Unique contributions to society

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2006
Unique contributions to society
1504
Thu, 10-19-2006 - 4:12pm

In another thread, the "unique" contributions of SAHM's were alluded to but it wasn't stated what they are. Let's play a game and find out what they are. First, pretend that as of tomorrow, all moms SAH and detail what will be missing from society then pretend that all moms go to work and detail what will be missing from society. I'm really curious as to what people think a world without SAHM's orWOHM's would look like.

If all the moms who SAH went to work then the library would move story hour to the evening and summer vacation bible school would be held in the evenings so that all kids can attend and not just the kids of SAHM's. Banks would likely shift their hours to later in the day and you'd see more 24 hour stores. I think there would be more home cooking style restaurants too. I think day care centers would improve because of increased demand.

If all moms who WOH suddenly SAH, you'd see fewer service industries around because moms could do things themselves instead of paying for them. The nursing shortage would be more of a shortage. We'd probably have a shortage of teachers too. There'd be fewer government services because there'd be less tax dollars to pay for them. I can't think of anything else right now.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-08-2006
Wed, 10-25-2006 - 9:43pm

I work at home ft with kids in school with no othercare at this time. Between chosen summer camps, 6wks vacation for both my dh and myself, we've not needed other care in the summers. I didn't find this job, I worked for it pt when my kids (3 of them) were 0-5 by keeping my professional options open; it was the right choice for us. It's not like winning the lottery, you've got to work for this lifestyle, and many women (or men) and employers, do not know these choices exist. I am an advocate in my very large company to give other people the job share, flexible choice that I have - and its not a tsumani, but its growing...

Curry

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-31-2005
Wed, 10-25-2006 - 11:35pm

Now that I have a kid I understand why WM's always said, "Teaching is such a family-friendly career!" I always brandished my 6-inch thick stack of papers at the person who dared say those words. . . but now I understand: the papers could wait for the wee hours of the morning--or the weekend--whereas the 180 days of the year when DC isn't in school could be a real problem for a working parent who isn't a teacher.

Makes me think I shouldn't be posting here at all with only 15 months experience as a mother! I have oh-so-much to learn.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-31-2005
Wed, 10-25-2006 - 11:47pm

I think that's fantastic. I know many parents (men and women) who would like to spend more time with their children, and the reality is that many employers just don't make that possible. I appreciate people in the work force who fight for this type of thing; I also think SAHP's who abandon the work force after demonstrating their capabilities say something--through their absence--about the need for such programs.

Kind of like potential voters who voice their displeasure with the candidates by refusing to vote whatsoever.

Hmmmm, that wasn't a very good analogy after all, considering I always vote even if it's for the least sorry of four very sorry candidates.

Signing off,
Disillusioned with Perry, Strayhorn, Friedman, and Bell for Governor of Texas, 2006.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-13-2006
Thu, 10-26-2006 - 1:14am
i can tell you why i think it would be harder to woh as my kids get older, but it is not going to apply to everyone, or maybe anyone other than me. my kids are 16, 8 and 3, as you can see they are very far apart in age, which means they are all at different schools. spending time at three different schools takes alot of my time. as the kids get older they have alot more activities that they are involved in, some after school, some in the evenings. with my 3 year old i can sit down and play trains for 15 minutes and he is then happy to continue playing on his own for quite awhile, with my 16 year old if we sit down to have a conversation it can take alot longer than 15 minutes. i find as my kids get older they require more of my time, and alot of times it has to be on their schedule, because they are involved in so many other things, they are no longer a captive audience. the older kids get the more difficult it is to find childcare for them. i would imagine alot of it has to do with how involved you want to be at the school and with your kids activities. i always said i wanted to woh while my kids were little and sah once they hit the middle school years, because i feel those are the years that they are the most likely to face problems that i want to be there to help them face. well, with the wide age gap with my kids (can you tell my kids were not well planned out :)) i woh until the oldest hit the middle of 5th grade, at that time we moved and it was just easier to sah at that time then to woh for a year or so and then quit, but because of the age gap that has meant the younger ones had a sahm while they were younger, but i also use preschool/daycare as a sahm. everyone has to do what works for them, but i dont think returning to work once your kids hit school age is as easy as it might seem - the biggest thing is you have no seniority or accumulated vacation days to use for things like class parties and field trips - but it depends on how much those things mean to the individiual.
Jennie
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-18-2005
Thu, 10-26-2006 - 6:28am

No, you are wrong. I started back to work ft back in March as a nurse. I work 3, 12 hour shifts. Guess what? MY dh wah those days and it is getting harder and harder with the kids schedule. I am looking to cut back to 2 days a week. Or find 8 hr, 3 day shifts.

Once your child is in school, aftercare can be a lot harder, practices, etc, all require someone to take them. WHen my dh is wah, he cannot stop to do things with the kids afterschool. I do not get home until 8:00-8:30.

I do not think sah v. woh b/c moot once the kids are in school at all. I actually have a friend who woh while her children were babies/toddlers. She quit now until they are in middle school. She finds these years to be the most important. I am not saying I agree or disagree with her. But, this debate does not end at 5.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-18-2005
Thu, 10-26-2006 - 6:31am

So, what do they do? Allow their 5 year old to come home alone? Really. How many jobs can you find that will allow you to be home before your kids return home from school?

Personally, I am finding dealing with a 3rd grader and one in kindergarten is taking up way more of my time and energy, than babies ever did.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-18-2005
Thu, 10-26-2006 - 6:35am

<>

Are you serious??

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2006
Thu, 10-26-2006 - 8:17am

"I don't know about you, but my kids attended school 180 days per year. If I could have found a FT job that only required me to work 180 days per year I would have been a happy camper."

I've had that job. But I don't think that most people wouild consider themselves to be happy campers doing it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-31-2005
Thu, 10-26-2006 - 8:21am

I see your point--I guess the idea of schedule staggering and not having to use childcare once the kids are in school sounds easier than it is. If DS were in first grade and I were to return to my former job teaching high school, we would need about 2-3 hours of babysitting after school, leaving only about 3 hours each weekend evening for dinner, homework, bath, family time. :(

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 10-26-2006 - 8:53am

What about a 4.5 year old in dc versus a 5 year old in K? I have seen posts stating that any dc at any age, be it 6 weeks or 4.5 years is evil. Why does it suddenly become acceptable to pack them off for 6 hours a day?

I suspect it is cultural. In the US, children start school at age 5 and it has been that way for decades, even before most women WOH in large numbers. So because your mom went to school at 5 and you went to school at 5, then it's ok to send your kid to school at 5. Objectively, in terms of growth and development, no magic happens between 4.5 and 5 taht suddenly makes it ok to send a child off. School is just another cultural institution.

Susan

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