to have felt humiliated at being referred to as a houseperson

[OrkaLiely]

Went to get a new phone yesterday. The sales assistant was entering my details and asked what my job was. I suppose I'm a SAHM but that wasn't an option so she selected "houseperson". It just didn't sound right I would have preferred housewife to such a weird gender neutral term.

Then I failed the credit check because, despite having no debts or loans, I have no credit history because I've been a houseperson for so long

I will raise DD with yesterday's experience in mind.

CONTEXT. You can't just read a dictionary and say well thats that. Especially when there are more than one definition.

employed: past participle, past tense of em·ploy (Verb)
Verb:

1. Give work to (someone) and pay them for it.
2. Keep occupied: "employed in developing products"

In this context its the former not the latter.

Wouldn't bother me at all to be called a houseperson.

amicissimma - by your definition, someone on Job Seekers is also employed,

You are NOT in employment.

I think if you are a sahp the best term would be full-time child carer. It is accurate and less offensive than housewife/husband etc. A sahp is basically a nanny without payment.

But Emily I am a full time mother, even though I am in full time paid employment.

I don't actually stop being a mother at work.

Houseperson is just weird though, isn't it?

Defined here as:

house·per·son (houspûrsn)
n.
A person employed to perform housekeeping tasks, as in a hotel

Doesn't describe me anyway!

Someone earlier in the thread who works for a bank mentioned that she would advise SAHPs not to put unemployed unless they were on benefits with no household income, or it would mean they'd have less choice of bank accounts. Has that been missed by lots of people? It seems to make it pretty clear banks are more interested in the "on benefits with no household income" definition of "unemployed" than any other one.

I'm not a SAHM and never have been, by the way, so this is nothing to do with me choosing a definition that makes me feel better personally.

I am getting a faint whiff of "know your (lowly) place, SAHMs, and if you don't like the name for it get a job" from bits of this thread.

Proud she didn't say full time mother, she said full time child carer, which if you work full time you aren't.

harrypotter.wikia.com/index.php?title=Dobbyℑ=DobbyDH-jpg

That should say "on benefits with no other household income".

I know, I know. But it is a valid (though, slightly off topic) point.

Not really, since no-one implied at all what you were arguing against.

a) You're right. I am busy and not really concentrating!
b) I admitted it was slightly off topic but I have read so many clumsy posts over the years using terms like 'part-time mums' when it comes to working parents
c) I'm off as I am clearly not adding much to this debate!

No I agree, if anyone had of said that, you would have been right to argue. But they didn't.

what do you WANT to be called then? seems ridiculous to be "huliliated"

"Someone earlier in the thread who works for a bank mentioned that she would advise SAHPs not to put unemployed unless they were on benefits with no household income, or it would mean they'd have less choice of bank accounts. Has that been missed by lots of people? It seems to make it pretty clear banks are more interested in the "on benefits with no household income" definition of "unemployed" than any other one."

I think that's what I've been trying to get at - in this context I think it does matter. cat, yes, perhaps a SAHP wouldn't get credit on their own income, but I do think banks treat the two categories differently.

Yes - I know - but it is not the correct definition for the context.

The word "set" for example has 23 different definitions.

The context is how you determine which one applies.

Full time child carer is a good term. My son's BC says 'full time mother'. Some official forms do have 'at home caring for family' as an option too. I personally don't mind unemployed as who cares what it is called but think there are other phrases that suit it better, especially when looking after babies/toddlers.

I think some of the anti-SAHM brigade would prefer to use what they think is the worst terms though! To make themselves feel better perhaps? Who knows.

Sorry OP I think I caused this bunfight which has sadly taken over your thread ... slinks away.
One parting word though surely all we are looking for here is a category name for the purpose of credit rating we don't need to stick any of these labels on ourselves in any other context. Why worry about what silly semantics are used in this tiny part of life.

amicisimma - you may well be fully occupied but you are not employed in the context being discussed in this thread or for the purposes of being assessed for credit.

I am not anti-SAHP. I just think unemployed is a better description than house person. Housewife seems outdated, house person seems odd

I dont think being unemployed is in some way shameful which some posters seem to do as they are determined not be confused with people looking for work. I would not describe it as "the worst term". I think to say that is pretty insuting to the people you do consider to be unemployed

Are you the founder and CEO Catgirl?

Silly comment

Jelly bean - all mothers are full time mothers

I believe I must be proud

:) I really am not! Its a valid life choice. Its isnt employment

I honestly dont think that's contentious

Me either