Being a stay-at-home mum has made me an outcast

I gave up my job when I became pregnant fifteen years ago and since then I have devoted all my time and effort into looking after my four children, running my home and agonising over whether I made the right decision at the dawn of the new millennium.

Up until then, I knew the stresses of the workplace as well as anyone else, and yet the fact I apparently ‘bowed out’ of the rat race to become a stay-at-home mum means I’m no longer worthy of inclusion when it comes to certain topics in the school playground.

I have heard other mums other the years complain that working mothers treated them like pariahs at school events or worse, studied them like otherworldly creatures as if  incapable of understanding why someone would want to become a stay-at-home mum, but I had yet to experience it.

That was until a new family joined my younger children’s school and the mum equated my lack of laptop and name badge with a lack of brain cells and opinions

Here are just ten conversations I am apparently incapable of contributing to because I swapped my briefcase for a carrycot.

1.  The recession

“That’s not something you need to worry about though, is it?”

Em, the logic behind that one?

2.  Office politics

“Oh, you should count yourself lucky you’ve never had to deal with that!”

I worked for over a decade before I hung up my office heels.

3. Childcare

“Some of us aren’t lucky enough to be able to quit the day job, you see.”

Yes, and as a result, you have a brand new car and our family car is in the shop…again.

4. Exhaustion

“It must be wonderful to be able to tumble back into bed for a snooze when the kids are at school.”

Yes, it must be.

5. Stress

“I can always tell a stay-at-home mum by how unlined her face is!”

Really?

6. Cash flow problems 

“Your husband must be raking it in for you to be able to stay at home, you lucky thing.”

Do I need to point out your car again?

7.  Politics

“Oh, don’t mind us. We were just chatting about the upcoming election.”

Yes, I know. I have an opinion on it too.

8.  Housework

“You can’t complain about the house when you’ve all day to clean it. I’m sure you’d put us all to shame!”

My living room hasn’t seen the hoover in almost a week.

9.  Cooking disasters

“I can always tell a domestic goddess when I see one!”

You’re losing your powers on that front evidently.

10. Holidays

“Oh, you must remember what it was like to crave a good break from everything!”

Yes I do because I experienced it this morning.

Sigh.