Anyone here a SAHM to a school-aged child and a younger kiddo?

heyitsme

I am going to be a SAHM in a few weeks. We have an (almost) 9-year-old 4th grader and our son is 2.5.
I know the transition will take time and getting used to, but can you tell me about your daily routine?

I think some of my concerns are getting DD up and out to school on time (since she knows I'll be staying at home), dealing with DS's naptime (which might wind up happening when pickup for DD happens), and homework time with DD (what to do with DS during that time). And then there's the fact that we'll have a few hours together that we're not used to. She won't be in any activities (yet), so things to fill in the time without her getting bored? She's used to after-school and having other kids around.

I'm nervous... I know this is the best choice for us, but I'm nervous.

Thanks for any input!

mandymack

Hi there!

I've been a SAHM for 7+yrs and have a 2nd grader and a 2yr old at home.

To make things easier on myself, I get both kids up at 7:30am (school starts at 8:20am and we live across the street) so that I make them both breakfast at the same time and guarantee that the toddler will nap from about 12:30-3pm. School gets out at 2:50pm and in the last year, I've only had to wake him up a handful of times. Most days throughout the last year, my oldest had an after school activity (at the school) nearly every day and I filled the other days with play dates that would last until about 5pm. This helped to ensure the toddler got his nap and my oldest had fun activities with friends her own age.

Once home from school on days when she doesn't have an after school activity, they have snack together, play in the backyard together (some times with other kids that have come home with us for a play date!) and then, the toddler will play in the playroom while I help my oldest with homework and projects. At times, she would read me the directions and ask questions while I had the toddler in my lap doing puzzles. It's totally manageable especially b/c our school only gives homework that is review, nothing new or challenging.

Dinner is always at 6pm and is followed by baths (most of the time together). I take the toddler to his room to read to him and put him to bed by 8pm while my oldest gets herself in her PJs, brushes her teeth, picks out her clothes for the next day, cleans her room, checks her backpack, finishes up homework, or just reads in her room until I'm done. Most nights, she comes to his room with me and they read/play together for the 30min while he's winding down. At this age, she can completely do things on her own with no supervision or help. I made her a checklist and slipped in down into a sheet protector so she could check it off like a dry erase board with her evening chores: PJs, brush teeth, clean room, etc. This keeps her focused and busy while I'm busy with the toddler.

Once I say good-night to the toddler, I read to my oldest and just talk about the day and it's lights out by about 9pm. 

Hope this helps! GL!!

rsd12

I have a 2nd grader, a kindergartner, and a preschooler. Last year was a more unusual year for us since my middle son was in afternoon preschool.

But since I drive my oldest to school first, the 3 kids woke up at the same time and had breakfast, brushed teeth, and got dressed. We were out the door by 8:15, and then after drop off sometimes we would run errand, have play dates, or I worked out... Then the younger boys had lunch and 2nd drop off for the day until the youngest and I had to pick the older boys up!

I did have a difficult time with homework, but that is expected with two younger siblings that just want to play!!!!

JENandJEH

I will have a kindergartner and a 17 month old when school starts.  I like the first poster's suggestion of getting everyone up at the same time and doing breakfast together.  DS1 has to be dropped off between 7:45 and 8am so we'll probably leave the house at 7:45.  

Hopefully he will be consistently down to 1 nap at that point but DS will probably ride the bus home so I won't have to wake him if he's still sleeping.  I haven't thought about how we'll tackle homework time yet but I am thinking while I am cooking dinner, I will have DS1 work at the table so I can be around/help when needed and DS2 usually entertains himself pretty well during that time anyhow.

As for what to do with DS2, he'll be going to a moms day out program two mornings a week and I am going to enroll him in a gym class (Monkeynastix) that will meet once a week.  I am not one to stay home all day so we typically find activities to get us out of the house.  We will probably also give storytime at the library a try.  If he's taking one nap a day, we'll plan to do our errands/activities as soon as we drop DS1 off at school so we can get home for lunch and nap before DS1 gets home from school.  

neverblushed

I did this for a few years when my DD was in elementary and my DS was a toddler/preschool.  I worked p/t as a private tutor in the evenings, but I essentially faced the same issues you're dealing with.  I really enjoyed this time in my life!

Here's how I structured things:

Mornings: DD got up to an alarm and got herself ready.  If DS wasn't up by her bus time at 8, I woke him up.  Once he started preschool at 3, I got him up at the same time she got up, even though his school was only 2 days a week.  It was good for him to get into the routine!

Once she was on the bus, I would work out and get housekeeping done while DS played. Then DS and I would run errands or go on an outing.  I tried to leave the house with him for at least a one outing every day. Sometimes we'd go to the park or have a playdate.  But I tried to go out every day, even if it was just to the bank or the post office.  We got to know "the people in our neighborhood" pretty well during this time!  Daily outings were key for me.  It cut down on the amount of time I used the TV to entertain DS, helped me get things done, and gave DS a chance to experience a lot of stuff.

We'd come home and eat lunch, then read stories or play a little until his naptime.  Once he was down for a nap, I had about an hour until DD's bus got home.  That was free time for me to hang out online, take a nap, watch a movie, or whatever.

In the afternoon, DS would watch a little TV in the living room or play with me while DD did homework in the dining room.  When DD's homework was done, the kids had time to play while I fixed dinner.

Enjoy!  I loved being able to stay at home during this time!

capulet

DD just finished kindergarten and DS is 20 months old.  Here is our routine during the school year:

DS tends to wake up first, so I get him fed and dressed first.  Wake up DD by 8 if she's not up already.  Usually she is, as long as she went to bed early enough.  Get dressed, eat breakfast

Drop off at school at 8:30 (five-minute walk from home! yay)

DS and I spend the day running errands, reading books at home, going to the library or playground, going on walks, etc.  I have always used the stroller a ton and he's very content to ride while I do stuff.  Naptime is usually 12-2 or thereabouts.

Pick DD up at 3:15.  A lot of her friends stay after school and play on the playground while the parents chat/gossip, so we often spend an hour or two there when weather permits.  She doesn't get a lot of homework yet, usually more big projects than daily stuff we have to do every night.

Go home around 4 or 5.  At this point DS is often clingy and makes it hard to cook dinner.  I haven't really figured out a good way to deal with that other than just getting through it.

Kids usually eat dinner early because DH often doesn't get home until bedtime.  DD can do her own thing while I bathe DS and get him down, then bathtime/storytime for her.  For a while I tried reading to them at the same time, but that wasn't working very well, and DS gets sleepy earlier than DD anyway.

boo-bitz

capulet said:

DD just finished kindergarten and DS is 20 months old.  Here is our routine during the school year:

DS tends to wake up first, so I get him fed and dressed first.  Wake up DD by 8 if she's not up already.  Usually she is, as long as she went to bed early enough.  Get dressed, eat breakfast

Drop off at school at 8:30 (five-minute walk from home! yay)

DS and I spend the day running errands, reading books at home, going to the library or playground, going on walks, etc.  I have always used the stroller a ton and he's very content to ride while I do stuff.  Naptime is usually 12-2 or thereabouts.

Pick DD up at 3:15.  A lot of her friends stay after school and play on the playground while the parents chat/gossip, so we often spend an hour or two there when weather permits.  She doesn't get a lot of homework yet, usually more big projects than daily stuff we have to do every night.

Go home around 4 or 5.  At this point DS is often clingy and makes it hard to cook dinner.  I haven't really figured out a good way to deal with that other than just getting through it.

Kids usually eat dinner early because DH often doesn't get home until bedtime.  DD can do her own thing while I bathe DS and get him down, then bathtime/storytime for her.  For a while I tried reading to them at the same time, but that wasn't working very well, and DS gets sleepy earlier than DD anyway.

This sounds exactly like my days are going to be!! We live a 10 minute walk from the school, so we will not be driving, but DD1's K classes go from 9am - 3:30pm and DD2 will be 12 months on the 14th, so I have been trying to figure out how I am going to get this to all work out.

You ladies have given me hope that it can be done lol!