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!

Does it really bloody matter whether you work or are a sahm?

I don't care less what you do.

So bored with these type of threads.

i prefer the term "domestic goddess"

lots would have to give if i went back to work.plus anything i earned would be a drop in the ocean compared to dh.im not bothering until both are out of juniors.

CareeringAlong can I ask what you do as a career? and why you think that it is an important thing to do? Ie what kind of careers do you think are superior to staying at home?

Meant reducing your employability.

Go on, admit it you are just jealous.

yes, you are so superior. well done you. as if SAHP's don't get enough of a bashing. you are doing exactly the right thing by posting on a parenting forum about your sense of superiority over those that don't have a purpose in life . of course everyone here will agree with you, even those of us with no purpose other than to MN. enjoy your smugness while you leave the house in the snow and trudge along to work, taking a break only when allowed and leaving in the dark to come home and start dinner. I will be happy knowing you feel smug whilst i slink back in to bed with a cuppa to read a magazine and then have a leisurely bath. yep.

Why does it make you feel superior? Because you like to work your arse off all day? I'm a SAHM mum, mainly because DH works away a lot, and I prefer not to have my children looked after by someone else before and after school.

By staying at home my children can have friends round after school, can be taken to extra-curricular stuff at 4 in the afternoon and I'm not constantly having to rush from A to B. I can also attend all the children's plays/fetes etc without having to organise days off from work. Nor do I have to find someone to look after my children for 14 weeks holiday a year. I've worked and been a SAHM in the past and can tell you it's less stresfful being at home than working.

And why should I work if I choose not to? It's our choice as a family that I stay at home. Why do you think that because someone doesn't work then they're not half the person you are?

I really don't see why you feel you have to have a go at someone for wanting to look after their own children properly. Clearly you are the most important in your world.

Piss off and carry on being smug in your oh-so-important life. And when your teenage children are hanging round the streets while you're at work, maybe you'll reconsider.

Yes, I'd always look after a pre-schooler full time.

Have two DCs and won't be having more, so will re-start career when DD's at school.

Really looking forward to it!

Everything go said.

I have a teenager and he's not hanging around the streets while I'm at work. He's in college.

don't know wht you'd feel smug tbh
but I have a few friends who choose to not work and have no pre school kids
Personally i would be bored and I do wonder what they do with themselves but it's 6 hrs a day and I prob pretty easy to fill.

I would suggest that if you have enough free time on your hands to be concerned about this sort of nonsense, then you could probably do with a job to keep yourself occupied...

Still waiting to hear what this career is that is so important and you are looking forward so much to re-starting.

if looking down on other people's parenting choices makes you feel good about yourself, go ahead.

i've spent 43 years looking for the switch you press when you want to change your lifestyle at the drop of an hat. thanks OP, can you share it's whereabouts with us?

let me guess........is it located tightly inside your rectal passage?

cos you're surely talking from there

I was thinking the other day, if I wasn't around to do pick-ups and lifts, my DCs would do nothing outside of school besides go to whatever CM I've arranged to take them home.

In fact, now that DS1 is 15 and wouldn't be caught dead with a child minder, he'd either be stuck at home minding his little brother or, as Go says, hanging round the streets in the freezing cold.

Smug? Hahaha. I feel smug when Reading your post. If you think doing paid work amounts to a 'purpose in life' then you need a bit of a rethink. Each to their own I think. I think you are very rude and actually a bit jealous. I certainly have never heard a WOHM describe their situation as superior!

Booyhoo & Go, say it all!
Brilliantly put,Go.

My kids are at school all day, and DP can work from home when he likes. I have an awful lot of sex. I do feel quite smug about that.

You feel smug because you're planning on not being a housewife once your children are all at school? Your life must be remarkably empty. No wonder you're looking forward to getting a job.

at BOF.