who answered the phone by saying "Mr Blogs speaking" and if asked to speak to Joe Blogs replied "this is himself". Obviously that relationship didn't last! It made him sound like a salesman from 1952.

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I wasn’t trying to write in a weird way, sorry.

OP posts:

FlyingToniBoxes · 29/07/2026 20:25

Allthegoodhorses · 29/07/2026 20:21

Oh, god please not the "herself, yourself, myself" rubbish. She, She is funding it with her DH.

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The wording is weird isn't it?

A million years ago, when I was fairly young, I briefly had a boyfriend who answered the phone by saying "Mr Blogs speaking" and if asked to speak to Joe Blogs replied "this is himself". Obviously that relationship didn't last! It made him sound like a salesman from 1952.

BarrelofBeer · 29/07/2026 20:24

JugBouquet · 29/07/2026 20:18

Don’t be silly. Everyone needs to be able to support themselves — that’s not ‘capitalism’. Everyone needs meaningful work, paid or unpaid, if they have another means of supporting themselves. The OP appears to have neither.

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Specifically in terms of those with other means of supporting themselves, why does everyone need meaningful work?

Many people with no other means of supporting themselves are obliged to do work that is not meaningful.