[BeYOUtiful]

Do you consider someone a working Mum if they work up to 15hrs per week (averaging 12hrs)?

Someone mentioned in conversation the other day along the lines of me not really being a working Mum.
They then backpeddled and said the way they said it didn't come out right.
Either way I wasn't really offended, however would still consider myself a working Mum??

[B-B-M]

How odd. Yes i'd say you were a "working mum". You have kids - you're a mum. You have a job - you're working.

Some people are weird.

[msro82]

Some people are weird!

I work 32hrs per week, but I am no where near full time apparently! I am only 6 he's short of full time.....

[Natttmumm]

Yes for sure.
You work part time

[Alacritous~Andy]

Unless you a working more than 15 hrs a week, you don't meet the work requirements for Centrelink to receive Child Care Benefit.

Which absolutely sucks when get offered 2 days a week work, when the work day is a standard 7 1/4 hrs. Yep. Half an hour short of qualifying.

[TillyTake2]

I guess there are "grades" to an extent (at least in my mind). I work one day a week, 8hrs. I personally don't really consider myself a working mum. I don't find I have to juggle things the way I imagine a "working mum" does so I guess that's why I feel that way. My life is much more in line with a sahm than a working mum when I compare to my friends on both sides. I don't really mind either way, but now that I think about it I kind of see the point.

[BeYOUtiful]

Yep, that's why I asked.
I first went back to work when he was 7.5mths - 2 days per week (16hrs).
I left home at 6.30am and home at 6.00pm.

Now that I am home until 3.30pm (and usually home from work on average 8.30pm) I notice differing comments - from my partner and the other day our hairdresser.
It sure beats all the travel I did before (3hrs a day) and they are great hours. 3hrs a night but most nights end up with 1hr OT sometimes more.
Next week for example I am rostered on Tues/Wed/Thurs/Sat/Sun. So it feels like I am working more because it is spread out over more days.

Anyhow was just curious.

[JBaby]

It would probably depend on the context of the conversation.

When I read the term "working mums" in articles I usually assume they are talking about women working 3 or more days per week as we usually talk about "working mum"s in terms of the struggles they face unique to their situation which I don't think parents working significantly less hours tend to have.

When I was working two days a week I identified a lot more with SAHP's than working parents as I didnt have the same stresses every single day about juggling the house, work and drop/off pick up committments that I do as a full timer.

In the reverse situation if I read an article about SAHM's in my head that includes those who work 1-2 days per week as they are home the majority of their week.

ETA: I think I tend to look at it as how many days a week rather than how many hours. So if you work 10 hours but its all in one day I'd be leaning towards not calling them a working mum. If they work 10 hours over 4 or 5 days a week I'd probably think of them more of a working mum

This post has been edited by JBaby: 06/02/2013, 03:34 PM

[WibbleWobble]

Unless you a working more than 15 hrs a week, you don't meet the work requirements for Centrelink to receive Child Care Benefit.

Which absolutely sucks when get offered 2 days a week work, when the work day is a standard 7 1/4 hrs. Yep. Half an hour short of qualifying.

You should still be entitled to 24hrs of child care benefit as long as you are using approved care. Working more than 15 hrs entitles you up to 50hrs, which is what you would miss out on by half an hour.

As to the OP, I work 15hrs a week and consider myself a part time working mum. Given my work involves me being away two days a week DH and I still have to juggle to make things work.

This post has been edited by WibbleWobble: 06/02/2013, 03:40 PM

[niggles]

I work a 19 hour week and have always thought of myself as a part time working mother, when I need a box anyway.