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February 2012 Moms
BrownMa
member
Working mom, gives a lot of credit to SAHM
BrownMa
member
I don't know how you girls do it, I love my lo but this is exhausting. My DH is working late all this week so hasn't been home to help and I'm pooped. What the heck do you do to entertain them allllll day. I'm running out of ideas, my MIL watched him all day for us and I'm home from work by four, its sad to say I appreciate the break of going to work. Which leads me into what the heck am I going to do with him this summer! Haha, we need to get together NJ moms!!! I'm willing to drive Aiden needs some entertainment from some fellow Feb babies!
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Re: Working mom, gives a lot of credit to SAHM
My boys are both home for the holidays because they go to a private daycare/school that follows the local school calendar. So they don't go back until the 7th. I'm at my wits end already. DS #2 was sick the week before school got out so he's been home with me already for the last 2 + weeks. Thankfully I work from home but it's been late nights of working for me so I can stay up on my project since I cannot get anything accomplished during the day.
I love my babies but I'm looking forward to the 7th. But I will miss them by the 9th lol.
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I feel the exact same way!! I thought this kind of comment would be flameworthy! So glad others feel the same way!!! I really have no clue how SAHMs do it!!! It's utterly exhausting, and my kids are driving me crazy!!
I imagine if I did this every day, all day, I would have more structure (play dates, places to go, memberships to museums, activities, etc.) and that us working moms thrown into this role for a few days is different, but I don't know!!
I've always said that I wanted to be a working mom. Mostly because I couldn't cut it as a SAHM!!
Enjoy your time off!
Totally agree with this.
I feel like SAHMs would have activities and other things to do with their kid (swim lessons, Gymboree classes, etc). This is something that working moms who take the occasional time off don't get.
That said, now that my LO is climbing the stairs (and only interested in climbing the stairs) ? she makes me a new kind of tired. My week with her made me want to take a nap.
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Honest answer to this- it's the same thing. All day. Every day. Unless we get out of the house which is pretty irregular when it's just she and I simply because she can be a NIGHTMARE in the car and it's hard to deal with it and still concentrate on driving (I normally have to ride in the back seat with her to keep her from losing it and DH drives... honestly I'm sick of having to do that but that's another topic). Once DH gets home for the night, we frequently go out somewhere, even if it's just Target. I swear we are there at least twice a week, sometimes more, almost every week. If it's not that we will go out for a cheaper dinner, or to some other store even if it's just to look around because I will go BSC if I have to keep doing the same things with her constantly with zero changes. Once DH is home, it's just easier to be out of the house with her and he agrees. To top it off she is clingy like I have never seen before so she is in contact with me almost constantly if she is awake, there is next to zero playtime on her own and every single time I try she gets hysterical lately. TBH, sometimes I am jealous of you working moms, although I still wouldn't change staying home with her for anything, no matter how hard it is.
As a SAHM/WAHM, I cannot stress how important independent play is for your sanity!! We have a basic routine each day for meals/naps/play and while we do get out to the occasional play-date, we are here most of the time. Ben is incredibly independent in terms of play. Like right now: I am typing this and he is just wandering around happily playing with his toys. Having a gated area in the living room means he can safely play when I need to work or want to pop in and say hi here. I give him at least an hour a day to explore on his own.
As for activities, just think of the basics: reading, singing songs, stacking things (for them to knock over...he isn't quite to stacking on his own yet), playing with their toys with them. I also include him in what I am doing around the house. Making coffee? Let's count the scoops! Doing laundry? Banging on the washing machine makes fun noise! Putting away laundry? Give them a basket and some clothes - when they are done emptying the basket, toss the clothes back in, rinse and repeat
. I also talk, talk, talk to him all the time and explain what I am doing and what I am holding/using.
I have tried to find something he can do in each area of the house. In the kitchen, he has a cupboard he is allowed to play in. When he empties it, put the stuff back in, rinse and repeat. In the living room, he has all his toys. In the bathroom, he loves peek-a-boo with the shower curtain or to carry around his baby wash bottle. It definitely gets repetitive and can be monotonous at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything right now.
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I agree with the OP. I don't know how you SAHM do it. I mean I know it's rewarding and all but I'd got batsh!t crazy. I need to work for my own sanity.
And my DH already takes me for granted as it is. If I was contributing financially he'd be such a jerk!
My house runs the same exact way. We have a routine we follow, I include him in everything I do and independent play is my favorite part of the day. When he was younger it was different because you can only do so much, but now that he's older my days fly by because every day is different with him now. I wouldn't change my decision at all to be a SAHM.
I wish! We have, quite literally, NOTHING like that around here. I try to go to a play group that meets once a week, but he usually falls asleep just before it's time to leave the house (the other kids are older and down to one nap in the afternoon, and the group meets mid-morning). Beyond that, if we want to get out our options are Walmart, Kroger, or the park if the weather is nice.
It can definitely get monotonous, which is by far my biggest struggle with SAH. He does play independently, but I'm not comfortable leaving him to his own devices for large chunks of time (ie an hour or more at a time). I just don't feel that it's fair to him, but that is my personal opinion. As others have said, it has gotten easier as he's gotten older and more interactive, with a longer attention span.
I have been home since the 21st and go back on the 2nd...I am exhausted.
staying home is a different kind of exhausting than going to work. I am loving that I am getting the happy baby I love. Usually by the time I get to pick her up from daycare, she is tired and hungry and very fussy until bedtime. She is in an amazing mood in the mornings and I love that.
I am ready to go back to work, staying home is very lonely....I NEED some adult conversation, I feel like all I have to contribute to DH and our conversation right now is about DD. Oh and I am getting bored and spending way to much money. Although my house is very clean and cooking dinner is fun again, not a stressful race of trying to get it done quickly so I can move on to everything else I need to do.