You are not a SAHM if you WFH during the hours your child is awake

Why are you so pressed lol. Many moms work from home so that they don’t have to pay for childcare obviously. But you just want to be a bully that’s why you posted this anonymously. Take your judgments to another app.

surely if the mum stays at home with their baby, it doesn’t matter what they’re doing during that time, they’re still a stay at home mum??

I agree. No one calls men who work from stay at home dads do they?

@Sidney I think SAHM refers to moms who don’t work just take care of the household and children. What I take issue with is when OP says “please get appropriate childcare for your baby”. As if working from home with a baby is inappropriate.

I do not consider myself a stay at home mum but a work from home mum. My daughter only goes into nursery 1day a week currently and my husband works hybrid so he helps during the days I have meetings too. Other than that, I do it all.

I do agree that it’s unrealistic to expect to work from home and also look after young children and babies, it’s unfair on the children and your employer. In the UK the majority of work from home jobs stipulate that you must have childcare during working hours. My colleague is coming back from maternity leave soon and has requested two work from home days to save on childcare costs. Now why should our employer pay me X per hour to be in the office working those full 60 minutes per hour, and then pay her X per hour to be working not the full 60 minutes because she will be feeding, interacting, changing nappies, playing, soothing her children.

I genuinely don’t understand how anyone can work from home with a child, I would find it impossible

@Lisa wow girl, why so bitter. some people actually work more efficiently at home. I have worked both in the office and from home and I can tell you, I do more work from home even with my small child. When I went into the office, people spend so much chatting, making coffee, having small talks and getting distracted. If a mother request to wfh, as a mother, you should support her.

@Amy some of us have 2heads

I think this is very job and child dependent. Some kids can play independently for aong time and just need to be refocused from time to time. Other kids need constant attention, soothing, interaction. As for jobs- some of them are pretty time sensitive others are more project based. Like a graphic designer -get your design done by x date vs customer service-answer the phone now, as it rings. I think it's important to know limitations --what you can do and that your job is aware that you are also watching your kids. One size does not fit all.

As a WFM home, I couldn’t imagine not having childcare 😅 and I don’t even have to do that much communicating But my Bosses are very laid back as long as I meet my productivity However, I have to keep my newborn with me for like 8 weeks after I start back bc her daycare slot doesn’t open till May, and I know it’s going to be hell 😂😂

I agree that “SAHM” does not mean traditionally that you work a 2nd job at home. HOWEVER, you can still have a job as a SAHM and work a WFH job because you’re taking on 2 roles. There is nothing wrong with that especially in this economy and I’m not going to allow my baby to be in the hands of some stranger. I guarantee that you have a supportive partner or family so it’s easy for you to make this post. As a mama who is raising my baby with no family help whatsoever I still deserve to raise my baby. 😊

@Kim Yeah that’s the part that blew me.

All WFH positions aren't the same. For example, I don't interact with people, and my work is done mostly during nap and after bedtime. I rarely work when my children are awake. Thus, I don't need childcare. If that wasn't the case, I would definitely have childcare. What gets me are the gross misconceptions of having a remote position. WFH positions aren't to replace childcare. Entry-level positions don't pay well, and the turnover rate is extremely high. I just saw a post that said, "desperately need a stay at home job." I have a one month old no degree and no call center work. These are the posts on this app, so I understand why OP is frustrated.

i had a friend who WFH and was a SAHM.. her kid sat in front of Blippi for 9 hours a day between 1 and 2.5. didn’t talk or have any social or coping skills, i had another friend who was a WFH SAHM and her kids would have activities set up so that they could be in the same room as her working and still get attention and play time. i think it depends on your job and how you handle it. obviously having a background nanny or something would be a good option but it’s also what youre doing for the kids

I work 9-5 mon-Thu from home. I take my lunch when she wakes up from her nap to get in an extra hour of playtime! My partner is self employed and works flexible hours, mainly during her nap, evenings, Fridays and weekends. If I’m working, he’s with our daughter and vice versa. We both call ourselves stay at home parents cause we both stay at home, what would we be called otherwise?? 🤣

@Rhiannon a stay at home parent is someone who is engaged in full time care of their children, and isn’t employed outside of the home. You would be a working from home parent.

Nope 🙂‍↔️ I’m working from home with my kiddos until they go to school ✌🏾😂

I think there's a huge difference here depending on where you live. Those who seem to feel it works well for them I find often live in places like the US. People who think WFH with kids would be pretty much impossible and is generally against employment contracts tend to live in places like the UK. This argument seems to come up on Peanut a lot with everyone having very strong views on either side and location and local laws seems to be the main difference! With that in mind we're unlikely to all agree ☺️

@Lauren I’ve been wfh with my son since he was a week old. It’s definitely not for the weak 😭. But you figure it out as you go

I work from home and there is no way I could do it with my kids at home, I wouldn't be focused enough on my job, and my kids wouldn't get enough interaction, but having said that I do know people who it works well for. I think it's all dependent on the child and the type of job.

@Kim blesss you Im so worried, but atleast my oldest will be in school, he honestly requires more interaction then the potato of a baby 😂😂

I agree. I wfh and take care of my child at the same time but dont consider myself a sahm. Also very privileged and ignorant to say get childcare when childcare is almost more than my mortgage

@Lauren 🤣🤣 yes the potato mostly sleeps and wakes up to eat. So it’s doable.

I would class a SAHM as one who doesn’t work. A lot of contracts in the UK don’t actually allow WFH if you have a child present at the same time.

I agree! I've worked from home a handful of times whilst my daughter has been poorly & its not easy {anyone who says it is, are liars - sorry not sorry}.

When I worked from home I did not consider myself a SAHM. If im honest, i did feel more pressure on doing more things around the house lol Ideally I would’ve wanted childcare for my baby but it was too expensive. So it worked out for me financially! Although it was difficult, I was grateful I could work and have my baby at home

I think we need a new acronym for stay at home working mom. (SAHWM.) As a SAHWM myself, I still consider myself a SAHM mom since I do all the childcare myself except I have a nanny help me 10 hrs a week. It was 6 but had to increase recently due to workload. I’m self-employed so my hours are flexibleish but I put in minimum 40 hrs a week on work and do it all while baby is asleep or with nanny in the next room. My husband maybe watches the baby by himself 3 hrs a day tops which is less than most married full time working moms and SAHMs I know. When the nanny is there I’m still getting him about 20 mins of every hour to nurse him, get him to nap, or relieve the nanny to use the restroom. Before having a baby I worked 3 jobs and easily 60hrs a week and that was way easier since when I got home my time was my own. I offered to go back to work outside the house and my husband was adamant I not so our baby could nurse and I also get anxiety not being around him but if it weren’t for that

It would be WAY easier than what I’m doing now. My old roommate is working 2 full time wfh jobs as a contractor for a major tech company and a big clothing brand and he gets to openly brag about how he has two jobs and two titles. If you’re doing both jobs you should be able to claim both and call it what you want without judgement and good on anyone for figuring out any way to make it work. All of it is HARD.

That said as someone who has been a WFH employer/employee it’s your responsibility to make sure your work is completed and if that means finding care for your child so you can finish it that doesn’t fall on your employer. When promising to work for them because you agreed that they do a job for compensation they are putting that trust in you to do it with minimal supervision because you’re both adults. All the WFH moms I know have some help. Maybe some can manage. I just don’t know any.

I mean there’s so many different types of WFH jobs, some can be done with kids at home and maybe others are looking for part time work idk but i do know it’s a struggle out here and some moms just gotta do what they gotta do to provide for their kids I’m not mad at it. Especially when jobs outside the home are really non flexible and non conducive to parents especially single parents

I wfh & have a big clientele & still manage I have a 3 month old… & I’m a first time mom. I hate the mom shaming these days… like maybe some people work from home because child care is crazy these days & maybe we don’t trust our kids at day cares… it’s all about a routine. You guys are mom shaming woman that can do both at the same time… that takes a lot! Also considering jobs that aren’t WFH you are away from your child not giving them care & not dealing with the fits or this that & the other when moms doing it from home is dealing with all of that on top of making money.

@Shanee I agree not all wfh jobs are the same and it would be ideal to have childcare. But that’s not possible for everyone and the reality is a lot of moms wfh so they can do both. You don’t have to like it but it’s truth, it’s MY truth. There’s no reason for anyone to feel anyway. It’s not your situation great, I’m happy for you. But the rest of us have to do what we have to do.

@Kim, I'm really confused why you responded to my comment. I said what I said. Most, if not all, employers would disagree with you as well as most remote workers. People can feel whatever they want as everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm very much pro women, and not every situation is the same as I said. Again, what another mom does isn't any of my business, but when someone asks my opinion, I'm going to give it.

@Shanee because it’s a public forum, duh. Are you an Employer? So long as the job gets done the way it’s supposed to, I don’t really see what that has to do with anything. But go off Ms.Very much pro women. Goodnight though sis.

@Kim girl bye. You responding to a comment from a day ago asking why people have different opinions. I hope your employer is ok with your situation. ✌🏿