The Modern but Old Style Homemakers Club

Softstuff

Quick post to say I'm in!

sb88_2

juliapenguin wrote: »

I need to learn from you :A

after watching my mothers job cause her to suffer mental health problems (stress etc she now doesn't work due to this) and realised the I would rather live my life with as little stress in as possible.
OH only chore that he really has to do, is clean out the tortoise! and he's fine with this(his pet before he and I got together, so I insist he spends time with him!)

My grandmother is a home maker, in her 80s, healthy and fit and doesn't seem to have aged for about 15 years!
she raised 3 children, helped raise her grandchildren and now helps to look after 4 of her great grandchildren. The work that she still does is amazing, especially at her age, she runs her own home, and still irons for her children (one lives next door) feeds everyone, and keeps her home wonderfully clean! and has done all her life, and there are so many women and men that are home makers to keep their family running smoothly, and other people happy. It isn't an easy one, very under appreciated, but I'm sure its a fulfilling one.

shelley_crow

I'm in! I've got 2 kids and am a stay at home mother at the moment, I have a son who is 6 and one who is 11 months. I graduated last year and second son came along not long after. I am looking for a part time job in the sector I am qualified in but due to funding cuts, it's proving quite difficult.

I need to be more organised and take a leaf or two from the more experienced homemakers among us.

life_in_termoil

I wanna join but I dont fit the criteria!! But I kind of do...I stay at home all day and work pt in the evenings and im a single mum of teenagers!!!

Churchmouse

Hi juliapenguin! I'm not sure how much of an asset to this thread I would be but here goes anyway

I'm still a fulltime homemaker despite my 4 children having flown the nest; I suppose you could say I've taken early retirement My DH was totally behind my wish to be a SAHM, all the more so because his own mother never could be, because his father was a miserable tightwad. He loved that I was there whenever our children needed me. He has now taken genuine early retirement and loves it:D Money may be in shorter supply, but our needs are simple enough.

I may have been unwaged, but I never "not worked" ( Sorry that is so ungrammatical ) At times I was putting in two full days a week in their primary school, teaching various crafts to the children ( pottery, knitting, sewing ) or listening to their reading practice.

These days I do lots of voluntary work associated with my Church. I also help a friend fundraise for a centre for mentally and physically disabled children. Despite not going to a waged job, I still find there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want to, but at least there isn't a boss breathing down my neck. The only warning I would give is it's too easy to sit at the computer and lose hours on sites like this :rotfl:

Good luck in your new lifestyle. It does have value ( took me years to acknowledge that! ) and much of what you can do adds enormously to the life of others We all have a contribution to make, whether waged or unwaged.

letitsnow

I have read the other homemaker thread with interest. It has really got me thinking.

I am recently married and happy in my full time job for the time being. I have worked and studied hard to be where I am. However, as with a lot of women (and maybe men, too?!) I often think about how we might decide to run our home when (hopefully!) we have children.

I am in two (well 3,4 or 5) minds about it. And I know we will do what's best when the time comes. This comment is not being made to make our own decision but rather to hear other people's opinions on a particular matter.

That matter is a (repeatedly made) comment my mother. She often says being a SAHM is harder than going out to work AND looking after children. I just can't get my head around this. Her logic is that at work you can have a cup of tea/lunch break etc. She will not accept that this is not the case in my line of work and whenever I look after my very young neices and nephews I find it a treat - albeit I've only done it for max 2 days at a time and I do admit it is tiring! Added to this I consider the pressures of getting children ready for childcare, in the morning, the knowledge that X hundreds of pounds would be going to someone else to look after our children, the guilt of not seeing them enough.

I've just thought that perhaps the line of work is a big factor here. Although I can't help but thing less stressful jobs usually pay less and would be the type which are prohibitive to combine with being a working mum due to childcare/commuting costs outweighing wages.

Anyway, what I'm interested to hear is your response to my mum's comment. Is being a SAHM harder? Or are the pressures just different? I saw a few people mention the stigma attached to it and loneliness?

squeaky

Hi all,

Threads merged

ivylinn

Can I join in please? :T

lollyfin

Hi all Iwould love to join
I posted yesterday on your other thread and reading other peoples opinions got me thinking about my situation so I sat down with my DH last night and asked him how he would feel if I went back to work. His answer was he would prefer me not to, he likes me to be here when hes at home (he works away a lot in a stressful job) and he likes how we have divided the work, he cuts the grass and fixes the car I do everything else, now its written down I can see why he likes it haha. I am happy with the way my life is just now, gives me time to be as MS as possible and to try and teach my kids to be too
lollyfin

Cheapskate

We have 5 children (24, 22, 19, 4 & nearly 2) - in and amongst I've done various part time jobs & voluntary work once the older ones were at school full time. The most I've worked was when the older ones were at or had finished high school, I worked in schools doing about 25 hours a week. The assumption of those around me was that at some point I would want to work full time year-round, but like juliapenguin (& I suspect some others) it became too stressful & I took the plunge & left - reducing our total income by a third! :eek: BUT....I was more content, less stressed/tearful, home more to shop/cook more wisely (i.e. more OS!), and then we had our 2 youngest children.

I still have a job, very part time & littlies go to one of their aunts if I have to work through the week (for about 3 hours), just enough for a few quid extra, a break for me & a break for them - they see family members regularly, etc. I'm resisting looking for more work, although the pressure (not from DH) seems to be greater these days that a mum "ought" to work more outside the home. I'm determined to enjoy these 2 babies, little boy goes to school this time & I already feel upset that I've missed stuff as I've worked, even just a bit, during his toddler years (blubbing as I write this - what a big girl's blouse! :rotfl:)

I have a new voluntary post, which will only entail a few hours a month in the evenings, so it won't affect the kids, but it's something to keep my brain ticking over! I've always loved learning, so even when both babies are in school I will do adult ed, or haunt libraries for new stuff to learn - I'd never be bored if I didn't have to work again!

My mum's always said that only a boring person is bored, and I know what she means - whether or not you work for money you will always find something to do or interest you if you've got something about you.

Sorry for waffling, got a few minutes to spend on here for a change!

A xo