to be annoyed at this new term of 'full time mum'

[blondie80]

i know i'm not being unreasonable.

a woman on that lottery 1-100 show on sat night referred to herself as a 'full time mum'

i take it she meant sahm instead.

i have no bones with anyone's choice as to what the do, sahm of wohm.

but... i was so annoyed i felt she was referring to wohm as - part timers??

does she forget that we do the same stuff as well as a full week at work!!

i was with my mother when we watched the show, and she has 4 dc who have left home, and says she is still a full time mum regardless.

ok rant over.

Revelling in my new status as part-time mother. DD phoned me up while I was at work today, so I told her that I wasn't on duty and that I was only a part-time mother. She quite understood and undertook only to communicate when I was officially on duty.

Now I'm confused.

Ignore me. Laptop having mental breakdown,

Kittywise - how dare you say I don't parent full time? Do you think I go to work and just 'forget' that I have children? Do you think that the mother in me is just something I can slough off for the part of the day I spend at work?

Quattro

It really is ridiculous this idea that you might only be a full time parent if you don't work!! Are people aware that the vast majority of parents are in paid employment?!

Excellent quattro. Will remember that next time the school ring me to tell me my DD is ill. "Sorry I am a part-time mother and right now I am off duty".

I think the term "employment" is key. Otherwise, you end up in some silly disputes about how many hours of care constitutes full time. And what you should be doing during that time. The difference is that some mothers have paid employment and some don't.

Ok - how about

'full time mum/dad' for those who don't get paid to do a job

and

'full time mum/dad who is also in paid employment' for those who do get paid to do a job.

That avoids using the 'e' word which lockets is unhappy about.

Should we refer to mothers who have no paid employment as unemployed mothers then? That'd go down well ...

YABU
There is a difference in being at home with your children and going to work and needing someone else to do it

Me, I am a Lady of Leisure, also known as a Lazy Cow.

When people ask me what I do, I say "As little as possible".

Don't really care one way or another about Full Time Mum, Part Time Worker, SAHM, WOHM, Homemaker - at different times I have done a bit of everything.

I like it now. I don't have much to do, the house is easy to manage, DS is at school, DH at work and I get to do what I like. I should probably feel guilty, but I don't - it is bloody excellent.

How about jobless for those men and women who don't work. Anything to prevent people from bleating, "oh but motherhood is the hardest job in the world."

nkf

Morloth that is a fab attitude-like you say who cares at the end of the day-I don't feel I have to justify myself to anybody either and I am a part time worker but a full time parent

Twopeople:

I paid for my children to have the most fantastic experience at nursery for a certain number of hours per week (a nursery which I wouldn't have been able to afford had I not worked!!) while I had the fantastic experience of working a certain number of hours a week in my career, thus keeping my hand in and enabling me to get the salary I enjoy now!!

And I didn't stop being a mummy for a single second of it! And DH didn't stop being a daddy!

Does that answer your question?

Yes - which is my description of 'full time mum/dad in paid employment' seems absolutely fine. Just delete the 'in paid employment' bit if it doesn't apply. Simple!

no northerkurker, you are deliberately not reading what I wrote. I suggest you do so before you go off on one.

What exactly do you object to in my post then twopeople??

You asked what people pay for - I answered you!

What is it bugging you? Is that deep down it really niggles you that most parents do work in paid employment but still see themselves as mums and dads all the time? Would you be happier if we said 'Nope, we go off duty as mum/dad between certain hours?'

I get the feeling you would. Read my post again, about what I paid for to enable me to work and explain what it is you're not happy about - because something sure is bugging you!!