Did YOUR Mom work?

[beattyfamily]

My mother of 6 did not work until I was about 16 and I'm her 5th child. But it was always part time at night while we were sleeping. I believe she was around 44 when she got part time jobs. She's worked part time ever since.

I'm a SAHM for 9 years now at age 40. I worked from age 16 to 31. I have no plans to go back to work any time soon.

I will certainly encourage, and expect my girls to go to college and get jobs and then if they want to stay home and take care of their own kids but at least they will have a degree/job to fall back on.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Could be that the question was geared for today and in the future that age bracket will be hire (like in 10 years, don't ask those under 70).

Stastically--60yos and hire were having their babies in 1965 and earlier and there just wasn't as many women in the workforce as there are now. Perhaps it is time to up that age bracket--but for now, perhaps it has been studied and shown that they got too many "I raised my kids" as answers. Just a hunch. (This depends on some things--I'm not sure why her students would be interviewing different age brackets).

My mother did work but her mother did not. She was in the military. She was one of 9 to an abusive father. Her mother received some of that abuse but was dependent on the dad and a British citizen. 7 of the 9 were female and they all never wanted to be "stuck" like that ever. So all are employed in various well respected positions that they went to school for or worked their way up in the company and got a degree later. My mother is the only one not working due to disability. But she would if she could physically tolerate it in a heartbeat.

I choose not to work. However, I do not have the same fear as my mother did. While I am dependant on my husband's income, I have my game plan in place should I find myself divorced or if he passes away. I will do what I have to do when I have to do it. For now I am happy with my present situation.

I would have asked the professor myself--as though I can see "why" the question "could" be worded that way. I'm curious of what the real reasoning was for it to be worded as it was.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I'm 41 and my mom was a SAHM. Now that I think of it - My mom really never had a job (outside of being a mom). WOW, no wonder she gets all uppity that I work!

 

[pixiemomma]

My mom was born in 1952. She died in 2001. She stayed home with my siblings and I until we were old enough for preschool (age 4)

 

[mickeyboat]

My mom went to work full time when I was 2. She will be 60 this year and I will be 36.

Denae

 

[horseshowmom]

I'm 45. Most of my growing up years, my mother was a SAHM. She worked just a little bit from time to time (seasonal with the IRS when I was in high school). She was always there when we got home from school..

 

[NMAmy]

Could be that the question was geared for today and in the future that age bracket will be hire (like in 10 years, don't ask those under 70).

Stastically--60yos and hire were having their babies in 1965 and earlier and there just wasn't as many women in the workforce as there are now. Perhaps it is time to up that age bracket--but for now, perhaps it has been studied and shown that they got too many "I raised my kids" as answers. Just a hunch. (This depends on some things--I'm not sure why her students would be interviewing different age brackets).

My mother did work but her mother did not. She was in the military. She was one of 9 to an abusive father. Her mother received some of that abuse but was dependent on the dad and a British citizen. 7 of the 9 were female and they all never wanted to be "stuck" like that ever. So all are employed in various well respected positions that they went to school for or worked their way up in the company and got a degree later. My mother is the only one not working due to disability. But she would if she could physically tolerate it in a heartbeat.

I choose not to work. However, I do not have the same fear as my mother did. While I am dependant on my husband's income, I have my game plan in place should I find myself divorced or if he passes away. I will do what I have to do when I have to do it. For now I am happy with my present situation.

I would have asked the professor myself--as though I can see "why" the question "could" be worded that way. I'm curious of what the real reasoning was for it to be worded as it was.

Thanks for the thoughts, Lisa. It's for a Psychology course--Human Growth and Development. The students interview a child, a young adult, a middle aged adult, and a senior citizen for a project. It sounds pretty interesting, actually. I'll ask the instructor when I see her--unfortunately, she works nights so I usually only see her once or twice a semester. We have some other instructors that teach the same course, though--I'm going to ask them when they come back to work next week. I'll update if I find out the reasoning.

Thanks to all of you for your responses! Keep 'em coming!

 

[RadioNate]

yes, my mom was a teacher for 34 years. I was born on the last day of school in June and she returned to work the following school year.

Both my grandmothers also worked, one for the Chicago Board of Ed and the other in a candy factory.

My DH's mother also worked however neither of his grandmothers did.

 

[JVL1018]

My Mom(born in 1941) didn't work after she had kids for years and then when I was in 8th grade(brothers in 11th and 6th grades) she started working as a substitute teachers assistant in a school for autistic children.
She went to full time assistant a couple of years later-but this never had much impact on us as she was always home when we were home-her school had slightly shorter hours and was in the same town we lived in.

My Gram, born in 1902 worked until she was 93.
When my Mom was younger she(gram) worked part time as a florist just because she enjoyed it..and she went to work as a bookkeeper when my grandfather died in 1965.She loved it and was one of the most active elderly ladies I ahve ever met-very sharp to until the last couple of years of her life.

 

[Chicago526]

I'm 29, my brothers are 33 and 36, we grew up late 70's and the 80's. My mom worked for most of her adult life, only taking a few years off while my brothers and I were little. Once we were school aged, she went back to work (she worked at the high school, a GREAT option for someone that has to work but needs all the school holidays and summers off!). Once I was in high school, she got another job as a book keeper for some kind of warenty company.

Her mother (now in her 80's) worked from the time she graduated high school until she married my grandfather. He was a "no wife of mine will work" kind of guy so she never worked again (he was a sweetheart of a man and loved Grandma to death, he just felt that men should work and women should keep house and raise the kids).

My dad's mother (who would be age 105 if still living) was a housewife until her husbands death in '52, then she went back to work as a seamstress to make ends meet.

 

[Kitty 34]

My Mother who is now 75 was a teacher.

 

[ntburns22]

I am 27 and my mom didn't start working until my younger sister and I were in school all day. Then she just worked as a noon aide for the schools so she was home when we were home. So she would have the same days off as us. Now she works full time as a teachers aide in the special ed program. I am a SAHM now and I would love to do something like that with the schools when my kids are older. I want to be home when my kids are home.

 

[mommaU4]

I am 34 yrs old and for as long as I can remember my mom always worked.
She still does. Two jobs in fact.

I am a SAHM and have been for about 9 years or so. But I never had family around to watch my kids the way she had family to watch me and my brother when we were little.

 

[mrsmom]

My mom is 82 yrs old and she had 15 kids and never worked outside the home.


Kim :

 

[LisaNJ25]

Yes, my mom was a waitress and married her boss. Than she was owner. The past 16 years she has been working at Toyrs R Us,

 

[can'twait]

My mom is 82 yrs old and she had 15 kids and never worked outside the home.


Kim :

Wow, I'm guessing she worked plenty IN the home!

 

[Ava83]

My mom worked.

But my parents had sched that someone was always watching us, or my one of my grandparents.

 

[grlpwrd]

Yes, after my youngest brother enrolled in 1st grade she found work in Waikiki at a gift shop. She's still working and she'll be 63.

 

[missypie]

I always think of my mom as a stay at home mom. She was at home from the time my sister was born, until I was a junior in high school. That would have been 19 years at home. BUT, after that, she worked until she was 62...that working stage of her life lasted 22 years. So even though I would describe her as a SAHM, she actually worked more years than she was home (before retirement).

I think that one thing the person who wrote those interview guidlines should consider is that lots of the women who are "older" had their kids when they were quite young. It is entirely possible that a 60 year old woman could have stayed home and raised a family from when she was 18 to when she was 38, then resumed her education at 38; such a person would have still had plenty of time for a professional career after the kids were out of the house!

 

[drakethib]

My mom woked as did my wifes mother.

We both turned out fine.