'Having a baby IS a job'

[BabyMamma93]

whats your views on this? i dont want a debate or a argument im honestly really curious.

IMO being a parent is NOT a job, and its one thing i don't like seeing when people say it is.

so im just wondering, do you say being a parent is a job? if so why? what makes you say its a job??

 

[mummy2_1]

I don't agree being a parent is a job. Being a parent is a choice. It was the most rewarding choice I ever made. But not a job.

 

[AP]

I dont believe its a job, its a choice. It does nark me when people state their job is a "full time mum".... so because im the one who goes to work in the morning, am I a part time mum then?

 

[BabyMamma93]

i say its a lifestyle choice, heck if it is a job where is my boss i wana discuss this sh*t! a job is something that you usually hate, get paid for, clock in and out of and no job runs 24/7 constant, i work too part time, so am i a part time admin assistant part time mum? i think not! im a part time admin assistant and mother!

 

[LoraLoo]

It's a priviledge, not a job.

 

[JessyG]

No not a job in my opinion. Otherwise I have two.

I think being a stay at home mum is hard but its a choice, and not one many people have these days.

^AP this annoys me too. I am a full time mum I just happen to have a job as well!

 

[BabyMamma93]

ive 100% nothing against stay at home parents, or parents on benefits, how could i be when my family fits in that criteria? its the saying 'its a hard job' really annoys me, and yes being a parent is extremely hard, but it doesnt make it a job, owning pets is hard but u dont say your a 'full time dog owner' in your job description

 

[lau86]

I wouldn't necessarily say it's a 'job' in the same way as I have a job I get paid for, but yes it is some peoples full time job to be parents. For most people that's a choice. I could chose to be a SAHM if I wanted to, but we would have to move and I would have to give up a career I've worked 10 years for. My 'job' is to be a mum on the 4 days I don't work for money, otherwise I would be at 'work' at least for 2 of those days.
It's just the words people use to describe it isn't it?

 

[froggyfrog]

I'm a home maker and after we get pregnant I will be a sahm. I don't view it as a job in the traditional sense, but I do think that sometimes it's hard. My husband doesn't have a single worry in the world but his work, and that because of me. I clean, cook, shop, run all errands, pay all of our bills, make phone calls, schedule appointments, and take care of our fur babies. If you work you send your children to some sort of childcare right? That is a job for the caretakers. So in a since it's also a job for a sahm. Breakfast lunch dinner, constantly cleaning up all day long. Potty breaks, outside play, and learning times. A sahm essentially does everything that you pay a child caretaker to do.

 

[JessyG]

I don't like the term full time mum rather than stay at home mum. That gets my back up a little.

Anyway I agree with you Lau86, I often say to my daughter ok I have a job for you. Its not really a job as such its just the word I would use. I have had people say to me raising a family is the hardest job out there. I get that and will sometimes joke that my 2nd shift starts after 7pm (my daughter used to wake often!)

 

[froggyfrog]

And I'll add that some people make the choice to stay home because in this world we live in, you can't trust anyone but yourself to insure your child's safety. So it's not always a choice made for funsies.

 

[sophxx]

I wouldn't say its a job as its a choice. But I'm don't mind that what really gets my back up is people who say stay at home mum ect when there not there on benefits stay at home mum is a choice that you should pay for with your own wages not my bussiness taxes. If you on income surpport then your not a stay at home mum.

 

[hiphophooray]

I wouldn't say its a job as its a choice. But I'm don't mind that what really gets my back up is people who say stay at home mum ect when there not there on benefits stay at home mum is a choice that you should pay for with your own wages not my bussiness taxes. If you on income surpport then your not a stay at home mum.

I don't think its necesarily a "job" but it is hard work!!
now what Soph said...THIS irks me!!! In a situation where the city you live in has so little jobs, such horrid pay, such high housing prices, and a crime level that is through the roof with no reliable daycares in a 50 mile radius, some people HAVE to get a little help until the economy gets better. This is a huge debate in itself, people should definitely NOT abuse the system and only use government assistance for a short while not permanently... but getting help doesn't make ANYONE any less of a mother or 'SAHM'... not everyone gets a job for the money, some people choose a profession because thats what they absolutely LOVE and want to do, and it doesn't necessarily pay enough for their significant other to stay home.. but if the only daycares arent safe, or they are full, or the parents do not feel comfortable letting a daycare do the majority of the work raising their children through the week, then they should also have to struggle to pay bills and eat? Taxes are going to be taken regardless, so honestly im happy knowing a VERY small portion of mine goes to someone that gets to stay home and enjoy their children while they are young!

ETA: I think everyone makes the correct desicion for their family, whether it be both working full time, being a SAHM or SAHD, being a single parent, part time working.. etc I think its definitely the best CHOICE anyone makes, and not a 'job', I just want to add that we shouldn't turn this into a judging thread on public assistance cases, (or SAHM or working moms for that matter!!) I think we all agree its not a job its a choice but its hard work for everyone no matter what they choose..

 

[Pearls18]

I agree it's a choice not a job, if you're not a SAHM by choice then I guess the label would be job seeker or unemployed? If you don't feel comfortable with other people looking afternoon our children I would still class that as a choice because you've chosen how you feel comfortable parenting iykwim. And I'm another who HATES the term full time mum, from way before even being a parent, my mum has always worked it's where my own strong career ethic comes from and I remember it always being used on TV and thinking "soooo does that make my mum a part time mum?!" Nope, being a mum isnt something you can just switch off when you get to your desk! But equally I think it's SAHM is a valid lifestyle choice and believe it is mentally more challenging for me than my day job, I go stir crazy at home so I don't think it's easy in the slightest, I think it's one of those things youre either built to do or not, but I don't think it's any more admirable than working or vice versa, we all choose to manage our families differently.

 

[LoraLoo]

I wouldn't say its a job as its a choice. But I'm don't mind that what really gets my back up is people who say stay at home mum ect when there not there on benefits stay at home mum is a choice that you should pay for with your own wages not my bussiness taxes. If you on income surpport then your not a stay at home mum.

How can a person pay for it with their wages if they're a stay at home mum? That doesn't make any sense at all. Do you mean their husbands wages?
What about the single mums that can't afford childcare? What about people that have lost their jobs or can't find one?
Tax and national insurance pay for a lot of things- benefits is a small percentage.
I'm not liking this generalisation and bashing.

Ive been on both sides, a working mum and a sahm. I honestly found working full time easier. It was a 'break' tbh and I enjoyed adult company and feeling appreciated, also getting paid for what I did.

But I don't want to go back right now and so I'm not. I'm enjoying being there morning noon and night for the little ones. It flies by and I don't want to miss any of it. I'm lucky my husband earns enough to support us but appreciate not everyone has the choice. I also appreciate that people may not want to be a sahm even given the choice. I enjoyed working.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I wouldn't necessarily say it's a 'job' in the same way as I have a job I get paid for, but yes it is some peoples full time job to be parents. For most people that's a choice. I could chose to be a SAHM if I wanted to, but we would have to move and I would have to give up a career I've worked 10 years for. My 'job' is to be a mum on the 4 days I don't work for money, otherwise I would be at 'work' at least for 2 of those days.
It's just the words people use to describe it isn't it?

Agree with this.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Not a 'job' but IMO it is my job to teach her what I want her to know in the early years. Worded this wrong I know.

 

[suzib76]

No it's not a job.

I seriously detest hearing mums who don't work list all they do in the day and how it's a job. I'm like yeah, you do the washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning etc etc - I do all that AND pop in a 40/50 hour week for goodness sake. Do these people think that mums who work have self cleaning houses? Washing that does itself?

And I'm not judging anyone here,mi don't care if people work or not, it makes no difference to me, just don't try and act the martyr over

ETA I am mum every day whether at work or not

 

[hiphophooray]

No it's not a job.

I seriously detest hearing mums who don't work list all they do in the day and how it's a job. I'm like yeah, you do the washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning etc etc - I do all that AND pop in a 40/50 hour week for goodness sake. Do these people think that mums who work have self cleaning houses? Washing that does itself?

And I'm not judging anyone here,mi don't care if people work or not, it makes no difference to me, just don't try and act the martyr over

ETA I am mum every day whether at work or not

TBH, it just doesn't work like this. You can't just assume its so much easier for 'them' because you work 40/50 hours a week. Everyone has their struggles and quite possibly for some it actually CAN be much easier to work at an office than take care of an entire house all day long. Think about how clean the house is when no one is there all day vs a kid or kids running around ALL DAY. And vice versa, for some cleaning up after their "super clean toddler" may be easier than working at an office!


This is the exact reason I say its equally hard or easy for everyone, in their own way... no one knows the struggles another deals with so yoy can't ever say your situation is worse or better, easier or harder than anyone's

 

[LoraLoo]

My house was spotless when I worked full time because there was no kids trashing it all day long 😂 I left a tidy house and came home to a tidy house. Not sure why it would bother you. Doesn't bother me when working mums go on about their days at work.