Inspired by another thread. SAHM, fulltime work or parttime work?

Given total support by your family, and the resources needed, would you rather be a Stay At Home Mum, a full time working Mum or a part time working Mum?

Have you tried more than one option? What do you prefer? Why?

(The other thread got into a bit more of a debate than a friendly sharing thing, so I wanted to just have a nice chat about this!)

SAHM if OH could support us until all my children are in school then I'd go back to work.
I'm going back to work part time 30 hours a week. I'm starting very early (7.15am, I'll need to get up at 5.30am) so I can finish at 1.15pm and pick her up at 2pm so I have more time with her.

i think my percentage of work/being a mum is just right for us and our circumstances. i work part time 4 mornings a week. kids are in nursery 5 mornings a week so on my morning off i can do housework, go grocery shopping,go to the gym, see my friends etc. i do this on my morning off without the kids because its easier and i cant go in the evening because my OH is on 24/7 call and i cant leave him with the kids. therefor i have no social life other than going grocery shopping/the gym on a wednesday morning.

i spend every afternoon with my kids and every evening too. we always do something productive like painting/crafts/going out to the park and have playdates. then i make dinner,bath the kids read them a story and put them in bed.

so although i work i spend lots of quality time with my kids and OH. i claim help with my childcare fees (around 50% of the fees) and i get a teeny bit of child tax credits which goes towards the grocery shopping/gas&electric (we are on a meter and i put money on the key/card every wednesday) my OH pays the fundamental bills like mortgage,water,council tax, phone/internet and everything else. i pay for the grocery shopping,anything the kids need like shoes/clothes/nappies, i pay for sky,my credit cards and catalouge (from before we had kids) and my mobile credit. plus i save for christmas and bday presents. me and my OH spend the same % of our wages on bills and have little left for fun things.

edit - my child benefit *£120 odd* gets split equally and deposited into my childrens accounts on the day it goes into mine. i do this so my children can buy their first car, go to uni without debt and/or put a deposit on a house or get married.

I am a part time working mum and i work 2 days a week its great as i spend most of my time with Charlie but i also get 2 days a week where im working and gaining more expereince at work and having my own independence and time out as i dont really have any hobbies so it really works out best for us all x x x

Hopefully going back parttime after mat leave. Really looking forward to it as well as I'll hopefully be working for one of the city's big arts festivals and its a big, big step in the right direction for me!

I don't think I could be a SAHM fulltime, even though it sometimes sound incredibly appealing!

I have to go back FT as we can't afford anything else. If I could I would be a SAHM until kids started preschool then part time or full time when they were all in school. I want my kids to get the social experience of nursery, I just don't want it too soon!

I prefer to be an at-home mom and give up mortgages and cars and other material things. To each their own, but being home with my son trumps those things.

OH doesn't work because of a back injury but if he worked full time and could support us then I would be a SAHM. As it stands now I 'm working 16-20 hours a week

Originally Posted by Minstermind

I prefer to be an at-home mom and give up mortgages and cars and other material things. To each their own, but being home with my son trumps those things.

If I gave up my mortgage my boy would be living in a cardboard box under the arches in Manchester but as you say to each their own.

part-time working

I work full time atm and I also have to go to my Army meetings every week too. Ideally I'd just do the TA and not work. I couldn't just do nothing at all, and Niamh is as happy with Dad as she is with me.