# What is your job?



## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

Would love to hear what other women here do in their work life. Do you juggle it around kids? Do you have a good life balance with work/kids?

I am a private, equities trader. All I need is my laptop and an internet connection so I can actually work from anywhere if I want but I choose to work from home and have done for many years. I like the freedom it gives me and it means I can do all the kid things. Ex and I do 50/50 shared care so it would be hard to find a job that is every second week, I am just so thankful that I can work from home.

The not so good side is that it can get lonely, I waste too much time online or doing housework and some days it is hard to stay motivated.

My work/life balance is good, I have time for socialising. sports and hobbies during the day. I also do weekly volunteering which is really enjoyable.

How about others out there?


----------



## 2ofus (Dec 25, 2012)

I also work from home, I have a small manufacturing business. 

I have two children to get to and from school and all their activities. 

I also volunteer at school with reading. 

On top of that I exercise 1.5 hours day, cook, clean and try to be a good mum. 

Basically I don't sit down, I am always on the go. But I wouldn't have it any other way.


----------



## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

What do you manufacture 2ofus? We are almost neighbours, Melb girl here


----------



## Homemaker_Numero_Uno (Jan 18, 2011)

I'm a research analyst, primarily for socially proactive projects that are based in an academic setting. One of my personal projects is to improve data that are used for making investments in Mongolia (there are no US electronically traded funds in this area, and the Mongolian stock market is s l o w l y getting vetted, with de-listings, etc.) 

I'm also a student of comparative literature and strange as it may seem, my studies dovetail with my work because sentiment analysis is a rapidly expanding field and is all language/narrative based. 

This summer I'm to work as an English language journalist in Ulaan Baatar under an internship program. It will give me a press pass and the freedom to do all the research I need to do to get my intended PhD project up to speed.

I'm thinking about asking the university where I support research for an assistant professorship of business research and teaching a research methods seminar (or guest lecturing on how to use the tools of the trade, specific databases, analysis software, statistical methods, etc.) Also it will give me access to funding for my own project. But I would do my PhD elsewhere.

Kids, hmmm. They have stuff to do while I'm in Mongolia and at conferences. I've passed a baby around at business meetings with my clients while my older son roller bladed around inside the building...have had work meetings over a sedated child at a children's hospital when he had his mri (client was a doctor so she dismissed the nurse and we had our meeting while tending to him...) have done drive-by's with a sick child in the van to a client, she would come out and I would hand her the folder and the USB stick. Used to program in the wee hours and nurse baby from a sling. Took my work with me to Quebec and also on a west coast tour, both trips were about a month long or more, took kids too. 

When I worked at a university in an actual office if my kid was with me I just had him bring his lego table or projects he was working on. Sometimes he would watch people's dogs outside (back when Dartmouth was dog friendly work place.)

I should add that when my first son was born I was doing business and other consulting from home and worked on the 10th floor of our apartment building and lived on the 6th. I had a nanny who would come in but I would go up to the office early and get the newstape I needed to read and would have coffee and nurse while reading the tape/news...then later my nanny would bring my baby up to the office to visit and for me to nurse him. I got so used to just working and having kids (I would bring my baby to diplomatic and other events, never thought anything about it, people would ask for him specifically!) and having my baby wherever I worked and working from home that I just got used to it from the start. I had my first in Japan while residing in Beijing so having a set schedule for baby and a regular day care and all that never crossed my mind! The nanny and I were friends and she taught me a lot about mothering. She would often bring my son home with her to cook dinner for her family, if I was going out without him. I guess that was home day care, in the hutong


----------



## Mavash. (Jan 26, 2012)

I'm a CPA turned homemaker. When I quit I was in management so it was impossible to juggle kids and work. I worked for a firm so the hours were long and there was travel involved. They weren't very sympathetic to my having to leave at 5 to pick up kids from daycare. I lasted 3 years before I gave up. It was just too much.


----------



## Dollystanford (Mar 14, 2012)

I work as a company secretary for a large public sector organisation. I've always worked full time but never really had a choice in the matter. I've been lucky enough to work in organisations both in the public and private sector that afford some form of flexibility so i've always been able to attend parents evenings, concerts, etc. I've also been lucky that my parents and my ex in-laws were both retired so were able to help out if I was stuck. Not everyone has that support network. 

My daughter is 16 and fairly self sufficient in the mornings so she can get herself ready and get her own breakfast. I drop her at school at about 8.20 as it's on my way to work (only a few miles way) and she walks home. Usually home by 5.30 - 6pm and then do dinner, whatever housework needs doing and just chill with her for a while. She does stuff on Monday/Friday and I swim Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday so we get exercise too. She's got two year's worth of exams at the moment so she's studying hard. 

My ex husband leaving has frankly been a breath of fresh air 

My work/life balance has much improved now i'm not schlepping up to the city and back every day.


----------



## Enchanted (Jan 2, 2013)

I use to be a full-time social worker. Now, I do part-time receptionist work. Less stressful and less money.

(At least my LMSW looks good on my wall.)


----------



## Red Sonja (Sep 8, 2012)

I was an electrical engineer (electronic systems design) for 30 years before I retired at age 52. I still work part-time as a dog trainer (hobby turned business). Many years ago, when DD arrived in our lives at age 5 years (via death in the family) I was at the height of my career, however by that time H and I owned a thriving engineering business (50+ employees) and so I could set my own hours. Through a combination of shifting my hours and working some hours from home I was able to have the “appearance of a SAHM" to DD … a win-win situation IMHO.

For many years my only “me time” (for me that means exercise time) was between 5AM and 7AM so that I could return home just before my family woke up. Considering that we started out as a professional couple that planned on never having children, I think our arrangement worked out very well.


----------



## 2ofus (Dec 25, 2012)

Holland said:


> What do you manufacture 2ofus? We are almost neighbours, Melb girl here


Clothing, I've been doing it for about the last 5 years.


----------



## IsGirl3 (Nov 13, 2012)

I'm a work-at-home mom. I am a web designer and started an internet business almost 6 years, so that keeps me busy about 35-40 hours a week. I love the flexibility. I work when my 3 kids are at school, and any free moment, like when they're doing HW, or playing with friends.


----------



## MegD (Dec 24, 2012)

I'm still working on my degree =) I work 5 months out of the year for a greenhouse nursery where I'm able to create my own hours, within reason, so I can work around my husband's schedule and avoid daycare as much as possible between him and our families. I'm also a full-time student working on my degree to become a middle school/ high school science teacher. I'm a Junior now, but it's still going to take me 2 1/2 more years to graduate. 

My husband has taken on the bulk of the financial responsibilities. He's a manager at Wal Mart right now and he's going to school part-time. Poor guy only gets days off on breaks from school and in the summer.


----------



## northernlights (Sep 23, 2012)

I write. Before kids I was a journalist, and then I started writing in a corporate setting. They weren't open to part or flex time, and I was out of the house from 8 am to 7 pm, so I quit to mostly stay home, but also freelance. 

That worked well until the second came along, and I didn't work at all until she was 2. Since then I've tutored, and now I'm writing again (young adult fiction! I'll let you all know if I get published  )


----------



## waiwera (Sep 8, 2009)

I'm self employed...working from home. I'm a (organic) grower of vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers. What we don't eat or preserve I sell through boxes to neighbors and at a local farmers market. Up until a year ago I taught horticulture from our property and I still do private consults for people/families getting them started with a vege garden and a compost, maybe prune their fruit trees... I love doing this!

I also teach a dance class once a week and fairly regularly perform at restaurants, weddings and private parties (hen nights and themed parties...not stag does and the like).

The thing I love most about how i earn my $$$ is that my hours are flexible... I work when i want (within reason) so I never have to miss out on a school trip or camping trip with the kids. I can also go AWOL and go fishing (or shopping or lunching or sitting online ie; TAM) if the tide and mood is right.


----------



## Bellavista (May 29, 2012)

I stayed home with the kids until the youngest started school, that was 14 years of my life.
I was then a property manager for residential real estate, but that stressed me out to the point of near break down. I left that after 8 years, just this past April.
I started working in a cleaning business, I clean a couple of days a week, work in my husband's home based accounting business a couple of days and have started study towards becoming an accountant myself. Since I am only doing the prepatory courses at the moment to enter uni, I am still a way off graduating..
Our youngest child is 16 this year, the next one is 19 this year, so they are self sufficent in a lot of ways. This has freed me up for study time. When uni starts again in February, I will be at uni 2 days a week, work cleaning 9 hours a week, mostly early mornings or evenings & the rest of the time I will be at home in the home office.
I don't go out & socialise much, church most Sundays, the occasional visit to some friends, but mostly just hang around home in the down time.
When I was working very long hours in property management, up to 50 p/w, my youngest daughter did feel abandoned. She told me unless I spent more time at home with her she would probably grow up to be a stripper. I cut back my hours then..


----------



## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

What an amazing group of women, so inspirational.

*waiwera*, how much land do you use to grow the produce on? We have weekly farmers markets here, I much prefer to shop there and try to go as many Sundays as possible. 

*northernlights *good luck with getting published.

*MegD *I avoided daycare as much as possible with my kids but in the end put the youngest in for a year. I was completely drained at that stage and as it turned out she loved it. 

*IslandGirl3* I think the internet has been such a great thing for women, allowing so many to work from home. Is your business a web design business?

*Trenton *another inspirational woman, all the best with college and getting into Law school.

*Red Sonja* my dad was an Electrical Engineer (retired) our family business is still running under management. Love that you went from that to dog training. Here one of the big things ATM is dog walking, there are people making a lot of money doing it. Outsourcing is huge business.

*Enchanted *there is something to be said for less money/less stress. I had a terrible couple of years not long ago, money became irrelevant, I had to drop the stress as it was ruining my health. 


*Dollystanford*, I have also been lucky to have family to help out. My kids are becoming so much more self sufficient now and it makes a huge difference.

*Mavash *you highlight the difficulties many women face with kids/career. I had my children later in life and was very ready to leave the office/business environment when they were born.
Would you go back when the kids are older?

*Zanne *can you study part time while working? I know the worry of divorce and trying to keep your life/lifestyle going. My situation is made a whole lot easier because ex and I co parent together well, we are amicable and friends so we swap days if needed and help each other out. 

*Homemaker_Numero_Uno* you are an amazing women. I often read your posts here and feel inspired. I have to say I was not good with coping with babies/business. When I had my first I was running our then business from home and found it really stressful. Such an accomplished and intelligent women.


----------



## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

Bellavista said:


> I stayed home with the kids until the youngest started school, that was 14 years of my life.
> I was then a property manager for residential real estate, but that stressed me out to the point of near break down. I left that after 8 years, just this past April.
> I started working in a cleaning business, I clean a couple of days a week, work in my husband's home based accounting business a couple of days and have started study towards becoming an accountant myself. Since I am only doing the prepatory courses at the moment to enter uni, I am still a way off graduating..
> Our youngest child is 16 this year, the next one is 19 this year, so they are self sufficent in a lot of ways. This has freed me up for study time. When uni starts again in February, I will be at uni 2 days a week, work cleaning 9 hours a week, mostly early mornings or evenings & the rest of the time I will be at home in the home office.
> ...


 :rofl: got to love what kids say.


----------



## pinkblossom79901 (Jan 21, 2013)

i just lost my job  i was a operating manager for att at a call center but they closed the dep and there goes my job w it i have been home for 3 days and going crazy i miss work i wish i can find something that i can do like most of you guys to stay at home w the kids and as of my husband well he depends for me so we have the roles switch


----------



## alte Dame (Aug 7, 2012)

I have my degrees in theoretical linguistics and have worked as a professor and researcher in the field for many years. Currently, I work with individual clients, developing verbal strategies to address specific learning challenges. I spend a lot of time doing clinical analyses of dyslexia and ADD & working with students to deal with the standardized environments they face. My main goal in life is to effectively lobby to abolish tests like the SAT and GRE .

I have grown children - one is a chemist, the other a writer - and when they were young, I sought work that would give me as much flexibility as possible. This helped them, but also saved my sanity, I think.


----------



## Homemaker_Numero_Uno (Jan 18, 2011)

Yes, I want to add that I deliberately sought out research and analytical jobs because they aren't production. In clinical research, all of the outcomes have already happened. That is to say, everyone that was going to die, is already dead, and nothing I do has anything to do with prior deaths or bad outcomes, just preventing future ones and promoting good outcomes. There are always so many tasks in a research job, that you can juggle them according to the amount, type and location of the time you have available. Plus you can work remotely. I regularly VPN and Remote Compute into computers that reside elsewhere. Even when I had an office job, I set up the computers so I could log in from home (or anywhere else.) When internet mail servers came into being, I was so happy! I only recently got a cell phone, it was a personal reason but I got one that would accommodate all of my research and writing needs as well.


----------



## daisygirl 41 (Aug 5, 2011)

I'm a child care officer in a residential school for children with learning and behavioural difficulties. I work shifts during the week and do 3 sleep in duties. I have every weekend off and the school holidays so it fits really well around the kids. I've worked here 10 years.
I've recently completed a degree in childhood studies so I'm planning on using that somewhere in the future. I'm thinking of going into teaching, college age though, not school.
I've always worked. The only time off I had was when I was first married and we lived abroad and during my maternity leave. H and I have always been able to manage the child care between us, with some help from my mum in the early days. We also share housework and chores.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Bellavista (May 29, 2012)

alte Dame said:


> I have my degrees in theoretical linguistics and have worked as a professor and researcher in the field for many years. Currently, I work with individual clients, developing verbal strategies to address specific learning challenges. I spend a lot of time doing clinical analyses of dyslexia and ADD & working with students to deal with the standardized environments they face. My main goal in life is to effectively lobby to abolish tests like the SAT and GRE .
> 
> I have grown children - one is a chemist, the other a writer - and when they were young, I sought work that would give me as much flexibility as possible. This helped them, but also saved my sanity, I think.


Alte Dame, I am dyslexic. When I was 5 my mother was told I would never learn to read & would probably be a troubled child. My mother said that no child of hers would be illiterate so she taught me to read with Dr Seuss and similar books. I know I read differently to other people because I read at twice the speed of other people & go through books like they are water. Thank goodness I have a kindle now.
The other way it affects me is left/right confusion, and occasionally getting my words all out of order. My mother only showed me the report done on me when I had finished school, I still have it here, but I did not live up (or down) to the expectations of the experts.


----------



## alte Dame (Aug 7, 2012)

Bellavista said:


> Alte Dame, I am dyslexic. When I was 5 my mother was told I would never learn to read & would probably be a troubled child. My mother said that no child of hers would be illiterate so she taught me to read with Dr Seuss and similar books. I know I read differently to other people because I read at twice the speed of other people & go through books like they are water. Thank goodness I have a kindle now.
> The other way it affects me is left/right confusion, and occasionally getting my words all out of order. My mother only showed me the report done on me when I had finished school, I still have it here, but I did not live up (or down) to the expectations of the experts.


Times have really changed, Bellavista. Even so, many, many of my students are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. I also see a large co-occurrence effect of dyslexia and ADD. The tests, descriptions and diagnoses are so amorphous that it's very difficult to sort them out & I'm sure that these issues are still not well understood & will be treated differently in just a few years time.

Your writing is great, so I assume your dyslexia is on the processing side. I have had many students who are dyslexic on the production end, i.e., their writing is very challenged, but their speaking and reading is completely fluent.

You were so lucky to have a mother who didn't buy what the experts were telling her. (I had one student who was referred to me as a special ed case with a big question mark. This meant that he was in the very challenged range, but they couldn't make a diagnosis. I worked with him a few times & thought he was very smart and 'standard.' I pressed a bit & learned that his mother had died suddenly when he was 9. It turns out that he was so grief stricken that he never learned his multiplication tables. So, we started working to recover this and here he is three years later with all A's and B's and a trajectory headed to advanced classes.)


----------



## ChangingMe (Oct 3, 2012)

I am a licensed counselor, and currently I am the executive director of a non-profit counseling agency. 

I was in private practice till my youngest was 3 last March, and I only worked evenings and Saturdays. When I took this job, though, I started working full-time. I really enjoy it. It is exciting to watch the agency grow. I still get to do a bit of counseling, which I like, but I also get to build this place up to help even more people.


----------



## SimplyAmorous (Nov 25, 2009)

Just a Stay At Home Mom here... 6 kids. 

But this was my dream, simplistic as it was...... To marry a Good man....have children to fill our home... with all the chaos & JOY it brings... manage it - mentor them & give them wings for their own lives...I just wanted to be there...(this was his ideal too)... These years have went so very fast...I cherished every moment. 

We've opened up our home to many of their friends... we are Grand Central station sometimes, on weekends, could be 5 extra kids sleeping over......That's just my life, what I enjoy, we throw large parties / Bonfires / outdoor movies in the summer... we have pretty much lived around our children's lives -for many yrs... maybe a little too much in the past. 

We've always lived frugally enough to accomplish every dream, even when he didn't have that great of a job ~ in the beginning years. I feel very blessed & thankful I have been ABLE to stay home. We were debt free by the time we had our last son. 

Sometimes I feel "less" by society's expectations of women today... I have to push it down... I really don't need to work... I know our lives run smoother with me being where I am right now....

I have a passion for a few things...mainly Photography & ...well.... writing... but I haven't done anything with either. Maybe someday...I just don't know. If I never do anything else, I will still feel I was greatly blessed - just to be a Mother.


----------



## Bellavista (May 29, 2012)

SA, there is no 'just' about it. A stay at home mum and a working mum have equal importance.

Originally I went back to work when our youngest started school as H had a career change & was starting at the bottom of the ladder again. We needed the income to stay afloat.

Now, with the youngest only being 2 years from finishing school, I am going back to uni to do something for me. Because I had my children so young, all in my 20's, they will be all be grown up by the time I reach 50. That still leaves me many years of productivity & working in H's business that we hope to keep to a size that it can always be run from home suits well.

In fact, unless we are out together, it is rare that either H or myself are not at home now.


----------



## Anonymous07 (Aug 4, 2012)

I work for a non-profit organization for now(my internship) and am finishing up my bachelor's degree this semester. I may or may not stay home for a little while after the baby is born, we'll just have to wait and see how our finances are.


----------



## northernlights (Sep 23, 2012)

alte Dame said:


> My main goal in life is to effectively lobby to abolish tests like the SAT and GRE .


But don't you think that some of the SAT prep curriculum out there is just SPECTACULAR?! Like, OMG, what kind of awesome person wrote that?? 

I have a lot of experience with these tests. The problem with them (IMO) is that yes, you do need to have solid math, reading, and grammatical skills to do well. But that doesn't mean all students with solid skills will do well.


----------



## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

SA I am another that says don't say "just" a SAHM. I am just thrilled that I have been able to be a WAHM. I love everything about being able to run a home and do things for my kids.

This was not supposed to be a SAHM vs WOHM thread. I am in awe of all types of women and I am interested in what they do and how they manage it around all the things that we women need to get done.

My best friend who I simply love is a highly qualified professional has just given notice to become a SAHM to her 2 teens. They are both in critical stages of their education and she can see that they need more support. One has special needs and having her mum at home will be the best thing for the whole family.

I just want to celebrate all women, SAHM, WAHM, WOHM or whatever combination.


----------



## curlysue321 (Jul 30, 2012)

I used to be a medical transcriptionist and worked at home. I liked having flexible hours and being able to take the kids to and from school, but it can be isolating.

Right now I am a homemaker. Lots of homecooked meals and baking and hubby loves it. If I worked I wouldn't be able to give him as much attention as he gets now. The other day he said our life was perfect like the Cleavers.


----------



## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

Yes it can be isolating *curlysue321*. I tend to catch up with friends on a regular basis for coffee though to help break the isolation. Oh an chat on various forums for company too 

The other isolating thing for me is that not many people are that interested in the stock market or they are negative about it. I made it a rule to not talk IRL about what I do because a big part of the success in trading is based on having a solid attitude about what you are doing.
There is a real psychology behind the mindset needed to be successful at it, unlike many other professions that have set boundaries around them. It is crucial that I have the right mindset or I risk losing my money.


----------



## Coffee Amore (Dec 15, 2011)

For several reasons, I'm going to have to be a bit vague about my job. I work for a very large agency which has offices throughout the US and the world. I've been at this job for many years. I feel really lucky to have it. I have a post-graduate degree to do the work I do. My colleagues have either Masters Degrees or Ph.Ds. It's your typical white collar job. Most of the day is spent on reports, briefings, spreadsheets, meetings and otherwise making the higher ups look good. 

My work/life balance is good. There are options for telecommuting, flexible schedule, etc. Telecommuting is highly encouraged. I am not expected to work on the weekends. I am expected to work the full 8-9 hours I work, but after that, my time is my time. The retirement/insurance/perks keep me at the job. I could relocate elsewhere. We've talked about it, but for now, we're staying where we are since we have family here. We also have family in other states nearby so that's an option to consider for the future. My husband helps out with childcare and housework. We split it probably 50/50. We also get a lot of help from family and very close personal friends.


----------



## 45188 (Sep 13, 2012)

A very very tired, worn out stay at home mom, freelance web designer.


----------



## Cosmos (May 4, 2012)

I started out my work life as a medical lab technician, later becoming a legal PA after my divorce - as night and weekend shifts were out of the question with a young son. I haven't worked for a few years, but am now a (very) mature student (psychology). I guess I've done things backwards, because this will be my first university degree.


----------



## TCSRedhead (Oct 17, 2012)

I'm a fraud and financial risk analyst but am transitioning more to project management. 

As for work/life balance - I am really bad at this. I typically work 40+ hours a week which wasn't too bad when I had teenagers but is proving harder with a baby at home. I'm trying to be better at this so I can be a better wife and mom.


----------



## TCSRedhead (Oct 17, 2012)

Incidentally, I have a high amount of respect for the SAHM's and SAHD's - it's a tough gig with little recognition and appreciation most of the time.


----------



## ChangingMe (Oct 3, 2012)

TCSRedhead said:


> Incidentally, I have a high amount of respect for the SAHM's and SAHD's - it's a tough gig with little recognition and appreciation most of the time.


Agreed. I was almost totally a SAHM for 4 years. It was a much harder job than what I do now, which is saying a lot.


----------



## SimplyAmorous (Nov 25, 2009)

Bellavista said:


> SA, there is no 'just' about it. A stay at home mum and a working mum have equal importance.





> *Trenton said*: Raising 6 amazing children and having a happy and satisfied husband while feeling satisfied and happy yourself is priceless regardless of anything MasterCard says.


 I like these comments ..and your thoughts Holland...







... 

Yes, some things are Priceless...their value can't be measured but by those who they've touched. 



> *curlysue321 said: *
> 
> Right now I am a homemaker. Lots of homecooked meals and baking and hubby loves it. If I worked I wouldn't be able to give him as much attention as he gets now. The other day he said our life was perfect like the Cleavers.


 We like the Cleaver Model too... but we're not near that tame ...it's a lot louder around our house. I've used a "bull horn" to gather them up outside in the summer sometimes







... good thing our neighbors are on the other side of the hill....

They love when I make blackberry pies, seeing the excitement on their faces & in their voices when they smell them baking in the oven, daughter is always anxious to help make the crusts. They don't look as good as I'mInLoveWithMyHubby's beautiful crusts (she has shown some pics of her baking - She's amazing ~cutting out leaf's & all) ... but they sure wharf them down. 



> *TCSRedhead said*: Incidentally, I have a high amount of respect for the SAHM's and SAHD's - it's a tough gig with little recognition and appreciation most of the time.


 One thing I can say ....my husband has always made me feel special, needed & Irreplaceable in what I bring to our Union/family... I'd be upset with myself If I needed him to help me with anything...I aim to make his life easier... so when he hits the door from work...we have the rest of the night for leisure -with the kids/ourselves... unless he has MAN stuff to work on . We've built many things side by side, now he has his sons too. 

In this way...we get a lot of time together...and this means a lot to us.


----------



## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

> > One thing I can say ....my husband has always made me feel special, needed & Irreplaceable in what I bring to our Union/family... I'd be upset with myself If I needed him to help me with anything...I aim to make his life easier... so when he hits the door from work...we have the rest of the night for leisure -with the kids/ourselves... unless he has MAN stuff to work on . We've built many things side by side, now he has his sons too.
> >
> > In this way...we get a lot of time together...and this means a lot to us.


I love this part too. 

Have to say I so enjoy looking after my family, when it is appreciated and you feel special then it just give more enthusiasm to keep doing it.

You have built a beautiful life SA I so admire that.


----------



## Bellavista (May 29, 2012)

TCSRedhead said:


> I'm a fraud and financial risk analyst but am transitioning more to project management.


I spent a long time trying to work out why you were telling us you were a fraud.
Then I connected, it is not 2 different jobs, but one..


----------



## Shiksa (Mar 2, 2012)

I'm a partner in a retail establishment. My partner is older than me and his kids are long gone. When I came on, the deal was flexibility. I work when the kids are in school and leave to pick them up and get them to their activities etc. I stay home when they are sick, and go on field trips for school. My H works an hour away, so I tend the home fires.

As for balance, I'm a work in progress. My kids start school at drastically different times, so the mornings are not productive. Exercise is always on my to do list, but rarely gets checked off. I'm not a good housekeeper, nor do I play one on TV, but I cook all the time and love to have wonderful meals for my family.

I've done everything under the sun for a profession from fundraising, PR, lobbiest, to a paralegal for a death row appeal attorney. I love what I do now since I get to interact with the public on a daily basis (I love to talk with people!) and I still get to be there for my kids. 
I wish I was a better housekeeper, but I give myself a pass and know that I'm doing a good job when my 15 yr old son tells me he loves me (still!!)


----------



## Homemaker_Numero_Uno (Jan 18, 2011)

Sometimes *I* feel like a fraud but then I learned about impostor syndrome. 

The Impostor Syndrome - Caltech Caltech Counseling Center

It gave me something to be legitimate about, psychologically speaking.

ROFL, but it's also the truth about me. (Transitioning away from this...)

Kudos to Caltech for having this on their student health website.


----------



## Bellavista (May 29, 2012)

Homemaker_Numero_Uno said:


> Sometimes *I* feel like a fraud but then I learned about impostor syndrome.
> 
> The Impostor Syndrome - Caltech Caltech Counseling CenterQUOTE]
> 
> ...


----------



## janesmith (Nov 29, 2010)

ima clinical social worker. during the week i supervise staff in a mental health agency. on the weekend i conduct psychological evaluation in the emergency room. I work seven days a week most weeks and I can juggle it because my husband does most of the childcare, shopping, cleaning, grocery shopping and bill paying. I had three jobs but It was too hard so I dropped the outpatient therapy I used to do. Im gone so much, last month I just happen to be home but my 13 year old asked my husband for pads instead of me.


----------



## janesmith (Nov 29, 2010)

Enchanted said:


> I use to be a full-time social worker. Now, I do part-time receptionist work. Less stressful and less money.
> 
> (At least my LMSW looks good on my wall.)


LICSW waving at you:smthumbup:


----------

