Does everyone on MN - except me - have a high flying highly paid highly stressful job

[IamtheMistressofmyFate]

Is anyone a hairdresser married to a mechanic? Nursery nurse married to a delivery driver?

I keep reading about women having to go back to work or they'll fall off the career ladder and never recover. Everyone seems so BUSY and STRESSED and high flying. Or they've burnt out and have downsized so they can bake bread.

Is anyone else just pootling along like me - not setting the world alight with their brilliance and ambition?

HidingFromMyKids
Some one has to put blood sweat and tears into these fancy houses and extensions/orangeries that all the high flyers have

This is my DH. While I stay at home and constantly dust because DH leaves a trail of debree where ever he goes.

Im a commercial kitchen cleaner nothing posh about my job or high flying, my Oh has got a prestige job with a high income

Haha, no. I'm NHS admin, working well below my qualifications because I'm a lone parent to a DC with ASD who comes first.

I'm a nursery nurse married to a plumber.

Nah mate, over educated and underemployed here

TakemedowntoPotatoCity - daughterofanarchy might have passed functional maths to get her job as a dispenser.

Thanks squid.I wish school holiday flights weren't so mental because I would love to go to Italy, Spain or Greece twice a year! (We don't either but I'm on bugger all money at the moment).

I hope to be a high flyer one day! I personally love hearing about high flying women managing careers and families. I had children young in my early twenties but chose to keep my career going, I'm middle management, wouldn't say I'm overly stressed (not at home anyway) as I'm a firm believer of work/life balance, have utilised flexible working as much as I can. But myself and my husband absolutely strive to getting higher up on the career ladder and we will.

I am in awe of how many women on here, cope with so much, and often with very little. I don't care what a person does, sahp, working, having kids, balancing the books (especially if low income and/or single Mum), dealing with special needs children and high maintenance family members. . . you're flipping amazing.

We're all doing the best we can with the hand we've got dealt.

Oooooh I do love the where are you going on holiday and how much are you spending threads. They are complete works of fantasy

DH and I are having a date weekend in New York in Jan
Half term: ski-ing with PIL
Easter: we're taking the kids on a pilgrimage to Lourdes then popping into Euro Disney (hoping my parents will come with us so DH and I can have a night in Paris and meet up with friends from my Erasmus year)
Half term: villa in Tuscany (yawn!)
July/Aug: all inclusive in the Caribbean
Half term: cottage in Norfolk - looking forward to fish and chips and making memories crabbing
Christmas: the moon (bored with Lapland)

Cost: several million but we're both high fliers in really stressful jobs and this is the only way we can de-stress - though will take our laptops with us to the moon (hope it has broadband)

Im pushing on for 40 and havent ever had a job. Ive been my sons carer since I had him. Previous to that I was en route to becoming a nurse.

Live with my dp who works part time in a minimum wage job to take some of the strain of the boys care needs. We do own our own home tho, bought before our lives took the the turn it took and we've hung onto it by tooth and nail.

Income is under 30k a year with wages/ top ups/ sons pip.

Civil servant married to a Warehouse Operative

My job is very stressful sometimes, but I work with great people, not the lowest paid but not great.

My DH was a Head Doorman for many years but it was a stressful and dangerous job not worth the hassle/money so now he works for Sainsbos.

I'm a SAHM and dp is an engineer, low paid and the only ladders we climb are up to the loft to get the Christmas tree out.

You sound really bitter and jealous OP. Maybe some people are lying, or exaggerating, but why would you assume that everyone is? People's circumstances widely vary, and just because someone's circumstances that they describe are vastly different to your own, that does not in itself constitute evidence of falsehood.

My dh's boss - that would pretty much be a description of his wife's life - she's a SAHM, who pretty much every holiday they're doing something amazing, with all three children at the most exclusive schools in the country. She's also one of the sweetest, most down to earth people you could ever hope to get pickled over Sunday lunch at a very expensive restaurant with.

I know this, because I've met them, after they drove there in their maserati, and Land Rover 4WD. I know how he, a working class Northerner made his multi-millions, and I've got every admiration and respect for them, and am glad they enjoy the fruits of their labours so well. Why shouldn't they?

Yes, these people exist, in the UK and all around the world.

I get you OP, it feels like everyone is middle class here especially in babynames. I don't know anyone like this in real life. I'm surrounded by hairdressers, bar workers, window cleaners etc and I live in a nice place.

OP I find the holiday thread quite staggering too and it's only me and DH going on holiday, and I am one of the high earners!

Iammistressofmyownfate

While I appreciate the jest of the thread you do come across quite bitter, perhaps you need to embrace your username 😉

You sound really bitter and jealous OP.

Oh God! You can't say anything on here without being accused of being bitter and jealous. It's so tiresome.

I'd never admit to being an MNetter in real life but according to MNHQ there are 12 million of us: I often wonder if the woman serving in the M&S cafe is one, or the woman at the box office is one, or Jane in payroll or Sarah the beautician ...

Not me! Sahm for 5 years, worked pt admin and pt cleaner and pt finance officer.
I didn't have a career before kid, i worked admin jobs for 16 years then got pg.
So i didn't hurry back.

You sound really bitter and jealous OP.

Oh, you can, you can say heaps.

But when you say things like:

Oooooh I do love the where are you going on holiday and how much are you spending threads. They are complete works of fantasy

Then yes, you do sound quite bitter and jealous. Well, to me, anyway.

Well, to me, anyway

? Peace offering. . .

you're on!

“You sound really bitter and jealous OP. Maybe some people are lying, or exaggerating, but why would you assume that everyone is? ”

Because most people probably are!
Bitter and jealous is a classic Mumsnet accusation. I have lost count of the number of times it’s been chucked in my direction - the first three occasions that come to mind were for 1) being opposed to private education 2) being a republican and 3j thinking it is completely ridiculous to buy oneself a £250 Advent Calendar.

Oooooh I do love the where are you going on holiday and how much are you spending threads. They are complete works of fantasy

DH and I are having a date weekend in New York in Jan
Half term: ski-ing with PIL
Easter: we're taking the kids on a pilgrimage to Lourdes then popping into Euro Disney (hoping my parents will come with us so DH and I can have a night in Paris and meet up with friends from my Erasmus year)
Half term: villa in Tuscany (yawn!)
July/Aug: all inclusive in the Caribbean
Half term: cottage in Norfolk - looking forward to fish and chips and making memories crabbing
Christmas: the moon (bored with Lapland)

I do live in Luxembourg but i know people who do really have a holiday schedule like that