Way back in the days of our parents when ladies married and had children, it was expected they stayed at home to rear the kids and perfect the art of being an excellent ever caring housewife .
Presumably ladies who didnāt have children did the same, but not sure about that one. Perhaps someone can enlighten me?
Today most have their kids and go back to work, as I did when The Child was 3 months old. Which leads me on to these questions:
Iāve been wondering if anyone after having their kids never went back to work - preferring to stay at home as they used to do in those times?
Perhaps you waited a significant period of time until the kids were older before you went back to work. If you did, how old were the kids before you returned to work?
Maybe there are House Husbands amongst us who stayed home and their wife/partner worked?
Finally to the ladies who were never blessed nor wanted children - after getting together with your significant other, did you never go back to employment, perhaps because you had the luxury of not needing to?
As a mere male, I worked right up until I accepted early retirement on health grounds at 60. My wife (mother to our 4 girls) also worked as soon as she had finished at uni. She could continue with her education and then pursue a career only because my parental grandmother came to live with us and took over in the major role of child care. She studied law and at first worked in the court system before working in a government security agency, recruited while still a clerk of the court (they know where you liveš) . Disillusioned with being confined within Vāhall X she then joined The Treasury Solicitor until the travel became too intrusive, so finished her remaining years working for our local hospital leading their legal team until retiring at 60.
Iāve always worked but the jobs I did were jobs that fitted in with my family life, such as cleaning jobs and later an evening 5-10pm job working in Traffic for TNT Parcel co, that way John was home with the boy while I went to work and he was out at work during the day.
I stopped work when I had my first child. OH was earning a good wage so I didnāt need to work. Second child came & I stayed home, then when she started school I got cleaning jobs which fitted in with school times & as I worked for teachers I didnāt need to clean their homes during school holidays, it worked out well.
As the kids got older I did other cleaning jobs & most allowed me to take my daughter if I had to. Son was old enough to look after himself for the few hours I worked, but I never left daughter with him til she was a teen. I carried on doing cleaning jobs after they left school too. Some involved looking after horses which was a bonus.
I stayed home with the children until they went to school, then went off to college, work, college, University, work, until they left home. Got sick for a few years, then went back to work until Covid struck. Now Iām looking for a job again. I donāt mind being at home, but Iād rather bring in some money of my own.
When I got married I told my wife as long as I made enough to support us she didnāt have to work. I was raised in an atmosphere where the male was the primary bread winner. Now, in hind sight I wish Iād kept my mouth shut.
