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TO MY FELLOW FEMALE BOOMERS: We came up during an "In-between" time in history: after the "Greatest Generation' & before the Xers. My question is: How many of you were Stay-At-Home Moms & how many were Career Women? OR were you Moms who had active careers & what were they? Would LOVE to know your story!! Thanks
BOTH?
I joke that I took a 15 year maternity leave. So I was definitely a SAHM but I did go back originally part time and then full time ( like for the last 15 to 20 years). However, I guess taking that 15 year maternity break , coupled with my non aggressive way, took me out of the running for super career woman.
I'm single with no children as well - always regretted not having children, though. That just didn't happen that much during our day, however. Now my nieces were a different story...
I always had a job. Had to support myself. Even when I was married we needed two paychecks. I didn't want kids, and have no regrets about not having any. After my divorce in my 30's, I wasn't looking to get remarried, but bought a house with my BF of 5 years, and we did eventually get married. I worked full-time continuously from age 16 to age 51 when I retired. I think the longest I ever went between jobs was when I got out of the Air Force and had to find civilian work, that took 3 weeks. I've been very happily retired for 9 years now.
I always had a job. Had to support myself. Even when I was married we needed two paychecks. I didn't want kids, and have no regrets about not having any. After my divorce in my 30's, I wasn't looking to get remarried, but bought a house with my BF of 5 years, and we did eventually get married. I worked full-time continuously from age 16 to age 51 when I retired. I think the longest I ever went between jobs was when I got out of the Air Force and had to find civilian work, that took 3 weeks. I've been very happily retired for 9 years now.
Sounds as though you had an interesting life: Air force: VERY impressive!!!
Oh please, don’t let this turn into a “working mom” vs a SAHM (stay at home mom) debate. I waged that “war” plenty when raising my children and working, usually on the beginnings of the internet, Prodigy. I don’t regret working one bit, but do have to admit I worked in the public education field so had the summers to basically be just mom. What I regret is Title IX didn’t occur until I was in college and I never felt I ever had a mentor to guide, encourage me to look seriously at what we now call the STEM careers. While I loved what I did as a career, I think I could have done well in those fields too.
Went to work at 15. Of course, employer thought I was 18 until 2 months later when I had to tell them I was 15. Gave the money to my parents to pay their expenses. Thought it would be a short term thing but it was not.
Put a lot of my dreams on hold; never thought too far ahead; made mistakes. Never thought I'd get married or have children.
That surprise happened but by that time I owned a company with my brother (34 employees) so I took off 3 days I think. I ended up finding an amazing woman who took care of our kids for 21 years (total) - she was a grandma for hire and she really became part of our family. She was 68 when we hired her; 89 when she passed away - true New Yorker all the way and did it HER WAY!!!
I loved having my children; they are amazing young adults now but if I could go back, I would wish I would have taken 5 years and been a SAHM. I tried to fit in everything I could but those years having our children were by far the happiest of my life plus having my business. It was kind of like my baby too.
I was never discriminated against as far as work - other things, yes - but work, no. Never had a problem finding a job either. I wasn't looking for the CEO position either.
Being a SAHM is just as important and I know many working women who walk out that door each morning and it's hard to leave your children. I knew my children were well taken care of but it still gave me the pit in the stomach.
Oh please, don’t let this turn into a “working mom” vs a SAHM (stay at home mom) debate. I waged that “war” plenty when raising my children and working, usually on the beginnings of the internet, Prodigy. I don’t regret working one bit, but do have to admit I worked in the public education field so had the summers to basically be just mom. What I regret is Title IX didn’t occur until I was in college and I never felt I ever had a mentor to guide, encourage me to look seriously at what we now call the STEM careers. While I loved what I did as a career, I think I could have done well in those fields too.
Good Heavens, this is NOT meant to be a judgmental inquiry, choff5 (gave you a rep for your response). It was just a rather tentative time, I believe, for women & their adult lives. And you are CORRECT regarding the STEM careers. Back then, most women (like me) went for "girl careers" such as nursing or teaching. I recall being rather amazed that two of my female classmates went to college to study engineering!
I would have liked to have been a film director But my 1st generation Italian parents thought I had lost my mind!!! I've greatly enjoyed teaching, though, and over the last decade developed a film course for high-schoolers and the local community college - based on DIRECTORS!
I’ve always worked, but when I had kids, I was a working mom. My kids came first. I was lucky I had career that I didn’t have to travel, I was also lucky that I had career that I could work at home 1/3 of my working life. I had a STEM career, switched over from a non STEM career in my sophomore year in college, thanks to my brother who mentioned Boolean algebra to me and SWE(Society of Women Engineers). But I’m a late bloomer, not an early bloomer. That might have made a difference.
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Both....
But my 1st generation Italian parents thought I had lost my mind!!!
