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

[CareeringAlong]

Name change...

Following from the threads about life at home when you don't do voluntary of paid work, although your children are of school-age, I was wondering if anyone else who does work can't help feeling a tad superior? Oh yes, I know I'll be flamed for this, but there it is.

These housewives seem to do all the things that working mothers do (cooking, cleaning, planning etc, etc, etc) but don't have any purpose outside of this. They seem to think that doing the supermarket shopping is a reasonable replacement for a 'real' career. I can't help but feel prejudiced against them.

I'm currently a SAHM as DD is pre-school, but will do paid (and voluntary) work as soon as she's in school. I'm looking forward to building-up my career again and working for the family.

Oh, and before anyone jumps on this, I've always cooked decent-quality meals from scratch, even when I worked v. long hours; my dogs are walked in the early hours; and my house is always clean and tidy. I argue that ironing is for losers, however!

OK. Hard hat on!

getorf My dad worked at Rolls Royce in the 1970's....I have very happy memories of going in with him and being bought fruit and nut from the chocolate machines

If you design the toilet doors on planes then you are very bad at your job!!!!

"And, frankly, you just buy cakes to donate to the school bake sales instead of making them yourself."

At our school the shop bought cakes don't sell until all the home made ones have gone - except for Battenburg cake.

It is nice the A380 though

A wonder

Out of interest does the type of work you do mean you do or don't contribute to society, ie if you shuffle paper you don't contribute to society, and if you are in public service you contribute to society? If you look after your own home and children, help as a volunteer for example at a child's school, volunteer for places like homestart does that mean you don't contribute to society?

Personally work is all about earning money for what is needed, if you enjoy your work that is a bonus, if you enjoy the people you work with that is a bonus also. There is no better feeling than spending money you earned than spending money your spouse/ex spouse has given you! There is no better feeling that makind a difference from volunteering. There is no better feeling that meeting your children from school and seeing their relieved face to see you!

I think anyone who doesn't think of their own future is slightly funny. Why on earth wouldn't you want to shape your own? Gods (if that's your bag), floods, pestilence and famine aside, it's usually a good idea to plan to some level.

My mother was a SAHM for all of our childhood through to teenage years. Her sisters and mother constantly belittled her and called her a 'lady of leisure'. Myself and my two sisters have achieved alot academically and career-wise, my younger sister just finishing uni with a first-class honours. We are from quite a poor family too. I always felt good coming home after school or college to know my mum was there to lend an ear.

My uncle and aunt are quite well off but their children are of average intelligence and have minimum-wage jobs. They have always worked full-time, very often leaving my cousins alone after school for long periods when they were teens. My cousins never seemed to be happy, especially the youngest as she got bullied, suffered with bulimia and never received any parental support.

Career isn't everything, teens need love too.

Pamela, if you volunteer and save the country money, is that contributing to society in your mind also or is it just making money?

LOL @ seriously arguing about home made cakes being superior to shop bought ones at the school fair cake stall

I need market research please, peer reviewed

I do like the A380. It is a marvel tbh.

I am an engineer and worked for Airbus, but at points even I thought 'christ is that going to work'

I was involved very boringly in a small part of the design of the fixed trailing edge parts of the wings.

I would love to work for Rolls Rioyce one day.

apologies my spelling is terrible...

No no, not at all, it sounds thrilling

Oh yeah of course they do, in a different way. But even the most socially worthless jobs, like investment bankers or whatever, still 'contribute' because they are required to chuck a lot of money in the pot. People making money is good for all of us (not the bankers so much at the moment...)

wings are quite important though getorf Well done!

I saw pictures of a real life bedroom on the A380. Awesome

But, yes, the fixed trailing edge parts of the wings were lovely too

got to go now, watching vampire diaries and eating malteesers

Are they quite as important as loo doors that stay shut, I wonder?

LadyBlahBlah (love the name BTW)
You are welcome to come along to our Christmas fair on Friday and conduct some market research yourself

At least it's not the Dreamliner, which is three years late and catches fire at inconvenient moments .

Here we go again, it always gets trotted out-dont be a SAHM, your DH will leave you and you will be fucked. Well I will have to respond by saying, the only couples in my circle, who have split, with only 1 exception, are the ones where both work. I have seen it so many times, both have stressful jobs, both get pissed off with the other cos they think the other isnt pulling their weight. Years of angst, years of stress, then divorce.

This is one of the reasons, I decided to become a SAHM.

Funny a banker and his banker wife told me once that I was a worthless menber of society who did not contribute anything!

Apparently caring for children 24/7/365 alone and volunteering and being disabled means you do not contribute to society...

Dilys I worked on the dreamliner as well. On the wireless onboard computer systems called remote data concentrators.

That was 3 bloody years ago and it still hasn't flown.

Mind you that is what happens when you design a plane made completely from carbon fibre and don't adequately test the EMC characteristics.

How we laughed (not really, the company nearly went under).

KILLS THREAD WITH DULL ANECDOTE

Do you really hold the opinion of a wanker banker in high esteem?

You chose to stay at home in case your dh left you?

I loved it when I was the SAHM of an only at school, I used to lunch and have coffee and spend all day reading, I had a cleaner as well - have to get one sorted again. Was awesome.

Have DS2 (8mths) at home now, so not quite as leisurely but still pretty relaxing. I love my life, wouldn't change a thing. Am more than happy to do this end of the family while DH does the money bit (and he does it well).

Couldn't care less what everyone else is up to, when the time comes I will sort out something for work, I am intelligent and resourceful and flexible.

Can't actually see the point of all the hassle that me working will bring when we don't need the money and quite frankly, I don't want to. DH doesn't care either way, but if I go back to work it will certainly effect his earning potential as he will need to pick up the childcare/house running slack.

Do these people simply regard having children as an (unwelcome) interruption to their careers then?