My friends and family tell me I don't have a "real" job.

[PearKoala]

I wfh as an ESL teacher. I have done so for around 6 years and I am self employed.

I teach children in China and Taiwan.
I also teach business English to adults in Japan and South Korea.

I was at a family wedding recently and my family asked me when I was going to get a real job. They said it completely seriously as if I was some sort of idiot.

My aunt asked me in a pitying manner, "do you regret wasting your degree?"

I wanted the ground to swallow me up :(

I'd love to have a job like yours (I shake and sweat when having to talk to people), your Aunt is jealous I bet :)

Sounds like a real job to me, if it pays the bills and you enjoy it, what's not to love?

“I know. I’m soooo lucky! Most people spend 40 hours a week miserable and I get to do something that I really enjoy.”

Perfect answer.

how rude! I would love to do your job!

such a lot of FUN could be had here, possible answers
'well it pays real money' grin/wink
'when you get some real manners/go on a real diet...' etc
Q "do you regret wasting your degree?"
A "do you regret being a pompous patronizing [whatever would insult her the most]'
c'mon, c'mon, get some one liners ready, they richly deserve it 😎
or just dont go there any more?

I don't know why you care what they think.
I'd be responding with something like, "I know, who'd have thought I could earn so much for doing so little while meeting such interesting people? I don't think I'd want a real job!"

or [fake cockney accent] 'only fools 'an 'orses work mate'

Tell them you're starting a weekend job down t' mines

For balance, you know

Your aunt is infuriating.
Some great responses up thread. Store a few away.

MIL used to ask this about an actor friend of ours. I think it was because he wasn't on Coronation Street or the equivalent. No, but he had a degree in drama, he travelled all over the UK and Europe, doing what he loved, getting paid for it and bought a property on his own. Which is more than she ever achieved miaow

Ignore the comments. Teaching EFL is definitely a 'real' job just not seen as a traditional one. I've been teaching for 20+ years now, though generally in a physical class rather than online and still get asked about when I'm going to get a 'proper' job. The fact I'm working a (nearly) 40 hour week at a University overseas is overlooked.
I do think there is still this misconception that anyone can teach English if it's their first language despite not knowing anything about skills, structures, methodology etc. They also don't realise the amount of work that goes into planning, marking and general admin. For your online classes I'm guessing you have to factor in time differences and then all the paperwork for tax etc. A good friend does teacher training on a freelance consultancy basis and I know her paperwork at the end of the tax year can be a pain.
There is also the idea that teaching online is easier than teaching face to face which is definitely not the case and can at times be more difficult.
Frustrating as it is, just try and ignore the comments, some people will never understand.

Family can be so cruel. I remember mine being like this when I didn’t instantly have an amazing career after uni (graduated in late 2000s, so duh).

Just ignore them and do your own thing. You don’t need their approval- if you’re happy with your job and you can afford your bills and your life that’s enough. You’re enough.

🎙"excuse me? what do you mean? why would you say that? Please elaborate?" etc...

Perhaps they think it's something that people in their late teens, early 20s do while taking a gap year. It's very rude of them though.

They're idiots aren't they? What on earth are theit values? I'd say your job is far more valuable than most others.

My husband had the same attitude from his family. He's a musician, and an incredibly good one, but was always hearing "oh I do wish you'd get a proper job" from his mum. Absolutely crushing.

My dad was essentially a musician but he'd had to give up his training when war broke out, return to UK from an extremely prestigious music school in Vienna and join up - the real heart went out of him as it did for so many of young men back then.

My brother was a musician and travelled all over world, touring with big names.

So, when I met dh there was no doubt in my mind that a) he had a proper job and b) the value of work which doesn't have a set career ladder. Actually, as I grew up surrounded by professional musos and artists I never really valued 'proper' jobs anyway.

Were they drunk and thinking they were just making conversation? If anyone ever makes comments on it again tell them a survey found over 70 percent of people dreaded going into work on a Monday morning and you feel lucky to love their job.

Or a simple ‘when are you?’ with a wink. (Will drive them nuts. Repeat if necessary) Never care what other people think about your job op, I didn’t take a job years ago because people told me it wouldn’t pay enough and it’s one of my only regrets in life

I wonder if it was the same job but you travelled to a classroom to teach them they would consider it a 'real' job. As in I wonder if it's the WFH part they don't get.

Only from my experience the older generation don't seem to get WFH. Like my mum thinks she can ring me whenever or just drop round because I'm 'only working from home'

Either way it was an insensitive and ignorant comment OP. Don't beat yourself up

I've suffered from similar comments and insinuations over the years as a result of that nonsensical yet persistent notion that work is only valid if you have to leave your house to do it. My usual riposte to such displays of ignorance is "Why the hell would I get a proper job when I can make such a good living as a freelance translator?" 🙄😁