I love my stay-at-home mum friends dearly. We need more people like them in our society. Less small children in daycare and more nurturing home cooking mums at home. But up to a certain point. So please hear me out. This is the story of my 12 months working in a department store called Myer Hornsby.
I was a stay at home mum for 2 blissful years, from 2002-2003. When the kids were between 1-4 years old. Migo went to big special school at the age of 4, as special needs kids start early for that much needed early intervention. So, as soon as Migo was at school from 9am to 3pm, I immediately decided it’s time to go back to work. Part time work. Because I still want to be home for the kids by 3pm. Any kind of work. In the western world, the easiest work to get in was in retail. So I applied for a job in a big department store. I worked 4 days a week during the times 10am-2pm. Perfect! I did not earn much. I remember I was paid a mere $15/hour (2003’s minimum wage). It was such a far cry from my usual payslip in the telco industry. But was I bothered? No, I was not. Myer Hornsby was a five minute walk from our apartment, I was having conversations with other grownups, I was earning $15/hour, I was getting back into living outside my little family, I was contributing once again to my superannuation!