POLL: Are You Really a SAHM or Do You Work Part-time, Too?

I have been a sahm for 9 years and have been homeschooling my children for the last 4 years. Definitely a job but no monetary payment!

I am a 100% SAHM. I have offered to get a part time job so my hubby doesnt have to work 2 jobs, but he would rather me stay home with the boys. BUT, as soon as all 3 are in school, oldest is 2 1/2 and the twins are 11 months, I will go back to work part time, but my hubby and I both want for me to be home with the boys after school. and honestly, I am looking forward to working again, at least part time = )

Well, I'm a SAHM with no income whatsoever, except child support, so I'm likely the only divorced SAHM in the western hemisphere.

In fact, my oldest is away at college and my youngest is a freshman in HS, I'm bordering on HOUSEWIFE not SAHM. So then I'm a DIVORCED HOUSEWIFE!

BAHAWAHA!

I did work part time, mostly in a school or childcare setting for the majority of the past 20 years.

Yeah, so NOW WHAT?!

:(

(I should also mention, my guy, whom I have no immediate plans to marry, travels extensively for a living. So then maybe I'm a Displaced Housewife Formerly Known As A SAHM? tehehe)

I work part-time. When someone asks I say I'm a most of the time at home mommy and work part-time.

I've done it all

Full on SAHM

Full on SAH homeschooling Mom

SAHM during the day, WM at night (only got 3 hours of sleep a night for a year :P)

Student Mom (which just sounds wrong, but there aren't any nifty initials for when your work is going to school)

Part time WM

Full time WM (kiddo cared for by someone else/ I'm NOT primary caregiver)

Part time WAHM

Full time WAHM

I don't care whatchacallit. I'm mom. I'm more tired than I used to be!

((My current list of titles would be Student-Homeschooling-Mom.))

I work two parttime jobs so I am not really a SAHM but I call myself one.

full on SAHM -- sometimes I wish I had a PT job, but the cost of a sitter would cancel out the pay, and my hubby is never home to be the sitter

If you have an out-of-the-home job, I'd just say, "Yes, I work for _____ on a pt basis, and the rest of my week I spend with my family."

I really think you are over thinking this.

Most of the time I was a stay at home mom I did nothing paid outside of the home. When I worked outside the home it did not matter what I did my job title is what I said if someone asked what I did. That was not born of shame of being a stay at home mom it is just that is the answer to the question, what do you do for a living.

When I did not work outside the home I answered I don't work outside the home. I can honestly say the whole 18 years I was a stay at home mom I never referred to myself as such.

Who came up with that term anyway and better yet why?

Okay some of the answers confuse me as well. I am not by any definition a stay at home mom but I am home when ever my kids are here. I pay no childcare. That just cannot be how one defines a stay at home mom, I would fit the definition. Strange term....

I work PT because I choose to.

I"m lucky to have a job flexible enough to let me get my son on the bus, and I can change days if I need/want to.

No before or after school care needed.

I'm a SAHM. I don't do anything to earn income. No part-time job or work at home or online stuff.
I do keep plenty busy though. And this year we are semi-homeschooling our two kids (online academy) and it feels like a full-time job for me. Well, we made the decision together, but really he doesn't do any of the home-schooling stuff. That is all on me. I just finished writing up the lesson plans for the next 2 days for both my kids... yep, it's now just past midnight. Another day comes to a close... lol.

I've been a SAHM for almost 6 years and have only done that, no part time job. I would if we needed the money, but we don't, so I will continue to stay at home until our youngest is in 1st grade, then I will go back to being a teacher.

I don't care much for all the labels either. But I suppose it's better than the term housewife. Now that term gets my goat. I'm not married to a house.

I do work at home and enjoy being able to be at home with my kids and everyone's kids.

I edit books, manuscripts, articles, contracts, grad school papers...but there is a lot of time between contracts as they come from all different sources. I feel so fortunate that we can make do with one parent at home with the wee ones in this economy - so I happily consider myself a SAHM.

I work 5hrs/night from home, including weekends. Its a great paying gig that I can do on my own time, and move it to daytime when kid(s) are in school. I always forget to mention it though when folks ask, I always just say I'm SAHM.

i am a stay at home mom without a job. but i call myself a stay away from home mom.....it seems i'm more busy now that my son is doing good in school!!!

Very good question! I don't know of any strictly SAHMs... LOL. I babysit for a substitute teacher at my home. She's a substitute, so it isn't a full-time gig at all, BUT it is work. I also sell paintings on the side. But, I do classify myself as SAH...

I work PT and am a graduate student writing my dissertation. We don't pay anyone to watch our daughter, her dad (retired) and I are available to be with her 50/50. This is as close to a SAHM as I've ever been!

I run a preschool from 9-1230 from my home and also work 1-2 days a week at a restaurant. Aside from that, I am home. So I am a partial SAHM :)

I'm a SAHM, but I make bows and occasionally sell them.

I work part-time from home in the mornings. I consider myself a working mom more than a SAHM.

I babysit one baby two days a week (20 hours). It limits our outings and other things I'd do, but we make the best of it, and it helps a lot to have a little extra income. The family is very flexible, or I wouldn't be able to do it with my own five :)

I work 2 days a week, but in my mom's group, there were many moms who were solely SAHMs. Now that the kids are entering school, many are taking on some part time work though.

nope, no part time job for me.

I also work, one day per week now, probably two once the baby is a bit older, but stay home the rest of the week with my 2 boys.

I think that SAHM is still an accurate label, or at least I don't know a better one.

I am a SAHM. I don't do anything to bring in an income. I thought about doing a part time thing at one time, but then I got pregnant and decided that I would just wait. I haven't worked in 5 years and now I guess it will be another 5 until this little one gets into school. I don't know what it will feel like to bring in my own money again. :)

I've been a stay at home mom for 5 years now with no part time jobs. Don't get me wrong, I wish I could have one because we are struggling and could use the income, but I have no time to do anything but keep house and referee the kiddos ;) I always thought the ads for moms to work from home, the ones where the toddler is sitting patiently on the mother's lap while she's typing on her compiter, are hilarious. My kids are not anything like that.

I worked PT for the first 4.5 years of my mom life.
Now I am a full time SAHomeschoolingMom.
Though I really need to find a way to make some money. :(

I am a part time WAHM. You can read earlier posts and see. I used to work in an office part time but when we had our third baby, I decided to work part time from home - I work about 12 - 15 hours a week, usually while the baby naps and the girls are at school. Very tough because I NEVER get a "break for lunch" or coffee or to relax! Grr.

I describe myself as a SAHM but I work a part-time Pampered Chef business. Most weeks I'm only out doing one show on say, Friday nights. Funny, but I almost never think of myself as "working" but obviously, I am. So I guess I'm not a 100% true SAHM. I think of it more in terms of I'm home for my daughter and I've never need a sitter since I'm home when she gets home.

I wake up at 4:30 a.m. five days a week to work a four-hour shift on the computer before my kids wake up. It is hard because many people do not see me leave for a job each day and speak to me like I do not have a "real" job, but I still work my early morning job and then go straight into my mommy job!

I do consider myself a SAHM too.

Annie

Just recently became a SAHM , after working P/T & being a P/T student since we've had kids.

Your question sort of got me thinking. I stayed home with my kids for 6 years, no part time job whatsoever. When my little one started kindergarten I slowly began substitute teaching (I taught high school before my kids were born and when my first was a baby). My youngest is in 2nd grade now and I'm subbing more than ever. This week I'm working every single day! But, I still call myself a SAHM. Why do I do that?? I guess I could call myself a teacher. But I'm not *really* teaching, am I? Hmmmmm.... I think I might just start referring to myself that way, because I like the way it sounds. Not that there is anything wrong with being a SAHM. I think I'm just ready to move into that next stage, whatever that may be.

Well, I am not a good SAHM, I have always preferred to work full time. But we had an incident a couple summers ago that made us not want to leave the kids with anyone anymore so now I'm a SAHM and WAHM. I own an insurance agency and share an office with hubby but for the last 2 years I have only worked from home. Luckily I don't have to *see* my clients, I can do all the quotes and policies via phone, email, internet and fax. I also sell vitamins and a diet suppliment online (I make more money doing that than insurance!!) so I can be home when the kids get there after school as well as summers, school breaks and holidays. My husband says I don't *have* to work, financially he makes enough for us to live comfortably. But because of our prior divorces, my money is going to pay off debt and save up for a down payment on a house and eventually pay for colleges and retirement. I would think there would be very few "true" SAHM's out there in this economy and there are always questions on here practically daily that ask how they can make money part time and still be home for the kids. I am so blessed and thank my husband all the time for the life we are able to lead. Oh...to answer your question...lol...I would not call part time workers a SAHM. I would say they work part time. Like I don't say I'm a SAHM, I say I work part time since I'm here in the morning when the kids leave for school, and here when they get home. I would only use the term SAHM for the women who truly take care of the kids with NO outside income coming in. Just my opinion. =)

I describe myself as a PT WAHM (work at home mom).

I am a full time mom. The only way I make money is by smart financial planning and couponing.

I work part time teaching sewing and doing alterations. My Sister In Laws think of me as a SAHM and that I can do whatever I want when I want. I guess I could but then I would have a LOT fewer clients and ultimately have to go work for someone.......

I started a home based business when my boys were very small. Now I also do some other things part time.
I was just thinking this morning after reading some posts that I wish we could all just be "moms!" We all work just as hard whether at home with the kids all day or at another workplace. It's just different!

Full time Homemaker...that is what I think of myself. It pretty much encompasses everything I do. I do not bring in any income but have access to 100% of what my hubby brings in. We are a team with different roles and responsibilities and we support each other and help each other.

I interpret SAHM meaning full time mom and not working to bring in an income. But...in today's society there are many ways moms morph scheduling and employment to do full time mommying and working.

That is wonderful that you get to work a little bit for a great organization and it works with your hubby's schedule.

Good luck and best wishes!!

I work 20-40 hours a week from HOME night shift while my family sleep...I'm a nurse.

I am "at home" but I don't consider myself a SAHM...