Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Are you a SAHM and how long do you plan to be one?

46 replies

sparkler1 · 04/05/2006 12:38

I've been a SAHM now for 7 years. Loved it and hated it but wouldn't have swapped it for the world. At the moment dd1 is in yr 2 and dd2 is at preschool two and a half days a week.
This morning dds were both at school and I just sat here all morning staring at the TV with housework all around me. I couldn't motivate myself to do anything. I'm actually sick to death of the same thing day in, day out now. Housework, food shopping etc. Seven years of the same thing and I am now starting to feel myself climb the walls.
I do get broody moments and think I'd like to have another baby - maybe that would rid me of the boredom! [grin}
I have filled out an application form to work on the bank in my previous workplace but haven't heart anything back as yet.
Is anyone else in this position? If you want to be a SAHM forever you have my total admiration.

OP posts:
schneebly · 05/05/2006 09:28

I am pretty much a SAHM (I work 4 hours per week!) and i like itmost of the time but know that when the kids go to school I will need to get a job or I will go mental. I probably wouldnt go full time but 20 hours a week would be nice.

NotAnOtter · 05/05/2006 09:35

I have been a sahm with bits and bobs of work for 13.5 years now....never want to work again and am very happy but do have three year old and newborn..I think maybe you are at a crossroads and need to decide what you really want just now ...work/baby!

NotAnOtter · 05/05/2006 09:38

i also dont gat that brain dead bit - i feel alive and vibrant in grey matter department!

Original poster
sparkler1 · 05/05/2006 09:38

NotanOtter - I'm never very good at explaining my feelings but you have exactly the right words there. I am definately at a "crossroad" at the moment. I'm also very indecisive and I need to make a decision on what I am going to do with my life. I'm a nightmare aren't I? Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
sparkler1 · 05/05/2006 09:41

I just know what to do with myself after everyone wanting every minute from me for the last few years. I am sat here thinking about yesterday, dd was at preschool and I had two and a half hours to myself and I was bored. I could have done so many things. Read a book, watched a dvd, window shopping etc. I just didn't have the motivation. Guess part of me feels a bit guilty that dh is at work and I don't feel like I should be sat doing "nothing".

OP posts:
LIZS · 05/05/2006 09:41

I've been a sahm for 8 years too. Initially took a career break , then lived abroad and have now returned to uk at the same time as both kids are in full time school. Occasionally have a feelign that I should work (rather than a burning desire to do so) especially since we want to move to a bigger house and have long term school fees to pay and I feel my brain has gone to seed, but have no idea where to start as regards retraining and finding something that I'd feel worthwhile doing and fits in with the school hours.

AvonCalling · 05/05/2006 09:42

I have benn a SAHM for almost 4 years now.

DP has said that I will need to go back to full time work when DD starts school in September, but I reaaly don't want to.

I have recently become a Sales Leader for Avon and am hoping to make it reallly pay off so thatr I don't need to go back to office work.

If you would like more details please see my details on my \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1940&threadid=137055\Avon Calling thread}

Original poster
sparkler1 · 05/05/2006 09:51

Thanks Avon. My friend does Avon and I don't think she'd be too pleased if I stepped into her territory. Grin I have just finished doing sales with Mini IQ so don't really want to go back down that road at the moment. Thanks anyway.

OP posts:
rey · 05/05/2006 10:11

I like the fact that I'm at home/available for our children if they need me at short notice and can help out in their schools whenever parents can be involved (but not too much - don't want me around all the time!). Housework is so boring and thankless but then I love the fact that in the evenings and at weekends we have them for our family and not for mum and dad to catch up on jobs. In short I'm glad we can have one of us at home.

rey · 05/05/2006 10:13

Sorry phone rang, meant to add been at home for 10 years now and nervous but plan to return to work when children are older maybe 5/6 years time latest.

birdsnest · 05/05/2006 11:09

I dont find being a SAHM boring at all. Quite the reverse ; when I did work it was as a manager in IT and that was dire!
I normally find that other people thinks its great that I'm a SAHM until they find out that my kids are teenagers then they think I'm barking.It makes my own brother furious.And next doors husband.Luckily my DH thinks its fab.
Generally I think it makes other men cross that I"m not earning any money(even though we havent ever had any benefits) and other women tend to patronise me because they think my brain has dripped out of my nose (and I dont think it has because i was using it for a cryptic crossword last night) .
I love the whole housewifey thing.

LucyJones · 05/05/2006 11:11

I am a SAHM except for a few hours work at the weekend. Dh insists that once kids are at school I'll have to go back to work but I can't see how this will tie in with school run etc. We don't have family around to help

ProfYaffle · 05/05/2006 11:20

I'll be a SAHM until I either get bored or need more money. At the moment I feel like I could do it forever but I'm only one year in.

atm our plan is to have another baby (fingers crossed) and when the 2nd one is about a year old start our own small business which I will (hopefully) run and will fit in around school hours etc

But as they say, there's many a slip twixt cup and lip.

GDG · 05/05/2006 11:23

Yes I'm a SAHM, but I work from home too doing freelance pharma market research analysis/writing.

I don't see myself going back to work at all - I'm happy working for myself, it pays better than being employed (on a daily rate basis, though of course don't get teh company car, private health etc) and it means that I can do school run myself, help with homework, run kids to activities. It's the best of both worlds and I feel extremely fortunate.

cupcakes · 05/05/2006 11:33

I've been an sahm for 5 years and assuming we can continue to be able to support it financially I will be for a long time - even after all the children have started school.
Dh has his own business so I always have the option of working in his shop at some point in the future. I would prefer a bit more independence but I can't think of another job which would ever give me as much flexability.

hazlinh · 05/05/2006 11:35

I'd love to be a SAHM or even work freelance from home. It'd mean being able to take care of DD personally and not some strange person. Having said that, I do fear sometimes that if I do become a SAHM, I'd get bored, or we'd be horribly poor. As it is, we're barely getting by.
But in the event that dh wins the lottery and I get to be a SAHM, I'd definitely send the ironing to be done by someone else, and I'd definitely go for classes and all sorts of activities like yoga, belly-dancing, aerobics, rock-climbing and all that sort of stuff!!oh and hopefully catch up on my reading once dd goes to playschool...am i being too ambitious and out of touch with reality??
Grin

JoolsToo · 05/05/2006 11:40

I was a SAHM until the youngest started secondary school. I was a dinner lady for some time before that Grin

morningpaper · 05/05/2006 11:44

same as GDG

Orinoco · 05/05/2006 21:14

Sparkler1, you could have been me writing! I've been a SAHM since dd was born 5.5 years ago, butI have been working p/t at the weekends for the past year or so because we needed the money, but was never a long term plan. I've recently been told that dd2 will start school Sept 2007 (I thought it would be later, they've changed their intake policy) and I'm now wondering what I'm going to do with myself when no-one needs me! Like you, I've half thought about having another baby but that's a scary prospect. Although I enjoy my work I don't want to work weekends once the kids are both at school - but on the other hand I can't see my boss going for term-time only.

Ho hum, the joys of being a Mum!

Original poster
sparkler1 · 05/05/2006 21:41

Yes fun eh? I don't think having another baby is an option anyway. DH is dead against the idea and I have mixed feelings about it too. I do worry that we are making the right decision and won't regret it later. I am hoping that I will get a response soon from my application - it will give me something to look foward to.

OP posts:
Orinoco · 06/05/2006 21:52

Hi Sparkler, yes having a baby for us would probably be completely the wrong thing to do. I'm not sure I want to go back to sleepless nights, nappies etc etc anyway. But I don't know what I am going to do!

Good luck with your application - if it's what you decide that's what you want to do!!!!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread