"That SAHM I am! That SAHM I am!"

Title: Professional SAHM

Key Accomplishments: Provide senior leadership in the collaborative and coordinated logistics; public relations; activities; security; medical treatment; meal preparation; facility improvements, upgrades, and maintenance; budget development and administration; scheduling; goal-setting; daily instruction, and other varied functions as the need arises for the husband and children I am happily responsible for.

Stay-At-Home-Moms (SAHMs) have no gaps in their work experience…

One SAHM recently asked the following questions regarding other SAHMs:

Are any SAHMs taking classes or attending conferences to stay on top of their field of study for when (if) they decide to return to work outside of the home? What are some other things SAHMs are doing related to their professional skill-base while they’re home?


I decided to think about what my own response to those questions might be…

I’ve been out of my field of study for five years, and hope to remain at home for at least another four, so I haven’t really given much thought to preparing to return to work outside of the home.

But, I think if I were going to return soon, I might subscribe to any publications related to my field (for me that would be music educators’ journals). I would also plan to attend the annual conference for the New Jersey Music Educators’ Association.

I would certainly brush up on any skills, and research new music available for band and chorus. I’d try to read as much as possible and research on-line lesson plans appropriate for any classes I might possibly teach. Networking on electronic sites is also a great way to stay connected and get updated information about any new trends in your industry.

When I posed those same questions to other SAHMs I got a very enlightening variety of responses:

·Some SAHMs haven’t really thought about returning to work outside of the home because of the years they’d determined to be SAHMs.

·Others have taken part-time or half-time positions so they have flexible enough schedules to be home before their school-aged children get home from school. This has helped balance the time needed for any after-school or extra-curricular activities the kids may be involved in.

·Part-time and half-time positions might include working as a paraprofessional or instructional aide in your child’s school, working as a half-time teacher at the pre-school or kindergarten level, etc.

·Master’s Degrees have been completed by some SAHMs once the kids were all in school and they had morning hours free to attend classes.

·Another possible option seems to have become the completion of on-line courses and/or on-line degrees – the self-pacing aspect of this option might be appealing to individuals looking for a certain level of scheduling flexibility.

·Some SAHMs have started home businesses, while others have marketed their skills to act as consultants to already established businesses.

In a nutshell, there are really so many flexible possibilities when you have the benefit of a SAHM's “flexible schedule.”

I think above all I would just recommend thinking out-of-the-box about what works best for you and your family -- every SAHM's situation and degree of flexibility is so different from the next person's...

And, definitely continue to stay connected with other SAHMs to check in on what folks are doing.

Hopefully, these thoughts have helped trigger some helpful ideas for you. I’ll speak with you again next Saturday…

Stephanie Evans
Professional SAHM


Stephanie Evans and her husband, Bill, live in New Jersey with their three daughters who are ages five, three, and one. Stephanie has a B.S. degree in Music Education and taught Music for 11 years in the public school system. She loves children and enjoyed being a teacher, but she loves being a SAHM even more!