Is 'Housewife' an occupation?

Are you able to do this because you bought the large house with large garden and saved a shit load of money when you did work, or because you have a husband who earns a lot?

What on Earth does this have to do with anything? . Is your thread less about what a housewife is and more about you judging if it’s “OK” for women not to work in paid employment and having the audacity not to be ashamed of their life choices?

I was made redundant for a while when my children were small and hated that I needed a label when asked what I did. For feeling inadequate when I said I'm at home with the kids.

This reminds me of one of Alan Partridge's gems when a caller rings in to Mid Morning Matters.
She describes her occupation as "housewife" and Alan replies: "you mean you're unemployed."

This reminds me of a conversation I had with an acquaintance a few months ago. I’m a SAHM and she was likely to become one as well, for various logistical and financial reasons that aren’t relevant here. We were discussing what to call ourselves when someone asked what we did as she was worried about being judged - I said that I tended to tailor what I said depending on the person asking. Sometimes I’ll happily say I stay at home, but for others I’ll deliberately emphasise the studying I’ve been doing or the occasional bits of freelancing I do. Because people are judgemental fuckers.

Guess I’d be bigging up the freelancing for the op.

Surely in this day and age no one claims that their occupation is housewife?

I'm a housewife. I don't have a living child so can't call myself a SAHM. I take care of our large house and do moste of the garden work (also large), I do the shopping, the cooking from scratch and take care of our social life. Becauss I'm at home I'm the go to person when a family member needs help. I'm not bored and love my life. My life doesn't have stress, or tiredness, don't get all the virusses that go around the office, health has never been better, no political annoyances at work, it's a lovely life. I will go back to work in a few years (because I loved my job) but only part time.

I am not a housewife myself but I have many friends, neighbours and aquaintances who are.

Things they do aside from the obvious running of their own homes include-

Looking after grandchildren/nieces and nephews so parents can work without paying for childcare
Caring for elderly relatives
Sitting on the Children's panel
Volunteering for various charities
Supporting elderly neighbours
Running organisations such as Girls Brigade
Running free course via local libraries
Sitting on the Community Councils
Running community gardens and passing on knowledge at the local allotments
Helping at the local Park run

Frankly society would be up shit creek without a paddle without housewives. They are often the very people holding it all together.

I actually spend the greatest proportion of a week asleep, but my occupation isn't somnambulist.

A somnambulist is a sleep walker not a person who sleeps.

So you ca only be a strong female role model if you work? My relationship is equal, cause there is more to an equal relationship than the amount of money you bring in. Do you want to know who I get the most negative comments,about me staying at home, from?? Women!! And I'm sick of it. I really couldn't care less what other women do in their families but people seem to love to comment on my set up. At the core of it is misogyny and its definitly not very feminist. I dont just look after my husband or live off his money. Our relationship has changed over the years in regars to who earns the most etc but it has always been equal.
You never did say what you would prefer her to call herself?
And if we are talking strong female role models, my mum worked but was a shit role model for many reasons. My grandma on the other hand was an amazingly strong woman but she was a housewife. Being a strong woman is not about a job.

Recently I had to fill in my occupation on a form and I put 'Lady of Leisure' - I bet they thought I was an ageing prostitute (which I'm not)... I'm actually a homemaker and master of all trades practical and emotional

When are you going to be on Mastermind soontobe60?
Yet another feminist who likes to slag off women to make herself feel better. 🙄

Well it's not considered a job by most on here, and it was what occupied her time, I suppose.

It feels like you're saying I am there to look after my husband so that he can go out to earn our money.

You're making a whole load of assumptions about this woman and her relationship.

I think the undervaluing of unpaid domestic labour traditionally undertaken by women is profoundly misogynistic.

I don’t understand why being a housewife is automatically not a strong role model for you OP? To me it seems fundamentally sexist to assume an employee man must be the dominant leader in a relationship. Not everyone needs a salary to feel self worth or to hold their own in a relationship. Why is that so key for you?

I describe myself as a housewife, as I would imagine, did my mother, grandmother and great grandmother. I would be very surprised if anyone felt they weren’t strong role models. They were each in their own way extraordinary women.

I find it utterly depressing to be so fixated on income that you see little value in other ways to use your life beyond earning.

She called herself housewife. It wasn't something someone else called her.

You have also made a lot of assumptions about her life eg she def doesn't have younger children. She's def not a carer. She is living off her husband. That her relationship is not equal. Etc.

It's just a word. Maybe an out of date one. But a common one, so not like she went out of her way to say something off the wall.

I also was raised to believe that women should always earn their own way etc with women in family strong working. What i realised quite late was that, that came with a large dose of masculine interests and stuff =good, stuff that is associated with women =crap.

It might be worth having a think about that op. The work that tends to fall to women is dismissed, undervalued, taken for granted. Families organise themselves in various ways. You know nothing about that woman. Maybe she looks after her grandchildren facilitating her children to earn. Maybe she volunteers a lot. Maybe she keeps things ticking over while her dh earns. Maybe she is like patsy out of ab fab...

I don't understand why her calling herself a housewife is such a problem. I mean her life could be v complex. It's a 2 sec outdated intro on a prog that's been going for yonks.

I can't really see the problem.

My mother was a strong female role model.

And a housewife.

I like housewife. It reminds me of my own childhood.

Not if the kids are older i don't think?

The partner point is interesting.

This is language from a different time.

However i do think, that whatever is come up with, won't get around attitudes like op.

Women with kids usually say SAHM rather than housewife. You don’t need a partner to be a SAHM.

Erm also re unemployed guy i assumed kids?

I don't know any women who have given up work pre kids. Plenty who have gone part time after. Some at school who don't go back, even when kids are older they generate a lot of work, school finishes 330, where one is earning a lot and needing to travel, if they want to set up so one stays at home that's up to them surely. And then when kids leave home and woman has been out of workplace for 25 years and is 55 or something... i mean going back to work isn't on the cards unless she wants to?

Situation for women in society who take this route is shaky due again to things being set up around men and capitalism... that's another thread though.

The difference is that he’s not doing something for anyone other than himself.

I could stand all day explaining maths to thin air. It wouldn’t make me a teacher.

Can't we think of a different word to describe a person who can afford to stay at home because they are supported by their partner?

Or maybe she supports herself, she doesn't have to work currently to be supporting herself.