Why are work at homes moms are viewed as not working?

Hello, Cream97. Society has this thing as a "rule", which says that everyone, to be officialy working, must be working really hard to earn their money. They must face the high sun on their heads and listen to a lot of crap said by their bosses. Otherwise, it is considered an easy work, and they don't believe in easy work. Therefore, you aren't working if you are staying at home. It sounds easy to them. They don't know how much effort you put, but for them it is easy. "Her work? What work? She stays at home the whole day! She has no work. I wish I could work from home too." You should just accept the fact that there will be people who will consider you a not working person. Just make sure you earn a lot of money and get your life on. Don't worry about what they say. What matters is how much you are earning. Are you earning enough? Are you where you want to be? Are you satisfied with your current work? If yes, then worry about nothing anymore. Just keep doing what you are good at and let others think whatever they want. Respectfully, Munhozmib.

That always bothered me, too. I was a stay at home mother for 19 years and it was HARD WORK!! Nobody every looked at the clean house, the home cooked meals, the clean laundry, the cars that were regularly serviced, the kids who loved having Mom at their school functions and volunteering in their classrooms, or the freshly home baked cookies. When a mother works outside the home, they don't realize how little they are actually earning. After spending money on clothing and accessories for work, gas, wear and tear on the car or bus fare, gas, child care, lunches, fast food because there's no time to cook--the average mom would be better off staying home. If they don't like raising their children they should give them to people who will love them--believe it or not, a lot of women say that staying at home is not fulfilling. What they really mean is that a life of service is not one they enjoy. Because being a mother IS a life of service! You be strong and keep your pride in staying at home for your children. You are raising your kids the way they're supposed to be raised--with a loving parent at home to support them at all times.

I'm with you on this, I'm a stay at home dad and sometimes I'm viewed as a man who can't take care of his family. I'm taking care of my family by being there for them in any situation instead of dealing with it from an office and shouting commands that don't work. Who cares what anyone thinks about you if you stay at home or not, are they going to take care of your family? No, nuff said.

Yes, I agree with you ... I also don't understand why do moms classified as not working women.. They also work hard for their family.. I think people are only just value the "money" or the "earnings" that they can get when they work outside homes.. We all know that all housewife or "moms work at home" don't earned money.. They might thinking that because they were not earning money then they are already useless since they can't share expenses with their husband or help pay bills.. They don't feel the tiredness as those people working outside.. I know that working moms at home also get tired of taking the household chores and taking good care of the husband and children but they were thinking that at least you are at home and can take a rest anytime you want while those people working outside can't rest except during their break time.. I am not saying that it is a fact that I've mentioned above , it is just some of my thoughts/opinions about your topic.. These are some of the things that came out from my brain.. Well, i am not yet a mother.. I'm still single but I have a boyfriend.. My mother is a housewife same as you.. She is just a full time mother at home and I know she is very tired taking good care of us.. I know how much effort she have done to be a good mother and good wife to her husband.. I can see all the effort and sacrifices she have done for us.. I know that being a full time mother at home isn't that easy.. I guess people just don't really understand how difficult to be a mother/women..

I don't know. I struggled with low self-esteem over this issue. My self-esteem really should be secondary to that of my children. I have a lot of friends that stay home and it doesn't bother me the way it did in the beginning. I think women that work wish they could stay home and women that stay home think they should be working etc. We all love our children and want what is best for them. That is what really matters. I have know mothers that cry after dropping their babies off at daycare. I think we all do the best we can. I am very fortunate to have a husband that wanted me to stay home.

I think, if you could make money and be a stay at home parent. Then, that is great and I wish I knew how you do it. So, that I could. I am a working mom and I can barely make ends meet. My car is always giving me trouble. And, when winter comes I don't know what else to do to make it. I think if you could stay at home and take care of your kids and make money. Then, I am all for it. And, you are helping by saving gas.

i don't think that SAHM should be viewed as not working... instead, they work harder than other women who work outside and i really appreciate and respect them a lot... it is not easy to be a SAHM because you have to work 24/7 non-stop... and you don't even get paid for it... that's why i say being a SAHM is not easy at all... take care and have a nice day...

I don't know This peeves me. I am a work at home mom and I work my but off. I get so tired of people thinking that a work at home mom doesn't do anything. I am doing from the time I get up until I go to bed, that is way more than the usual 8 hours anyone spends at work. I went to "work" outside the home to keep me from doing quite so much. I worked less being on a job that I worked my butt off.

What was it called, The Feminine Mystique? It all came rolling down on stay at home moms when feminism broke through. Instead of truly celebrating all the things available for women, it made stay at home moms appear less what they really are. I'm not a stay at home mom, I have no children. But no one should kid themselves. Women who stay at home are looked down upon. I have been places where women ask each other what they do for a living. One woman answers that she is a SAHM, and then the looks appear. Someone is rude enough to ask if that is all they do? A mom in general has the most important job in the world. I'm not saying feminism didn't bring benefits. But in their strive to become equal and their eagerness to burn their bras (using sarcasm here), they forgot that women are to support each other. They are to rejoice in having a sisterhood that stands up to discrimination. And if women don't support each other, how are men supposed to?

cream I have great admiration for stay at home moms as they are wo rking long long hours whereas a lot of days are nine to five then come home and flop for the night. You stay at home moms have the biggest and best job in the world, raising your ouwn children.Working outside the home is hard too for a lot of women as they dont get p;aid the same as men do. Nobody should look down on you for doing what you feel is best for your kids.You deserve some praise, not some insulting. more powerto you Cream.

Hi you have a good valid qusetion. i honsetly believe they are jealous that they don't have that opportunity to be home with the children and also make a living. I envy those that have found steady income working from home and be able to be with their kids all the time. i wish I have found at home jobs sooner so I will not have to work outside, now most of the jobs require certain skills that I don't have and it will take me too long to build that right now. But I intend to one day, wish me luck And good luck to you too. Working at home is one position to be admired because you work 24/7 without breaktime or lunch break.

I think we can all "thank" Gloria Steinem for that! She's the one who started the Women's Liberation Movement. After that began, women were EXPECTED to work outside the home to "pull their weight". I guess Ms. Steinem never had kids and probably hated housework! It's a HARD job! I had the worst of both worlds when my kids were growing up. For the majority of that time, I worked from home doing typesetting and proofreading, sub-contracted by several different printing and publishing companies. At times, I would work 14 hours a day! I made more money than I would have working in-house at one of these companies! BUT, everyone thought that, since I was at home, I wasn't doing anything! Friends and family would call me whenever they wanted, just to chat about nothing! I was busy working. If I didn't work, I didn't get paid so every time I was interrupted by a phone call, I stopped making money. I worked full-time, took care of my two boys (almost exclusively by myself) and took care of the household chores, repairs, cleaning, cooking, shopping, helping my kids with homework, yard detail, getting maintenance on the car, etc.... I did it all! But no one saw it that way because I was HOME! Maybe it will just take a few more centuries before people begin to realize that staying at home does not mean that you don't do anything! Sure, if you live in a pig sty with filth everywhere, dishes piled up in the sink, etc. you probably don't do anything. But, if you are a typical stay-at-home person, you're busy! Even without working from home, housework can be very strenuous and time-consuming. I have physical problems so I need to rest often, but that doesn't mean that I don't do anything! I do much more than my husband does around the house. On his days off, he sometimes doesn't even get out of bed! He'll lay there and watch TV, take naps, watch more TV, etc. I'm up and all over the place cleaning, straightening, working on my craftwork and my website, gardening, etc. So, I, for one, don't think that anyone who stays at home is lazy! Quite the opposite! I'd say that 99.9% of people who stay at home are quite busy doing all they can!

i dont know but the same is with house wifes.. especially if they dont have kids.. i am a housewife due to health problems keeping me from getting/keeping a job and i do things at home to make money which it isnt much but at least i am trying.. but every one views me as sitting around getting fat and being lazy.. its really insulting.. and they also seem to think if there are no kids there is no reason you should be at home..

Hi cream97, You are right about that, I myself is on disablity benefits and its not funny to have this illness and slos I have to do what I have to do in the home, though I haven't got any children, I still have to to do things for the hubby who goes to work, thee money i ge in not much but it helps with the food side whil my hubby pays for every thing. I do have some peopl look down on me but I don't really want to wish them the illness tha I have. Tamara

Hi there cream97, Im very envy of you, working at home is the biggest dream of mine. I will not think sad for what other people thinking. As long i have income that can provide all needs. people that judge are called "kuno" (=indonesian its mean old fashion thinker. but some might be understand eventually if you tell "online working" mean and how much you got from it, I am sure that they will not under estimate you anymore. further more, remember the idionm: "Smart brain working less" ? that is what you are Happy posting always, dear!! oxoxox'dian from bali island.

I've been on the search for a WAH job and when I tell people this, they turn their noses up and don't think it's real work. There are lots of really good jobs out there that you can do at home and you can bring in real money too. I just finished Real Estate School and will be taking the Licensing Exam soon (wish me luck)and plan on selling real estate. And even that gets people thinking it's just a waste of time because of the way the economy is right now. I always tell them that this is the perfect time to get into the business because I can use this time to learn the business. And besides all that, moms who don't work (like me right now) are still working at home. We are called Domestic Engineers and we are more than just women who stay home all day doing nothing. Our jobs as Domestic Engineers requires us to be interior decorators, house keepers, answering services, accountants, landscapers, etc. It's a job where we have to wear a billion hats and you know what? It's the best job out there and one that is worth more than a paycheck!

Some people don't realize what all women have to do at home, its a tough job being a stay at home wife or mom, there is always something to do at home, you never run out of things to do, like housework, even late at night I still find myself doing something in the kitchen, then when you add kids to it, the work is never done, its a tough job, I'd like to see some of those people stay at home for a day with the kids, and try to get it all done, by the end of the day, I guarantee they'll be pooped.

hahahaha!! who cares if I am staying at home? Well, they should not under estimate women who are staying at home. As long as they are not asking money from anybody, why people are so cruel to women who are staying home? I said cruel because of their comments. yes, you are right!! there are many women who are working but hardly have enough for bills and other needs. There are many stay at home moms who know how to earn at home and save money. They would be able to care for the children and their home duties. So, what's the problem with it? As long as they are not starving why make an issue? Women are not ordained to work and provide for the family needs in the beginning. It's the man's responsibility to provide the needs not the woman.

Why be hard on stay at home moms? I think that every woman should have the right to live her life as she please. If she want to stay home and care for her house and family it is her right and nobody should try to make her feel that she is less than. Many mothers are making sacrifices for what they want. Just as if a man had to suddenly take care of his mother that was ill. He would have to make sacrifices because he would not want to see his loved on out in the street. A real mother would not want to see her children being raised by somebody other than herself. As you never know, that other person could be teaching your children the wrong kind of values........Everybody has gotta do what works best for them and their situation..... the only one that can judge is God.

People say women stayed at home are lazy just bad-mouth them! I like an article I read before very much, it said a woman working outside get paid and would have vacation, benefits, others' respects and self-esteem of their own. But a stay at home mum work 365 days a year!!! Why shouldn't a stay at home deserve some respects from others? I agree with you that stay at home mums are not lazy! They choose what they desires as the women who work outside.