To ask what all the happy WOHM do for a living

[JellybeansInTheSky]

I have been following a few of the recent threads about being a SAHM etc. There are quite a few WOHM who have posted that they really enjoy their jobs. Can I ask what you do? I am a WOHM with 3 DC aged 7, 4 and 18 months and I am not finding work very exciting at the moment.

I'm an architect. And I adore my job. Even Monday mornings!

Clinical Psychologist, 3 days a week, in the community mental health team
Love working with the families I meet, is challenging, interesting, extremely rewarding ( not financially but in other ways) never get bored, has a clear career path so you can progress, continue to learn & develop

I'm a software developer. I enjoy the challenge, there's always something new. My employer is pretty flexible and I can occasionally work from home. I work part time since having DCs

I work 27 hours a week as a project manager in the NHS. Everyone else is full-time but I came in on a secondment and so continue to work part-time. It's very varied and I get to work largely unsupervised, which I love.

I'm an actuary, so not too different to an accountant. I mostly enjoy my job. If I had a different boss I would say I love it, he just makes stress where there is none!

I work part time and quite flexibly, and can work from home if I need to pop out to see the kid's nativity play.

Lawyer. 4 days a week. Perfecto.

I'm part time cabin crew....20 years in still enjoy it ....but no way could do it full time any longer.

Before I had my fourth child, I worked FT and then PT as a chartered surveyor in the international retail sector....I did enjoy it, the money was good, but there was a fair amount of travel which didn't work so well once DH started travelling a lot for his job too.

Am now a happy SAHM - but do a lot of volunteering for interesting organisations.

Operations manager in substance misuse setting. Mental health Nurse by background.

Adore it. Flexi time, challenging, interesting

I'm not a mother, but I'd not stop working even if I won the lottery. I'm a recruitment consultant but at the executive search end of the market, so finding high-ranking executives and board level hires for FTSE companies. My colleagues work with other professional fields and there's always good gossip .

I love my work. The research, the socialising, the really interesting candidates and clients. Everyone has a story and it's really stimulating working with good people.

Most of my work is commission and bonus based though, so the unpredictability of income is tough.

I am head of fundraising, comma, and retail for a charity. Work 4 days, 1 from home, and often do emails in the evening when DCs in bed. I agree the voluntary sector is good for flexibility at a senior level - I became more senior when DS1 was 3 (now 9, and have DS2 also) and I have only missed one or two school / nursery related things - although there is the expectation in charity that you will do extra as needed as a matter of course, but it balances out well. DH works shifts so we only need childcare 2 afternoons a week - I respect others choices but SAHM would not be right for us. However I can say this as someone who has a flexible and rewarding job they enjoy. I am very lucky, I know.

Comma?! Comms!

Marketing Coordinator for a college. I like my job and love that I'm expected to take most of my leave in the holidays. Will come in handy when DS starts school this year!

Operating Department Practitioner, I work 24hrs at a private hospital with 4 operating theatres. I alternate between recovery and anaesthetics and I love the variety, my colleagues and the patient contact.

I'm an accountant (although actually i do corporate tax, even worse haha) but i love my job. I get to help lots of small businesses and stop them panicking when they get a call or a visit from HMRC!

Scientist in the Pharma Industry. Very interesting, worthwhile and challenging work. Great boss and colleagues, good terms and conditions. Parenting can't really compete as far as intellectual stimulation goes, maternity leave (we have 3DC) made me slightly crazy.

I'm in IT, creating products used by people (ie paying customers rather than for internal systems or teams). Love the job (even if I'm a bit fed up with management decisions sometimes!) and have a lovely boss who is very flexible when DD is sick.

I also managed to get this job on much higher pay but with normal hours (did a huge amount of overtime in the previous job) plus work from home one day a week right after coming out of maternity leave so been pretty lucky really.

I'm an accountant who works for a very large (household name) company. Involved with corporate reporting and management forecasting. It's well paid and very secure. Had worked my arse off in various roles with them for 8 years, but have then had a total of two years of mat leave in fairly quick succession. After my second round of mat leave I decided I really wanted part-time. To my total amazement they agreed to 3 days a week and advertised for someone to job-share my role. I now share my job with another mum of young children, doing 3 days each (overlapping for a whole day on a Wed). Not only that, but I go in early and leave at 4, so home 4.30. We have fantastic (albeit very expensive!) childcare which makes a huge difference. My work is very interesting and I work with great people.

As others have said, life does feel like a juggling act. And working part-time sometimes makes you think you are not succeeding either at home or at work. But on balance I love what I do and as others have said, I think I'm happier and more enthusiastic on the days I am at home.

Niche tax adviser in an accountancy firm. I am not an accountant though. Incredibly varied role and manage a team of consultants. Staff management can be a right mixed bag though and gives me more headaches than tax law.

Some days I 'm happy and others I'd like to leave. I can't afford not to work though. I am not sure I would be great as a SAHP but something less pressured may be better.

Great some happy accountants too now.

Loads of really unusual jobs as well. Being a scientist in the pharma industry sounds fascinating.

I work for a really big telecoms company and head up a chunk of their digital/online business. Hugely challenging, sometime enormous fun, often massively headache inducing and, right now, a complete nightmare as I'm in the throes of a huge programme delivery.

It not only keeps me off the streets, it keeps me challenged and growing, and I enjoy being good at what I do. I sort of work 4 days a week (I frequently work on the 5th day, but generally not the whole day) and generally work from home at least once a week. It's been a massive challenge with 3 dcs, but mostly I'm glad I kept working.

I work in a scrap yard, I do the accounts and payroll.
Also a addiction (any) and group counsellor/ psychologist.
Also a fully qualified (4 year apprenticeship plus formal quals) hairdresser.

My happiness of working whilst having children is that my work is so varied I don't get bored PLUS when my DS was tiny I could just do the hairdressing and took him with me.

PT accountant in a small practice. V v happy, although I am moving on next month - still as an accountant but in a different capacity.

OP

There are a few accountants on here and they are very helpful and nice

Another public sector Comms manager here - I have three children and work four days a week. It is hectic and can be stressful but I'd get so bored if I didn't work (I know, I was at home for years when the children were babies). I mainly enjoy it because I work in a great team and the work is varied and interesting.