Bold woman angers stay-at-home mums by asking ‘what they do all day’

A bold woman has sparked anger after asking stay-at-home mums: “What do you do all day?”

The unnamed woman took to parenting website Mumsnet to ask housewives across the world how they “fill their time” around doing chores such as cleaning and washing up. Directing her message to mums who don’t have to look after children all day, and don’t work from home, she asked the huge audience what they do in their spare time. Unsurprisingly, it was met with a mixed response almost immediately.

She originally wrote: “Those who choose to be a SAHM/homemaker, who don’t ‘have’ to work, what do you do all day?! I’m talking the SAHM’s who don’t work from home. Who don’t have to look after the kids all day etc. If you’ve done cleaning/washing/shopping etc. How do you fill your day?”

One user replied: “Not much really,” before listing a huge amount of chores. When another user wrote “you’re brave”, she replied: “I know, I fully expect to be jumped on by the working mums or those who feel this isn’t goady [sic.] but it’s a genuine question.”

Read more: A housewife in the 60s was a very different woman to one of today… 

Other angry users wrote a stream of sarcastic responses, with one writing that they “pick their nose and scratch their a***,” while another wrote a joking and detailed list of the sexual activities they get up to in their partner’s absence.

Of course, a few decades ago, being a ‘housewife’ was the norm, with very few job opportunities for women. So do you think this post was a step too far? Or a valid question?

Some responses were more positive, with people offering long lists of tips for the user to try for herself. They ranged from cleaning animals to taking kids to school and craft activities.

Women may choose to stay at home for any number of reasons, whether it be maternity leave, looking after the home while their partner works, or simply a career break. Others don’t have a choice, and may not be able to work.

In the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s a woman would often clean her own house, all the time. Women would sew clothes and bake cakes at home, before the commoditised products of today arrived. It dropped greatly as more career opportunities for women arose, but many still choose to do it now.

What do you think? Was the question unfair, or valid?

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