By new mom

May 6, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this

I love this story!

Even though it’s not something I’m interested in personally, I think it’s always good when women, moms, and especially stay at home moms get some good press. :)

Have a great day everyone!

By Oh this should be good!

May 6, 2008 8:43 AM | Link to this

It’s been a while since you broke out the SAHM vs. working mom’s thing, this should be good! Bet you were glad another writer lady wrote that article, so you could type this one.

By new mom

May 6, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this

I don’t see this article as a them vs. us issue, and I’m personally tired of the ‘who is better, who has it worse’ comparisons.

I have the utmost respect for those women who manage to work full-time and still run their households and care for their children. I know that as a new SAHM, I have never worked as hard as I do now, but I also know how much harder it would be if I were in a situation where I had to work a full- (or even part-) time job on top of what I do. I am blessed to have a husband who is great at what he does and can provide for all three of us. We work together as a team to raise our daughter and support each other.

Can’t we agree that it we are ALL doing what we can for our kids, the best way we know how, and respect each other for the choices we make. (that might be way too much to ask!) I know I don’t have the time or energy to do any mommy-bashing. :)

Let’s get back to the original questions that Theresa posed….

By Jesse's Girl

May 6, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this

Ya know what….to all you goobers who are determined to make this blog entry a SAHM vs Working Mom battle….kiss my grits! The moms who work outside the home….and then come home and work in it….are just as valid and worthy as those who choose to be in the home all the time. If educated moms find a company that values their experience and drive and these moms have good child care alternatives….GO FOR IT!!!!! More power to you all! I do both…though I am blessed to do 90% from home…and I make it work just fine. Someone should develope a child care solution for these ladies when these companies come-a-callin’!

By decatur mom

May 6, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this

Heck yeah, I think this is a great idea. I have been a SAHM for ten years and if I were to return to work, I’d probably be a much better employee than I used to be. I’m much better at multitasking and time management, and in the course of volunteering hundreds of hours to various causes, I’ve acquired a lot of new skills. I don’t necessarily want to work full time, so this kind of thing sounds like a great fit for someone like me, and me for it!

By Lucia

May 6, 2008 10:04 AM | Link to this

I think it’s awesome that companies realize that savvy, educated women are living their dreams at home and using them as a resource. Hello, business world, I a SAHM and I’m here if you need me! If I get one more call to VOLUNTEER to take care of young children, I will scream.

By JJ

May 6, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this

Please, please, please do not let this go into a debate between stay at home moms, and working moms. There’s alot of us out there, that don’t have the choice. We HAVE to work…….but I don’t mind. I love my job.

I know several SAHM, and they are busy, busy, busy. They certainly DO NOT sit at home and watch soap operas, and eat bon bons…… They put in longer hours than I do….

I always laugh when I leave my office, that I have worked my first job, and now I am on my way home, to my “second job”, which is my first priority……

By Theresa

May 6, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this

Hey Guys — I actually really try not to make the blogs about stay-at-home vs work outside the home moms —I don’t think you can win that one — each has its own challenges — I just think this idea is great because it lets women update their skills, have a little practice, and feel valuable in different ways — I love being home wtih my kids but I also like having something else to talk about and feel proud of — Although the trade off there is I’m probably over extended trying to do both things without childcare for my baby - so that is the downside— but I just think it’s awesome that these companies are recognizing what these women have long known they’re still smart and capapble — it’s nice to be told so

By One

May 6, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this

JJ, I actually do the opposite. When I’m leaving the office, I tell people it’s time to go to my 1st job, my 1st priority, home. What I do during the day is my second job (banking), just to pay the bills! The one (2nd) where I could walk away and never care to come back, but I digress!! I really would like to find a work from home opportunity, I’m sick of being in the office all day! Corporate America SUCKS!!!

By arh

May 6, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this

I think this is a great idea, sort of a “best of both worlds” for the moms and the companies. Companies get to tap an under utilized but valuable resource and women get to remain viable in the workforce. I think that it is a really good idea for women, even if they choose to be SAHM, to keep their feet wet in the employment world because you never know what can happen. God forbid, there is a divorce, illness, death or even something far more common (especially in this economy) the layoff of a spouse; women need to be aware of and ready for the possibility that they might have to return to work.

By Jane

May 6, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this

I was able to be a SAHM until my children reached school age - then I joined corporate America. It isn’t better just different. I still have the same responsiblities at home with my children as before they just don’t need me to be a “helicopter mom” and I did raise them to be independent and take care of it themselves if possible. I now have grandchildren and help where I can with the 4 of them - for me- I like being with them- keeps me young-LOL.
A Mom is A MOM is a Mom - whether she works from home or from an office.

By JJ

May 6, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

One I realized that once I hit the “Post” button.. My job at home is most important. Too funny……

Theresa - you have an ideal job. You are able to work from home, and have your kids there with you. When you need “adult” conversation, you can get that like you said…….

I would LOVE to work from home, but being in shipping/receiving/warehouse management, I have to be hands on, here at the office. I have to see what’s coming in and what’s going out……..

By SA

May 6, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this

Not to get bogged down in a pointless debate but I do take issue with new mom’s implication that working moms must be married to deadbeats who suck at their jobs.

By Theresa

May 6, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this

Hey JJ - I do feel like I’m lucky and I love what I do — I am happy to be able to work from home but it has it’s downsides — I feel like I’m always on deadline -I feel like I ignore my kids sometimes to be working and if I don’t then I’m up at midnight working — sometimes I feel like even though I’m home wiht them I’m not in the moment because I am working or worried about the fact that I’m not working — It does keep me updated a little bit — it’s funny when I do go down to the paper- I’m like what in the world is that — it’s changed so much in the last 7years —- technology wise — I think if I didn’t have the baby I would be OK working the amount of time I need to to get this job done but wiht the baby always with me it is hard - but I can’t imagine her any where else - that would make me sad -

By new mom

May 6, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this

SA, no need to be defensive or ‘put words in my post’, I was simply describing our own personal situation. There was no ‘implication’ there from me, there was an ‘inference’ by you. Did you skip the part where I wrote that I have the utmost respect for working moms? Please reread if so.
And have a great day!

By abc

May 6, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this

If being a SAHM is such a demanding and time-consuming endeavor, how is one to find the time to focus upon work, even if from home? It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, it seems counter to what SAHM’s talk about all the time as regards the demands of what they do.

By chocoholic

May 6, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this

I love this article. I am a part-time working mom, and I get to enjoy the best of both worlds. I work two evenings a week away from home while my husband cares for our daughter and the rest of the time I’m a SAHM. I would love to hook up with one of these networks in the future and use the degrees that I worked my tail off to obtain! As most of you mentioned, SAHMs and working outside the home moms both have their unique challeges and deserve our utmost respect. I find that a mixture of the two worlds works best for me!

By JJ

May 6, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this

I envy stay at home moms. I wish I had had the opportunity to stay home with my child. But my (now ex) husband decided he didn’t want to be responsible for a baby, so he hit the road and we divorced. I could have stayed at home, but the pay wasn’t very good - ha ha……

I envy those of you who have the opportunity, and choice to stay home a raise your child(ren).

By PJ

May 6, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this

What a great way for us at home to keep up our “corporate” skills while maintaining our home lives. I am lucky enough that I do contract work from home, usually no more than 20 hours a month, but it keeps me connected to my profession in a way that prevents that large gap on my resume for the years that I stayed home with my kids. Should I choose to go back to work once my kids enter school, I will have had that connection to the professional world and relevant experience that will hopefully help qualify me to work at the same or a higher level from when I left the full-time workforce. Volunteer organizations do an amazing job of tapping into the SAHM resources - it is great that corporations are seeing that value as well.

By Tricia

May 6, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this

I love this idea. While I chose to work outside the home, some of my friends did not. We are all older moms now with kids leaving the nest and they have unfortunately become a bit undesirable by employers due to being out of the workplace for so long. It’s too bad because they’re all still bright women who just need to brush up on a few skills. I myself was always too independent to stay home. I was also afraid of becoming single through circumstance and not being able to support my daughter and send her to college. She’s on her way though so it all worked out (through careful planning!).

By Chocote

May 6, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this

I don’t want to get into the battle but stay at home mothers have it easier, you are there all day to do your chores and such while working mothers have to work ‘9-5’ and still get everything done.To me the working mother has it worst. The stay at home mom just have to worry about housework and the kids. A working mother has to work, do housework and take care of the kids. I really don’t see how you can compare them. I am neither married nor do I have children.

By Tomorrow's blog

May 6, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this

Guys-tune in tomorrow-our topic is totally going to be-like-how cool ITP is and how yucky and poor the people OTP are- totally cant wait

By fk

May 6, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this

I found that I land interviews for the reason that I was a SAHM with multi-tasking abilities. I have had employers actually say that one particular line on my resume got me in the door.

I was a SAHM for 15 years, but spent at least ten of them volunteering. I gradually made my way back into fulltime employment by working part-time, 20-25 hours, for a year. The volunteer work matters…I did some PTA stuff when my son was younger, and then I got involved in community and civic associations. And, even after 20+ years, the college degree still makes a difference. I’ll probably never give up the volunteer work as I enjoy it so. Plus it’s a great way to make contacts.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

By new mom

May 6, 2008 5:34 PM | Link to this

Chocote,

I don’t think anyone was saying that SAHMs have it worse than working moms—in fact, I wrote that I have the utmost respect for working moms. I am fortunate that I can stay home, and thank God everyday that I’m able to. I have lots of working mom friends, and I know how hard it is to juggle it all.

That being said, being a SAHM has its own special set of circumstances that are unique to staying at home. Now please don’t take this as complaining, because I love being at home! Yes, it’s easier to get my chores done during the day, but then again, only during naptimes—my priority is our baby girl. (oh and I only blog during her naps too!)

Being at home all day, every day, with a baby can test your patience and sanity. It takes a concerted effort to make sure you have some other adult interaction (even if it’s talking to other mothers via this blog!) and to avoid feeling isolated. When our daughter was about 6 weeks old, I thought, ‘OK, I get it, so this is why some women choose to go back to work!!’ Not every woman is cut out for babyville 24/7, and that’s just fine—we are all different, and if you choose to work outside the home, cool. I have some friends who work because they choose to, not because they need to, because being with children all day would make them batty. They are better mommies when they come home, because they were at work all day.

This shouldn’t be some contest between 2 sides—we need to start respecting each others’ needs, choices, and sacrifices, and try to stop being envious or judgemental. We all have the same goal—be the best Mom we can be, and love and provide for our children. :)

And yes, Happy Mother’s Day! My first—yipee!!

By JJ

May 7, 2008 8:07 AM | Link to this

NewMom Very well said!!!! Enjoy your first Mother’s Day. I remember mine, just 17 short years ago.

Happy Mothers Day to all the Moms!!!!