Spin-off to Work or Stay at Home

Anyone stay at home and not have children? Ever feel guilty about it? Only asking because I'm not working, no kids and loving it, mostly, but feeling guilty at times.

ETA: Do you think less of people who do and why?

Message edited 1/2/2007 11:50:09 PM.

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Sounds like a dream, but I could never do it. I'd go out of my mind. I stay home with my kids now. I enjoy it because they keep me busy!

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If I didn't have children, I don't think I would be able to stay home without getting bored

I could probably work part time to fullfill my productivity needs though

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I did it preggo, and loved it. I cooked new recipes daily, scrapbooked, went walking everyday..my apt was immaculate.

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I'd be way too bored. And feel that my college education and professional experience were going to waste.

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I did it for year and half and was going out of my mind!!!

I never thought that would be the case

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I did it while we lived in Ireland and I loved the time to myself. I went to Yoga, took Spanish lessons and planned some really awesome trips for us. Now I am a SAHM and I can't imagine going back to work.

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I have no children.. I just had a miscarriage... I did work for my husband only a few days a week.. he was just so UPSET...that he told me just to stay home I told him once I stop grieving I would like to go back to work..but he said he no so I will be staying home and praying and practicing on having a baby.

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I was home for a week on vacay and I was a little bored...I thought to myself I could never be a SAHW - at least not full time - I'd have to get a PT job or volunteer or something.

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Without children I know I could never stay home. Last week I was off & my DH & all friend were all working. I was going out of my mind by the second day!!!!

If I had something to keep me busy, like kids, it would be a different story. DH & I have both agreed that until we have more then 1 child, I will work. I need to socialize with adults!

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I couldn't stay at home without anything to do, I would be bored out of my mind.

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I couldn't and to be honest, I do think less of women who do it. There are some cases I would admire...People who truly spend their days volunteering, but the women I know who do it (and a cousin of mine has done it for a while) spend the time concentrating on themselves...Manis, pedis, tanning, working out...To me that is a selfish existence. Or to think that your purpose in life is to cook dinner and clean the house? I worked hard to get a doctorate to help do my part for the women's movement, and to me saying that a woman's place is in the home taking care of her man sets us back generations. Plus there is the whole aspect of what if something happens to your husband or you get divorced? Without ever working you will have no social security, no job experience to get a job...My parents got divorced after being married 35 years, and my mom had taken time off when we were young but because of her degrees and experience she was able to support herself. No one wishes that to happen, but it is something to think about.

It would be nice if DH made so much money that money was irrelevant to my job choice, but I would still work.

To each his own, don't take this personally anyone, but yes, if we were at a party and one of DH's friend's wives said they did not work and did not have children (not a temporary, in between jobs RIGHT NOW type of thing) we would all talk.

This all just refers to those without children...SAHM are a completely different story.

Message edited 1/3/2007 8:41:41 AM.

Re: Spin-off to Work or Stay at Home

Nope, not me. But a very good friend of mine did that once she got engaged. Eventually she had 2 kids. Amazing how busy she makes herself, although she doesn't do charity or anything. She became a great suzy homemaker and quite the shopper.

I was off last week and that was enough for me.

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Message edited 1/3/2007 8:36:21 AM.

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see... i haev mixed feelings about this. on one hand, i think that women should work and be able to support themselves, because you never know whats going to happen down the road. and that the women before us didn't fight for equal rights so that we could stay home.
BUT, on the other hand, MIL is a SAHW and i see that it really does benefit their family. she is around when things come up like needing to wait for a repair man, helping out relatives in a tough situation, running errands for FIL. i can see that it makes their lives A LOT less stressful and they enjoy their time together more because she has time to take care of all the "little" stuff and isn't bogged down by it like working women are.

ETA: i work at a school and don't work in the summers, so thats enough "stay at home" time for me

Message edited 1/3/2007 8:37:56 AM.

Re: Spin-off to Work or Stay at Home

i am a stay at home mom but not by choise i would love to get at least a pt. job. i have no adult interaction and i get lonely i do cleaning and watch sooo many reruns it's not funny. but to find a job it would have to be close and something i can sit and stand when i need too, i hate having a bad back and ankle

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I agree with nov04....

Think of it this way - how would you look at a man who decided to be a SAHH? It's practically unheard of. Why should it be more acceptable for a woman... it sets us back.

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Right now, I am kind of home without kids. I am currently trying to find a fulltime teaching job. In the meantime, I am subbing (which is practically volunteering..pay s u cks.. ) and tutoring..

I definitely couldn't stay home all week without working..I love interacting with people on a daily basis and get lonely when it's just my cat and me..lol

I would love to continue subbing/tutoring while I have kids too..but, not sure if that will be possible.

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There is no way that I could. I agree that I would feel that my education was going to waste. I am not good at keeping myself busy either, I think that all I would do is end up laying on the couch all day bored out of my mind! Or shopping and spending my husbands hard earned $$! I don't even think I would be able to work from home!

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I was home for 2 months- and I must say - I do much better with a structured daily work schedule

and as my DH says- you can never have too much money- so off to work I got

plus my Dad spent alot of money on my education- I didn't go to college to stay home and clean my house!

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Message edited 1/3/2007 9:37:55 AM.