SAHM/Homemakers - What do you do all day?

[Fruem]

Those who choose to be a SAHM/homemaker, who don’t ‘have’ to work, what do you do all day?!

I’m talking the SAHM’s who don’t work from home. Who don’t have to look after the kids all day etc.

If you’ve done cleaning/washing/shopping etc. How do you fill your day?

Do you think these extremely intelligent women who have become surgeons don’t also have the intelligence to make their own decisions about what to do with their lives? That they are brow beaten into staying at home facilitating their husbands careers? Chances are that if they have decided to stay at home, it’s because that’s what they feel they’d be happier doing.

Chienrouge I agree with you and a surgeon is such a high pressured career it must be difficult to have a work life balance at ththe best of times let alone with babies and small children; it must be exhausting to do both.

Passthestarmix, no offence taken. I think you are making a fair point. The difficulty comes with my travel. I have to go away at least once a month, so any work he would do would have to take that into account. At the moment at least I am not having to worry about organising things around this. But...you make a salient point and I think things will definitely have to change sooner rather than later. Not least because actually it's a bit demoralising having someone around watching TV when I am stressed about work.

Woah just RTFT! There's a huge bias in this argument that all women who give up work earn more than childcare would cost.

Besides a brief stint in management (which I hated) I've always been a waitress. I can be paid minimum wage to take other people food and clean up after them and pay double that to someone else for the privilege, or cook and take food to my lot and clean up after them!

There are millions of people working minimum wage/0 hour contract jobs with random hours and no perks. For them, childcare is just so pointless- it would cost me money to go to work.

Plus I'd hate it... it's much easier to look after one (very helpful) adult and one baby than an entire hotel of demanding, rude and condescending guests!!!

cherry I actually know a surgeon. She has a 3 year old, and went back to work when he was 12 months old. She’s miserable, because she barely sees him. She does 4 long days (12 hour shifts, no less) plus a night on call. Similar to the men you’re talking about. She’s now pregnant with no 2 and is choosing to become a SAHM after her second is born.

Granted I have no idea if she’s brilliant or just an average surgeon. Does it make a difference if she’s only average? Is it acceptable for her to be a SAHM in that case?

Also, my best friend is a child protection social worker. Little opportunity for flexible working. She barely sees her 2 year old from Monday to Friday. Is that less ‘sad’ than a ‘corporate monkey’ who works 12 hour days? I don’t really understand the rules.

I used to work nights so had the house to myself all day ... bloody bliss.

I would walk the dog, go on long bike rides/gym, leisurely bubble baths, the old bit of housework. (I clean as I go, so I don't tend to do bulk cleaning), have a nap, walk the dog again, during summer laze in the garden and read a book, watch tv.

God I loved that job!

ImAMarshmellow But if you had no kids to look after how was that a SAHM? Can’t
imagine many sahm doing long bike rides, bubble baths and gym session with baby/young child.

Pass - the original question on this thread was specifically to SAHMs who don't look after babies or young children all day (ie: SAHMs whose children are at school).

I don’t class women whose kids are at school as a SAHM though. To me a SAHM looks after children through the day. I would class women who stay at home with no kids to look after as being unemployed.

I don’t class those that stay at home with no children to look after as a SAHP though. To me a SAHP is somebody who looks after children instead of going to work. I’d class those that stay at home with no children to look after as unemployed.

I don’t class those that stay at home with no children to look after as a SAHP though. To me a SAHP is somebody who looks after children instead of going to work. I’d class those that stay at home with no children to look after as unemployed.

Sorry about multiple posts; the site crashed.

No problem Passthestarmix
It gave everybody extra chances to be amazed by your snide

Pagwatch nothing snide. I was answering Ragwort. You can look for a fight with somebody else. Have a nice evening

A SAHM who has no children to look after... what does this mean? It means being available to pick up children from school and take them to school, being there if they are sick. Being able to take them to after school activities. Clean the house, cook the meals, do the washing and ironing, plan the household admin and finances probably. Be in when the washing machine needs fixed. Etc etc. If they have no children to look after, they aren't mothers. Or are you talking about women whose children are adults? I stayed at home with my kids until they were at Secondary school. I did everything, including all the finances etc, taking the car to the garage, all that stuff. If I had worked I would have had to put the kids into expensive childcare. My husband worked long hours and I wouldn't have earned enough to make it worthwhile. I think you can reel your judgemental contempt back in a bit.

Starmix - to be honest, I don't mind being called unemployed if certain people feel the need to put labels on my lifestyle.

We have enough income as a family and always had shared finances and that's it.

I find the whole thing a bit daft to be honest. Is a SAHM to one child less of a SAHM who is at home with 5?

I have 4 DC and there are constant issues whether they are in school or not. In fact, I find the summer holidays when they are home easier - no homework, no schedules, etc.

AmazingGrace47 Of course they’re mothers. I just don’t class staying at home with no dc to look after as a job. Those that work still take their kids to school and pick them up and do housework. I think if you get to stay at home while you’re dc are in school than you ade very privileged. Sorry I didn’t mean to offend. I just share a different opinion.

FYi to be unemployed you need to be available for work.
Being a sahp to school age children does not, for example, make one eligible for any out of work benefits

g1itterati You have a very lovely lifestyle and I’m sure they’ll be a lot of parents who would love that.

I am a SAHP. I'm a parent and I stay at home. Regardless of whether or not I look after children all day. You don't have to be a drudge to be a SAHP. You could have a cleaner if you can afford it.