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!

It doesn't say that - but I'd still rather my daughter sees the opportunites she has open to her in terms of careers outside of the home, with women fulfilling these roles. I'd also like my sons to see that women are more than capable of these jobs, with men responsible for sharing the housework and childcare juggling.

They agonise about this everyday in Darfur.

really dont care what y'all do I know im right

smug (smg)
adj. smug·ger, smug·gest
Exhibiting or feeling great or offensive satisfaction with oneself or with one's situation; self-righteously complacent: "the smug look of a toad breakfasting on fat marsh flies" (William Pearson).

Quite, hully.

Don't feel smug. Wait until you have managed to get that job that suits you and your family, and find just how bloody hard it is to juggle everything. If you manage that without stress and corner cutting, well done you, feel smug if you like. Until then, defer smugness. IME there is no permanently perfect choices.

i just want the dc to see the nursery nurses

I just want them to see

Yaaaaaaaawwwwwwwn

I know women who work as GP's, anesthetists, surgeons and guess who a) pays the childcare b) 9/10 drops everything for the children. If you can't have equality at that level god help us.

Xenia will be along in a minute to kick us all up the arse.

Clearly you're not that smug as you have name changed.

Op, I was at a school assembley a while ago with my friend who has no pre school age children. somebody made a comment about her being 'a lady of leisure' little do they know that when she has dropped her DC off every day she is straight round to her mums house to take care of her. Her mum has dementia and needs somebody with her full time. My friend works her fecking arse off trying to hold everything together.

So next time you are judging somebody from a far and feeling all smug remember you have no idea what somebody elses life is like, and certainly no right to judge

Valium I'm now considering changing my name to ApocalypseLazyCheeks, probably the most strenuous thing i've done all day, that and grind my bumcheeks, AND the dcs are picked up and dropped off door to door for school, no braving wind and frost for me, I don't even get DRESSED if i'm not going out, what's not to like ??

Wakey wakey Fanjo - you're going to miss the best bits

Northernlurker - When I was a SAHM I would describe myself as a full time mum not because I thought that WOHMM were part time mums but because I couldn't think of another word for it. SAHM is a bit mumsnetty and housewife would suggest that I actually did housework which was far from the truth.

I feel smug that I don't have to work, actually.

Of course supermarket shopping isn't a reasonable replacement for a career, however, getting my nails done and enjoying long lunches out is

I completely agree that children (mostly) have two parents, and so both parents should shoulder responsibility.

But, when I go back to work, my salary will have to cover all the childcare costs. And the transport costs, and the clothing costs. We pool all our money, and since I've been at home, all of DH's has been sucked up by trivial things like the mortgage, utility bills and food. He doesn't have a magical WOHD pot that he uses for beer and toys that could be used for childcare. So unless we want to go under financially, I will have to make a net gain when I go back to work.

i love a good sahm/working thread.strangely compelling

Do you know, I was listening to single girl in her 20's this weekend and laughing to myself - obviously she must be important if the boss sends her 35 emails before 9am. Must be, company can't possibly work without her. I would suggest that her boss is sending her the work whilst he is at home having fun with the wife!

I say this because I find it highly amusing now to see the self importance people with a job seem to accumulate. Unless you run your own company - you are just somebody elses money making machine. Well done you.

And then you have to run around after the family at the weekend.

Don't start on SAHM who have no pre-schoolers, school isn't that long a day and you will find you will still have to pay someone in the copious school holidays, days off etc etc which then begs the point as to whether or not it is actually worth going back to work if you have to pay so much in childcare. But that topic has been done to death too.

I'm bored now so might go off and walk the dog or perhaps do something immensely enriching with my dd.

I can't help but feel prejudiced against judgemental smug santimonious people like you OP.

Oh and I also picked the sausages out of a tin of beans and sausages, didn't grate the cheese tho, that came READY GRATED

Isn't it someone elses employment that allows you to stay at home?

Actually whats really bad about this thread is that OP is smug about something she hasn't done yet and everyone else is getting irate over ops delusions.

I just loved the assumption you made about people that you do not know having no purpose outside cooking and cleaning. Ouch!

So very anti-female darling.

Hope your career is still there for you when you try jump back into the workforce, although you just might have left it too long by then... never mind.