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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what all the happy WOHM do for a living

189 replies

JellybeansInTheSky · 22/01/2015 15:31

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.

OP posts:
Theboodythatrocked · 22/01/2015 23:47

Childminder.

Really enjoy running my own business. I have to advertise and sell my setting to parents and children alike.

I recently re opened after a break and am still grateful and in awe that parents trust me enough to leave their precious children with me.

I love that the parents always start really stern and almost hostile with barriers up, but by week 2 after their children are happy to come and don't want to leave,visibly relax and look like the cares of the world are off their shoulders.

Picnics in the summer and sledging in the winter. Playing all day and still able to tune into radio 4 if needed.

Hard work but great. And surprising lucrative too. Grin

HicDraconis · 23/01/2015 05:00

Anaesthetist, work 5 10h days a week plus call overnight and weekends.

I love my job, although it's more difficult to remember that when I'm called in at 3am for an epidural...

Only possible with our family because DH is a SAHD.

missedmebythatmuch · 23/01/2015 05:12

I work in a compliance niche in a global investment bank. Hours are fixed in stone because the team is global, so Sydney hands to HK hands to London, hands to New York and so on 24 hours a day.

Interesting people, stimulating work and good money.

I am so proud that at many times I have carried the family during quiet times (sometimes extending for a year or more) for DH's business. He is outstanding and definitely pulls his weight domestically.

Mixtape · 23/01/2015 06:42

This is such an interesting thread! Interested to see a couple of cabin crew here - that was my dr am job as a child (before I developed my fear of flying!)

kikidee · 23/01/2015 06:58

I'm an accountant and love it. I work 4 days and I'm able to collect my children from school two days a week. It's quite full on but I leave at a reasonable time each day and only very occasional travel.

VeryThelma · 23/01/2015 07:03

Work 4 days as an Account Manager in the Hospitality industry, based from home and lots of meetings in Restaurants love it

Athrawes · 23/01/2015 07:24

Teacher. I leave home 7:45, drop son at daycare 8:15, in school for 8:30 briefing. Leave at 4:30 and reverse the journey. It will get harder when he is in school. I manage to leave on time because I have to. I need to collect him. I manage because I have decided to just teach this year and have given up Head of Department role. I manage because I tell myself that good enough will have to be enough. Teachers who are doing 7 to 6 really need to reconsider how effectively they are using their time. If you are in but so exhausted that you aren't really working well then you may as well be at home.

WidowWadman · 23/01/2015 07:33

I work in Procurement and love it

etienne1 · 23/01/2015 07:36

I'm in the armed forces, back full time (we don't get a choice) next week when DS is 6 months. DH also in armed forces, but fortunately we are living together at the moment so can both do nursery drop offs/pick ups.

Our jobs are also (largely) 8-5 when we're in the UK. There's also a rule that I won't get sent anywhere for at least a year on returning to work and we'll never both get sent away at the same time.

DH is also leaving in 2 years (to fly commercially) which will make life easier for us! I love my job, find it challenging and feel I'm doing something very worthwhile. Have loved these 6 months at home with my boy, but maybe I enjoyed it so much knowing I was going back?

ConcreteElephant · 23/01/2015 07:54

I work in information management for a large public sector organisation - I'm a qualified librarian but not in a traditional role at the moment.

I dropped from full time to .5 after DC2 was born, then to just over .4 when DC1 started school this year - mainly to help with childcare and finances! My salary is swallowed up by the travel and childcare anyway but having 2 in different places was going to be horrendous logistically for everyone, so some changes had to be made. DH is hugely supportive and absolutely pulls his weight but it's his wage that we couldn't do without and I am happy to pull back for a bit while the children are small.

My employers have been fantastic about my flexible working requests, and the job itself is very flexible. I have a commute but am home for school pick up every day. I can also work from home a bit. The pay is good for what I do and I'd have to work full-time locally to earn the same amount. I appreciate the flexibility and trust shown in me to get my job done and I work hard in return.

I hope to pick up some more hours again when the DC are older. Career development is on the back burner temporarily but I'm happy to be where I am right now. I know I'm lucky.

drivingmisspotty · 23/01/2015 07:57

Ooh interesting topic.

I am a volunteer manager for a charity. I get to meet wonderful generous and interesting people every day. And I really believe in the work our charity does so I feel like my work is worthwhile.

It helps as well that I have an amazing nanny who I trust completely with my DC.

Now that dd is at school, I would like to go part time so I can collect her more often and have more time to talk about her day, but it's not possible right now.

Work has its moments of stress of course but on the whole I am really happy :)

cookiemonster100 · 23/01/2015 08:04

Financial controller working 3.5 days a week (the 1/2 day from home). Childcare is a mix of childminder & grandparents which we are lucky to have.
Sometimes I do extra hours for peak times but I get that back.
Love what I do & very grateful the support our parents give us x

NoCryingInEngineering · 23/01/2015 08:14

I'm a senior engineer and project manager at an SME. I generally love it though the fire fighting sometimes drives me nuts.

Going back ft in just over 2 weeks time and DH is taking some leave to look after DS so we can see how it works out. My place is lousy at flexible working but I'm considering requesting a formal change to my core hours to make pick ups easier. We may also try to both drop to 4 days /week but as we both earn about the same I'm not keen to be the only one reducing my hours as I've already basically missed a promotion due to mat leave

ItsNotUnusualToBe · 23/01/2015 08:28

Happy accountant here. Public sector in the back of beyond. Good child care and an organisation with good work-life balance attitude (in my area).
Love what I do but challenging times for public services.

StellaGibson · 23/01/2015 08:36

lawyer here too - inhouse in charity and love it (mostly).

pupsiecola · 23/01/2015 08:43

What does WOHM stand for please?

Nolim · 23/01/2015 08:53

Wohm = working out of home mum.
Sahm = staying at home mum.

pupsiecola · 23/01/2015 08:57

Thank you. I knewSAHM. Was struggling to figure the other out!

AChickenCalledKorma · 23/01/2015 09:05

I am a town planner and I work for my local council. The main thing I love about my job is that they are happy for me to work school hours - so I have a 22 hours a week contract and spread it over five days. My DC are older now (12 and 9) and I'm finding it is well worthwhile to have that time at home with them after school. Over 50% of the staff at the Council are part time and the flexible culture more than compensates for the stress involved in sometimes having to make very unpopular decisions!

thatsenoughelsa · 23/01/2015 09:08

I am a School Nurse. I currently work 3 days a week all year round but will have the option of working term time only when DD starts school.

I love the variety of the job. It involves parenting workshops, teacher training, drop in clinics, sexual health, mental health, child protection, immunisations, nutrition...it's impossible to get bored because every day is different. I work with some very vulnerable children and families and love feeling that I've made a difference.

I am lucky that my bosses are very flexible. If I need to change my working day due to DH being away or work from home the odd day it's not a problem. For me working 3 days is the best of both worlds, I'm with DD more than I'm away from her but I also get to do something for myself.

pupsiecola · 23/01/2015 09:18

I've been trying really hard to get back to work. I took 6 years out whilst my kids were little and then I had a part-time admin job. I'm mid 40s now, and my kids are 12 and almost 10. In September I started a 2 year HND in Business which I intend to top up to a degree by doing a third year. It's going well so far and I got 3 distinctions and a merit for work I did last last term. I'm really proud of that because I left school at 16 and it's been hard returning to study. However, I do love it.

I worked as a PA for 12 years in my 20s. Then I did a full time IT course and came out with a Microsoft Systems Engineer qualification. I worked in IT for a few years - support and projects.

I feel I have so much to offer an employer but I only want to work part-time as my kids must still come first. I've got my PA skills, my IT skills, now my newly acquired business knowledge. I can show that I'm self motivated etc. I feel like it's my time again. I need to do something!

I have given up looking at the job websites like Reed etc. I emailed 30 local companies who I would like to work for; one of those may have something. I'm signed up for job alerts for places like the local university etc.

I just wonder how those with part-time roles got them. Perhaps I need to use LinkedIn more, or take out an advertisement?!

Thanks for any tips...

wishmiplass · 23/01/2015 09:23

I'm a manager of a volunteer-led family support charity. Work around 50 hours a week at the moment and constantly trying to secure future funding is always stressful, but I like it that there's the flexibility to be imaginative in the work that we do. Money's not great, but we get by. DP is SAHD.

wishmiplass · 23/01/2015 09:26

pupsiecola What sectors are you looking in? Perhaps look at non profits (social enterprises, charities, community interest companies etc). I've worked in the VCSE sector for nigh on 20 years and find that there are often lots of p/t jobs in the support areas you specify (or job shares). x

pupsiecola · 23/01/2015 09:36

Thank you wish. So far I've been looking at web design/creative agencies. Small companies who may be open to/have the need for a part-timer with my skill set. I will take a look at those. Thank you. I wonder too what part geography has to play. Ie if I lived in a city or large town I think it would be easier. But we're a couple of hours from London in a rural/suburban type area.

wishmiplass · 23/01/2015 09:45

Actually, that may work to your advantage... smaller organisations based outside of cities don't necessarily need (or have the money) for full time support staff. What you will need to demonstrate though is a passion for the work that they do, be it animals, children, the arts or whatever.

Or, you could look at volunteering to begin with if that's finacially viable. I've created a post before because the volunteer became to crucial/integral to the piece of work we were doing.