If you weren't a SAHM.....

chamoisee · #1 03/15/11, 08:40 AM

What else would you do? If you didn't have kids, or if they were grown, what would you do instead?

This is only intended to be a fun thread.

mammabooh · #2 03/15/11, 10:15 AM

If you would have asked me before I was a mom, I would have said a massotherapist (that's what I was going to school for when we decided to go through in vitro to have our son). However, since we now live on a farm and I love being at home and am somewhat of a hermit, I must say that, even if I wasn't a mom, I would still want to be a housewife. I love to garden, cook, preserve the garden goodies, raise chickens (and in a couple weeks, milk the goats)...all of that homey stuff that I would most certainly not be able to appreciate fully if I had a job somewhere away from home.

10kids · #3 03/15/11, 10:25 AM

Once upon a time, I would have said 2nd Grade Teacher....but now, my for fun job would be in a fabric store, sounds weird, but I think I would love it.

WindowOrMirror · #4 03/15/11, 11:00 AM

I think that any of you that have raised children to adulthood as SAHM's would be qualified to become executives in most companies. Basically the same set of skills, and you do deal with childish people all day!

R

Callieslamb · #5 03/15/11, 11:03 AM

I'd be a trauma center RN or surgery assistant -if not that - teach college.

Sonshine · #6 03/15/11, 11:10 AM

I'd probably be in full time ministry, ministering to kids. That's what I was doing before we adopted our DS.

lemonthyme7 · #7 03/15/11, 11:10 AM

Biologist

MrsSurplus · #8 03/15/11, 11:13 AM

When they're out of the home I'll still be home - taking care of the critters and the hubby...and lovin' me some grandbabies!

If I had never had children I was on the road to becoming a college professor.

KnowOneSpecial · #9 03/15/11, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10kids

Once upon a time, I would have said 2nd Grade Teacher....but now, my for fun job would be in a fabric store, sounds weird, but I think I would love it.

I used to work at Jo-Ann fabrics. Mostly it was a fun job. My stash grew like you wouldn't believe. The only bad part was the week before Halloween when you'd have these Moms come in and pick out an intricate pattern and then they'd want you to tell them how to make something. You'd spend a lot of time walking them through it only to realize they didn't know what "baste" meant.

Melissa · #10 03/15/11, 11:28 AM

When I was young I always wanted to be a teacher and marry a farmer. Now that my kids are pretty much grown, I am not sure what to do in the next phase. I could be very content just doing what I am doing now. Places I think it would be fun to work- library, book store, fabric store, local Senior Center, preschool.

shellmar · #11 03/15/11, 11:57 AM

When I was younger I wanted to be an archaeologist.

Now, if I could, I would like to be a historian. I love American history. I think it would be wonderful to make history come alive for people, specifically children.

Terri in WV · #12 03/15/11, 12:10 PM

Before I had my first I was looking into otr truck schooling. At our 10yr class reunion I had several people say that they were surprised that I wasn't driving truck.

A couple of years ago I did own a fabric store and had intended to reopen it when we moved here(my research for this area showed no fabric stores). After we moved I found out different, they just weren't listed on any web sites, anywhere.

In the future, when my kids are grown, it'll be time to look into retirement homes

.

my3boys · #13 03/15/11, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shellmar

When I was younger I wanted to be an archaeologist.

Now, if I could, I would like to be a historian. I love American history. I think it would be wonderful to make history come alive for people, specifically children.

Me too! Including the archeology. The two are so related. I definitely would not be a sit-behind-the-desk type so I probably wouldn't teach unless it was part time. Museum curator sounds good, with the ability to go on archeological digs.

ErinP · #14 03/15/11, 12:27 PM

Like Melissa, I too wanted to be a teacher and marry a farmer. I married a rancher, close enough, and decided I don't like teaching full time. (The little angels are great! Their parents, on the other hand, are appalling!

)

Personally, I'm already doing what like. I have my online fabric store, I do a little part time work here and there and I substitute teach.
And it all can be placed behind my family.

Or am I misreading this and the question is really more like, "What if you didn't ever have kids?"

**Kris in MI** · #15 03/15/11, 12:38 PM

If I had never had kids, I would be a hugely famous horse trainer.

I was deeply into horses as a teen, but wanted also to have a large family. I'd seen enough horsey families split up that I knew I had to put my hubby and kids first, the horses second. So I passed up several opportunities to go pro, starting with an opportunity I had at 19 to train and show horses on the Arab Circuit.

I'm much more rooted now to my land and home, so even when the kids are grown and gone (4.5 more years!!), I don't think I will get back into showing; at least not with national-level aspirations.

**Kris in MI** · #16 03/15/11, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WindowOrMirror

I think that any of you that have raised children to adulthood as SAHM's would be qualified to become executives in most companies. Basically the same set of skills, and you do deal with childish people all day!

R

At one point in my journey of motherhood, when I was getting alot of 'oh, you mean you're just a mom' from people, I began putting 'CEO of Domestic Affairs' on forms where they give a space for 'occupation'.

houndlover · #17 03/15/11, 12:58 PM

I was a teacher before I had kids, working and 4 littles in 6 yrs was too hard for me...have gone back to it part time now that they're grown. I guess I would have just kept teaching.

kasilofhome · #18 03/15/11, 12:59 PM

I would be even more involed with politics. Honestly I am one of those freaks to attends local meetings. Lots and lots of discussions come up and decissions are made by others that directly impact my life and the future. Often times only the elected people are at the meetings and they have little imput from who they represent. How can we complain if we have not communicated our wishes or plans.

I could have lost my land if something had passed. An increase of 22 dollars a month for property taxes to cover a bond for a 5 acre indoor sports dome so that children could play soccor in the winter in Alaska seemed silly to me. We, live in the great outdoors the justification was that children need excersize to keep fit. Somehow skiing, Ice skating, hockey, and basketball was not doing it. I stood up and spoke. 22 dollar more a month would have caused us to default on local taxes. It was to be a shoe in but in the end the motion was withdrawn.

I encourage people to attend local meetings as it is where you live and those people you voted for really need your personal input.

Yvonne's hubby · #19 03/15/11, 01:13 PM

Well, since I cant be a sahm.... I content myself with being a sahd instead. I never had any dreams of doing more than enjoying life anyway.

Marsha · #20 03/15/11, 03:13 PM

I've been a SAHM for over 30 years now, and, since our youngest is only 6, I plan to stay at home (Lord willing) until he is older. I do serveral jobs on the side, but, nothing that takes me away from the family long.

I wanted to be lots of things, when I was younger, but, now for some reason those things don't really seem that grand, or, important.

I really do enjoy staying home, taking care of our home, cooking, baking, gardening, farming, and, all the other things I have time to do.