To feel embarassed/ashamed of what I do for a living?

[Exvagabond]

I'm currently working as a cleaner at £10/hour with an agency in London. I've never cleaned professionally until a few months ago, but I was desperate to find work to support my family.

Whenever someone asks me what I'm doing, I tell them and you can just tell by the look on their face that they don't approve almost as if they feel sorry for me. Why does my job make people uncomfortable?

I dont have to work, my partner supports me but I see it like this;

-My DD (4) gets 30 hours at nursery, socialising with other children and learning what I don't have the time to teach her at home

• I'm bringing money in to the household so that we can put money away for emergencies, a holiday, days out etc.

• I'm putting money in to a private pension

• I'm paying tax

• On top of this I'm a part time student, so I won't do this forever

Why am I scum to some people?

YANBU.... In fact you are being a good example to many who cannot be bothered or do more than they ar required too. My Mum was a cleaner, ended up in a few very rich homes (word of mouth) for her work effort and trust! Well done you!

My tuppence worth, fwiw... never be ashamed of earning an honest living. I was brought up by middle class parents to be a bit snobby towards ‘menial’ work. I’m a graduate, but for the last 13 years I’ve worked in a supermarket (I have an 11yo), and I occasionally feel the same as OP. Then I realise I work for life’s extras, and my own independence. I work to live, not the other way around.
OP you’re doing what’s right for your family. Be proud of that and sod everyone else and their opinions :)

People are snobs. It's a completely worthwhile job and always in demand!

You are doing a hard and not especially rewarding job

Why is cleaning a not especially rewarding job? I would have thought it is rewarding - you can see what has been done and that you have made a difference. I worked in administration for over 40 years - nothing at all rewarding in that!

Omg who are these people who look down on you? You hold your head up high, you are a hard working, honest tax payer who is providing for their family.

Don’t let anyone get you down! X

Aww everyone is being really nice which is good. You definitely shouldn't be ashamed of your job.

I work front of house/housekeeper at Wetherspoons and honestly loads of comments on Mumsnet made me feel like shit.
There was a few weeks last year when for some reason there were loads of horrid, snobby comments about Wetherspoons staff.
I tried to not let it bother me but I did end up feeling offended and crap.

I was a cleaner in my local hospital for 12yrs, and whilst some people would look mortified when I told them I was always proud of what I did because the patients, nursing staff and even Drs etc always made me feel part of the team and appreciated all my hard work. A very small cog in the running of the dept, but, without my small cog the ward/dept would not of been able to run smoothly I.e infection control, meal times & beverages for patients etc etc so never under sell what you do. you are important in what you do for many more reasons than you think for you op

Taking care of our surroundings is an act of care and service that is vastly undervalued. Why don't people understand this? Our home and work areas would rapidly decline without cleaners.

OMG, who are these people? If their looking down their noses at you it says more about them than it does you. Good on you for getting out there and working - there's nothing wrong with being a cleaner. I've done cleaning, bar work, café work etc. It paid all my bills when I was at uni and afforded me nights out. Without those little jobs I wouldn't have got through uni. People who judge others often do so because their not so happy with their own lives, and it makes them feel a little bit better. Come and clean for me if you want and I'll up it to £20 an hour 😁. You don't need approval from others. You've got my vote 👍👍👍👍👍

You are being unreasonable to be ashamed of what you are doing. If other people have a problem with your job then that says a lot about them.
You are supporting your family, supporting the country through tax and supporting the family who is lucky enough to have you clean for them AND you’re a mum and student.
Give yourself a break! My mum was a cleaner and worked so hard. I’m one of the ones lucky enough to have a cleaner come in and I wouldn’t be without her. She makes a huge difference to my life as both me and my husband work full time. Keep calm and carry on cleaning!! :-). Also for anyone reading this and thinks having a cleaning job is ‘scummy’, have a word with yourselves!’

Im a. Nursery practitioner and I feel the exact same way sometimes. Parents look down their noses like we r scum and don’t know what we are doing (I have level 2 in child care and currently studying for level 3 plus have 5 of my own children). In all honesty u earn more money than me and probably do less hours as well. I don’t think YRBU to feel like that. But I would like to see the ones looking down their noses do your job for a day x

Be very proud of yourself @Exvagabond I think what you are doing is super, you are giving your family a better life! Well done!

Also would those people who looked down on you when you say you're a cleaner like to come into a dirty office or work place. They'd have enough to say then wouldn't they

Ps or just bluntly say "well I'm not ashamed I'm earning money , the hours suit and I'm putting food on my table and I'm supporting my family whilst I'm a student and a mum ..."

Nope. Of course YANBU. They are. People are ghastly. I cleaned too when I was studying. In my first year I waitressed and served in bars and a private members club, and got goosed and hassled and had to stay at the end for a big session or I was a boring lightweight, etc. When I got a job cleaning somebody's house I couldn't believe how rewarding it was - bit of exercise, reasonable money and daytime work. I'm not sure I would want to clean an office, but mainly because of people's attitudes. Which are a mystery. But they can be really snobby. Ignore them OP. There's nothing wrong with doing anything reasonably principled and legal for money - whether you're studying or it's your forever job. The English are so fucked up about that. If I were you I'd amuse by saying how much you love it and say if they're ever looking for some work you could have a word with your employer and see if they need anyone else.

You are a HERO.

You are a capitalist. You go! Be proud.

I volunteered for a children's NPO [a complete racket by morally posturing virtue signalling morally devious left wing twats - they made me Thatcherite]. We were also landlords for the DSS (before New Labour ideology removed one million properties from the register).

These experiences made me hugely interested in the welfare state [as it is currently bureaucratically constructed].

I came to the conclusion that the welfare state [as it is currently bureaucratically constructed] is a force for evil ['moral hazard']. Why? Because it punishes honesty and rewards duplicity. And people will ALWAYS do what benefits them. Therefore? Reward enterprise, deny subterfuge!

Incredibly enterprising, intelligent people are lost to the formal economy BECAUSE bureaucracy and 'the way the welfare system is set up' forces them to lie, cheat and manipulate - because they are punished [lose benefits] for working.

The economics of the welfare state [as it is currently constructed] is a cynical racket that means the government (whichever political party) gets away with the cheapest possible construct.

The welfare state, up to and including the NHS, needs urgent reforming.

I have met incredibly enterprising working class people working up to 4 jobs. But they are trapped in this system which punishes them for enterprise. It is BS. No wonder fully 20% of our GDP is in the black market. The welfare system [as it is currently bureaucratically constructed] has GOT TO GO.

Your earning a honest living sod what others think they don’t pay your wages

Watch them go red /backtrack...and quickly excuse themselves away from the situation then. I'm in a similar position where me and oh found ourselves out of a job ... I've always done admin jobs ... (not that good pay believe it or not ) got a degree ... never earned more than 16k . Had kid at 21. Just done what I had to do to stay afloat ....now working in a warehouse at just over min wage ...but because I can do overtime and am working 42 hrs instead of 35 I'm earning more than I've ever earned, got friends....no office politics ...have a nice manager....do I give a s* that other people are judgemental? Am I bollocks ...

You are working to support your family, that’s all that matters. Anyone who looks down on you are the problem, not you. Ive cleaned and there’s nothing wrong with it whatsoever. Be proud that you support your family, if you don’t enjoy it you have a job and it’s easier to get another. Never be ashamed!

Don't be around people like this if you can possibly avoid it.

You only need to be embarrassed about your job if your a traffic warden. A cleaner is nothing to be ashamed off. If people don’t like it, that’s their problem. Ignore the haters 🥰

I know how you feel as 3 months running up to Christmas I worked in a warehouse to get extra money as times were hard. I felt embarrassed when telling people what I was doing. Although everybody I told was really nice and supportive it still didn't stop me feeling embarrassed

Hold your head up high. We host foreign language students so I totally get it.

I thought Olivia Coleman was incredible when she announced on receiving her Oscar that she used to be a cleaner. I love her as an actress, but respect her all the more for this.

Absolutely not. I wouldn't work as a cleaner but that's because I am the most undomesticated person in the world and hate housework with a passion!

At work I'll say hello to everyone, cleaners to MD. We're all there to do a job.

I used to teach, and in one school one of the caretakers said he liked coming into my room at the end of the day when doing his rounds closing windows etc, as I was one of the few teachers that would actually say hi and have a chat. Keeping the building safe and in working order is as important as teaching the kids, IMHO. It also meant if I needed something doing in my room, desks moving, light bulb replacing etc, they'd do it quickly since I was nice to them!