How do you describe being a stay-at-home mum to others?

[Stillhoping1990]

What do you say when people ask when are you going back to work or what do you do for work? Do you just say I’m a stay at home mum? Or is there another way of saying it? I’m always finding I need to then go on to justify my choice etc. A friend of mine calls herself a ‘home maker’.

I just say my career is on hold. I have four under 7 so nobody is surprised tbh!

Hopefully it was just one of those stupid comments all of us are capable of coming out with at times, and then we look back and cringe with embarrassment - and that she didn't mean it literally. Hopefully...!!

Important also not to make the assumption that returning to work means your child is necessarily in a nursery.
Our little girl was with dad for a significant proportion of time and rest with grandmother ❤️

Not according to your post on another thread.

Someone has a bit too much time on their hands. But yes, I am allowed to feel lots of conflicting feelings, which I think I have described in both threads. Feel incredibly grateful, yet can also be lonely and long for adult conversation.

Again the negativity when people express how they feel is the very reason people often don’t

@Mithral It's tricky, because if a family can live on one income nowadays, they are lucky, so many people can't.

I did a Master's p-t when mine were tiny, had a couple of extra years off, and then went back to work. I was really lucky to be able to that. Although I financially supported us when my DH did a two-year Master's, so he was pretty lucky too!

I used to say “I’m not working at the moment”.
I don’t think it’s necessary to go into detail about my family’s finances/ work issues which meant that this was the right choice for us.

Sad that we feel the need to justify, I think that is down SAHM being vilified in comparison to previous generations. I make a bit of a joke of it now and say 'I don't work, because I don't have to.'

The only genuinely positive reaction I've had to telling someone I was a home maker when asked, came from a male Dr who's wife was also a SAHM. He said it was a very important job, which was nice, rather than the usual disapproving looks or comments that mainly come from other women.

@MirandaWhatsUp But not all working women "have" to work. Far from it!

Who said they did.

It's very much implied in 'I don't work, because I don't have to', whether you see it or not.

That is your perception not my implication.

That's one of my perceptions of your implied comment.

And it's an incorrect one. Me stating 'I don't work, because I don't have to' has nothing to do with anyone else. If you feel personally attacked by that, it's a you problem.