There are many different abbreviations used when it comes to common parenting phrases. These acronyms start from when you are trying to conceive – TTC – right up until you become a first-time mom – FTM. If you have been wondering what sahm stands for, you don’t need to be confused any longer.
SAHM Definition
The popular parenting acronym SAHM stands for Stay At Home Mom. This abbreviation can also stand for Stay At Home Mommy. This term is used to describe moms who stay at home to care for their children instead of going out to work.
In the past, a SAHM would have been known as a housewife or homemaker. You do not need to be married to be a stay-at-home mom, and ‘housewife’ is considered to be an outdated term in the 21st century.
The SAHM meaning should not be taken literally, these moms do not have to stay at home all of the time. Moms who identify with this acronym will still go out to see friends and family, take their children to clubs and school, and do plenty of other things outside of the home. Simply put, a SAHM is a mom who doesn’t have a paying job.
SAHMs are women who do the majority of the parenting, while their partner works to earn money for the family. This was traditionally seen as the norm, but today many women wish to work while also having a family.
History of the SAHM
The term housewife was first used as far back as the 13th century. By the 1900s, other terms were regularly used to describe the role of mothers who did not work. Early alternatives to stay at home moms include homemaker, housewife, or housekeeper.
Stay-at-home mom became a popular phrase in the 1980s and 1990s. At this time, more women than ever before were returning to work after having a baby. With ‘housewife’ now feeling outdated, it was replaced with SAHM, the Stay At Home Mom abbreviation.
Today, the acronym SAHM is most often found in online parenting forums. This abbreviation gives moms a quick and easy way of identifying their family and employment status.
For moms with gaps in their resume, the professional term for stay-at-home mom that is often used is either homemaker or caregiver. Other terms stay-at-home moms who are returning to work use to define their career break include ‘pregnancy pause’ and ‘family leave’.
SAHM Life – What Do Moms Do All Day?
The role of a stay-at-home mom can differ between families. For some, being a SAHM may be caring for the children all day every day, meeting all of their needs, and taking full responsibility for all of the parenting tasks. Other SAHMs may also choose to conform to traditional gender roles and spend their days cleaning, cooking, shopping for groceries, and so on.
Looking after a baby is a full-time job in itself. A woman is no less of a stay-at-home mom if she spends her day caring for her child and doesn’t get any of the housework done.
Being a SAHM gives moms the opportunity to spend all of their time with their children. Many women enjoy having this uninterrupted time with their babies, but others feel like they need to be more than ‘just a mommy’.
Not going out to work also gives moms the opportunity to enjoy different activities with their children. Swimming lessons, baby clubs, or trips to the indoor jungle gym are just a few ways a mom and her little one can spend their time together during the day.
Is Being a SAHM For Everyone?
Childcare is something all couples should discuss before becoming parents. If a woman wants to be a SAHM, there will still need to be a reliable source of income to support the family. Often, stay at home moms will have a partner who is working and earning a big enough salary to cover all of the household costs.
As well as being financially stable, new moms will need to decide if giving up work is the right choice for them personally. There are women who thrive in the stay-at-home-mom lifestyle, and others can find the daily demands and routines too suffocating. Women today often want to have families and a career.
Whatever you decide, it is important to weigh up the pros and cons first. If you have chosen to stay home with your baby, don’t let anyone tell you that parenting isn’t just as challenging as a day at the office.
The next time you are reading through an online parenting forum, you will now know what SAHM means. Now, good luck decoding other popular parenting acronyms, such as BFP, DS, LO, and STTN.