clicky poll for SAHMs

rssnlvr

I'm curious about the correlation (or lack thereof) between educational background and likelihood of staying at home. This does not count working from home or working part-time. This is strictly being a SAHM.

Feel free to answer if you have "plans" for when you do have a child, too.

And feel free to elaborate. I know there are a thousand different variations on educational background! 

[Poll]

molliedb

i don't count since i wfh, but my sister, sister-in-law, and all of the women in my playgroup have bachelors degrees.  oh and my mom- she was a sahm and had a bachelors degree

KateAggie

Out of my SAHM friends that I can think of off the top of my head, 5 of 6 have B. degrees.  I do as well.

nanann

You don't have my choice - JD!  (I couldn't decide if it was more like a Masters or a PhD).

Mrs.Froggianna

I can't vote since I'm not officially a SAHM (though I would love to be), but I have a bachelor's degree.

ETA:  Of my two BFFs that do/did SAH, one had an associates and the other finished her bachelor's while she SAH.

Kristen&Doyle

I have a bachelor's degree, but it doesn't do much with the degree I have (architecture) ?I would need to get my master's before I could expect to be at any good paying job.

abbysmom1005

I guess i am not allowed to vote either. I consider myself a SAHM, but i do work about 20hours a week from home. 

i have a bachelors and a teaching certificate.

HnyBear

I'm in the same boat as Nanann, no JD option, so I choose the PhD option.

FireChiefsBride

I think you're discriminating aganst those who didn't finish HS. 

rssnlvr

My bad nanann, hnybear, and FCB (and any others whose particular circumstance I failed to capture accurately)...I could have sworn I included an "other" to cover my forgetful a$$. I guess I forgot that, too.

MrsAJL

rssnlvr:

I'm curious about the correlation (or lack thereof) between educational background and likelihood of staying at home. This does not count working from home or working part-time. This is strictly being a SAHM.

Feel free to answer if you have "plans" for when you do have a child, too.

And feel free to elaborate. I know there are a thousand different variations on educational background! 

What's your hypothesis?

borah22

Just to chime in like the others in my little circle of mom friends actually 3 of us just have Bachelor degress and two of them have master's as well. 

I think that I actually only know 1 or 2 SAHM's that do not have degrees--the rest at least all have bachelor's degrees.

 

I have my own theories but I would love to her yours after your poll.

txbabs111

MrsAJL:

rssnlvr:

I'm curious about the correlation (or lack thereof) between educational background and likelihood of staying at home. This does not count working from home or working part-time. This is strictly being a SAHM.

Feel free to answer if you have "plans" for when you do have a child, too.

And feel free to elaborate. I know there are a thousand different variations on educational background! 

What's your hypothesis?

I was wondering as well. 

And, since I do work PT at home I can't vote, but I have a bachelor's and 1/3 of the work done towards a master's so I needed a "special snowflake" option as well.

naclh2otaffy

Aw, I don't get to play either.  ::taffy pouts off to go do one of her three jobs::

rssnlvr

That the higher a woman's level of education, the less likely she will be to remove herself completely from the workforce for an extended period of time.

Obviously other data would have to be gathered, like comparing these numbers to the overall levels of education of all our moms, but I would be willing to bet there is a statistically significant difference in the overall percentage of those with master's degrees or higher choosing to stay home when compared to the overall percentage of those with bachelor's degrees or lower. The only reason I drew the line there in my theory was that research shows a bachelor's degree is the new norm for educational experience (as opposed to high school or "some college" from 50+ years ago).

I'm also intrigued by two current trends--increasingly higher levels of education, especially for women, and increasing numbers of women choosing to stay at home--and how those trends play off each other. 

fjaril

dude, I'm like 2 classes from my bach degree. if texas state didn't suck big hairy monkey balls i'd finish. a$$es.

MrsAJL

rssnlvr:

That the higher a woman's level of education, the less likely she will be to remove herself completely from the workforce for an extended period of time.

Obviously other data would have to be gathered, like comparing these numbers to the overall levels of education of all our moms, but I would be willing to bet there is a statistically significant difference in the overall percentage of those with master's degrees or higher choosing to stay home when compared to the overall percentage of those with bachelor's degrees or lower. The only reason I drew the line there in my theory was that research shows a bachelor's degree is the new norm for educational experience (as opposed to high school or "some college" from 50+ years ago).

I'm also intrigued by two current trends--increasingly higher levels of education, especially for women, and increasing numbers of women choosing to stay at home--and how those trends play off each other. 

It would be an interesting study. 

Kim777

I have a Masters and didn't hesitate for a second to quit working to stay home with Rhett. But like Rosie part of my push for finishing before my kiddos got here was that I hope it will help ease my eventual transition back into teaching after having been out for years. I also plan to start subbing in area school districts once my youngest are in kindergarten for the same reason. I want to still be free to attend their field trips, school parties, etc., but I want to start to build relationships in the area for when I am ready to go back.

BoxerMomma

i have a masters and two bachelors degrees. but ive never wanted to work in the "real world." i always knew i wanted to stay at home with my children, school was just a way to keep myself busy until i was ready to be a mom.  i would love to never go back to work and stay home forever. 

cookie1and2

rssnlvr:

That the higher a woman's level of education, the less likely she will be to remove herself completely from the workforce for an extended period of time.

Obviously other data would have to be gathered, like comparing these numbers to the overall levels of education of all our moms, but I would be willing to bet there is a statistically significant difference in the overall percentage of those with master's degrees or higher choosing to stay home when compared to the overall percentage of those with bachelor's degrees or lower. The only reason I drew the line there in my theory was that research shows a bachelor's degree is the new norm for educational experience (as opposed to high school or "some college" from 50+ years ago).

I'm also intrigued by two current trends--increasingly higher levels of education, especially for women, and increasing numbers of women choosing to stay at home--and how those trends play off each other.?

I know a stay at home DAD who has been at home with his kids for 4 plus years now. ?He has his PhD. ?I have a different theory than you ?I think that like usually stay with like, i.e. usually (but of course not always) college educated tend to marry and hang out with other college educated. ?In a perfect world, we would all make enough money to give either the mom or dad an option of staying home with the kids, if desired, but we all know that's not possible. ?However, I can bet that most stay at home moms (or dads) have spouses that have a higher than normal paying job. ?And usually those jobs are held by college grads. ?You wouldn't find someone whose spouse is say, a janitor (not to offend any janitors) who would even have the option of staying at home. ?In that situation, the spouse would have to work to make ends meet. ?So....my hypothesis is that most SAHMs have at least a bachelor's degree. ?

?Anyway, I cannot participate in your poll either, because like taffy, I have 2 plus jobs ?But I do SAHM during the summer and I have a doctorate. ??

?

Duckie07

cookie1and2:

I know a stay at home DAD who has been at home with his kids for 4 plus years now. He has his PhD. I have a different theory than you I think that like usually stay with like, i.e. usually (but of course not always) college educated tend to marry and hang out with other college educated. In a perfect world, we would all make enough money to give either the mom or dad an option of staying home with the kids, if desired, but we all know that's not possible. However, I can bet that most stay at home moms (or dads) have spouses that have a higher than normal paying job. And usually those jobs are held by college grads. You wouldn't find someone whose spouse is say, a janitor (not to offend any janitors) who would even have the option of staying at home. In that situation, the spouse would have to work to make ends meet. So....my hypothesis is that most SAHMs have at least a bachelor's degree.

Anyway, I cannot participate in your poll either, because like taffy, I have 2 plus jobs But I do SAHM during the summer and I have a doctorate.

I can't vote either since I'm a working mom.  But, I totally agree with Cookie, or my theory would be the same at least.

Nessia

I'm  a working mom, but my cousin is a SAHM with a Masters.

joyco

my cousin's wife has 2 PhDs and she is a SAHM.  I think she's a student for life though! 

I only have a BA but I am not a career-oriented person, I'd much prefer to stay at home with my boys.  Thankfully my husband's company does well so I don't have to go back to work.

My sister has a Masters but she is a working mom since she brings home the bacon.  Her husband didn't go to college (joined the Navy instead) and he is a PT SAHD.

I think it's interesting you say that a BA is the new "finished HS".  My husband's siblings never went to college and their wives/boyfriends/whatever didn't either.  I guess I know too many people who didn't go to college!  

jml5q

I also wonder if there is some correlation between what your degree is in and going back to work. I know a lot of teachers who think it's just not worth it finacially to go back to work after having a child.

gabrielle20

joyco:

I think it's interesting you say that a BA is the new "finished HS".  My husband's siblings never went to college and their wives/boyfriends/whatever didn't either.  I guess I know too many people who didn't go to college!  

I agree with this...I know too many people that only have HS degrees to agree with BA is the new 'finihed HS' 

I want to stay at home, but after I finish my Ph.D. I feel like the last five yrs of life would of been for nothing. And of course, I want to be able to spoil about 3-4 kids just like my parents spoiled me