input from Sahm's

stella

So we made the decision that come the end of school year i'm not going to go back to the district. I'm super excited that i'm staying home with Xavier. I am going to try to pick up a couple nights at dention so i have some extra spending money to do extra activities with him. I wanted any advice or insight from other Sahm's. I never saw myself as someone that was gonna not work and stay at home with the kids. I relize that now alot of the house stuff and taking care of Xavier is going to mainly fall upon me. So how does it all work for for you? Any advice or thing you wish someone would of said to you before you did it?

Wilsomom

I've always loved it. I take most of the household responsibility like you said, it's just like a job, but a job I love. Keeping a schedule or routine really helps me. I would say the most important thing I wish I had known way earlier is to keep my kids by my side alot. Like involve them in what I'm doing, cooking, cleaning, etc, rather than seeing that as something I need to do while they're playing or napping only. I mean some things, yeah you need to do alone, but my younger kids know so much more about life than the older ones. And we have fun together, spend more time together, laugh a lot, play fun music, dance, etc. Every day is a new adventure! I'm happy you get to do this, I think it's a great investment into your children's lives!

jules

I agree with @wilsomom its a job but soo love it and I did work before and during pregnancy and went back for like 3 months and just couldn't do it wanted to be home with my daughter way too much. But I would say that's great advice I include her in everything I do that way I don't ever feel like there aren't enough hours in a day ya know. I get all my stuff done like cleaning and shopping which my house is super clean I have very set routine on cleaning. And I cook diner every night and always have food ready for my hubby to take to work since he works 12 and 24 hour shifts and I do all the laundry and I have lots time to play with my daughter and to go wherever I want and to take care of myself with working out or whatever. Do not do ur household chores only while ur little is sleeping give them something to do close by wherever it is u are cleaning. And sometimes I even let my daughter come in shower with me she just sits and plays with her bath toys. And when I cook she's with me playing or having a snack since she sees food. And if u like to work out like me its great to take ur lo on walk which I run with my jogging stroller she gets to be outside and look around while I work out and I stop at a park on way back. And if u do like gardening I let my daughter swing on her swing and watch me or set up some water thing for her to play with she loves that. Sorry its long but point is find creative way to include ur children in everythin that way things get done they have fun spend time with you and they get to learn while watching and helping with some things as they get little bigger.

stella

Thanks @wilsomom @jules. I appreciate. The suggestions.i will keep that in mind Xavier doesn't allow me out of his sight so i would have it no other way but to include him lol.wilsomom what kind of scheldule do you suggest. Was it you that had a way to scheldule when you did your chores.I'm so excited i also consider it an investment in his future..

jules

Lol my daughter is same way always wanted to know where I wa so that's how I learned to just include her so it actually works out well. And I have list of daily things that I do around the house and then list of a bigger thing that's done once week and every week is different and it rotates every 4 weeks obviously hehe

Wilsomom

Yeah I had a lot of people ask for my schedules. Lol I can email them to you if you'd like just to get an idea of where to start. Sometimes I'm more strict on my schedules than other times depending on what's going on. Like right now with morning sickness I just do a basic routine, not schedule. So for example quiet time is at the same time everyday. We do morning chores (cleaning) & an afternoon tidy everyday. Snacks & meals are at the same times everyday, etc. I also like to focus on certain things each day of the week. For example Monday is laundry day, Tuesday is Home Office day (bill paying, menu planning, etc), Wednesday is Town day (grocery, errands), Thursday is Kitchen day (extra kitchen cleaning, baking, etc.), Friday is Deep Cleaning day, Saturday is Outdoor day (gardening, cleaning the car, mowing, etc. )
That's just what I like to do so I know things will always get done. If I can't get all the deep cleaning done then cleaning day will be back again next week! Lol

stella

@wilsomom if you can e-mail me them that would be great stella098@ymail.com. i think that that is going to be the hardest for me is to get into a routine. How do you plan activities and find activity for your little ones ex art learning activities either in the community or things to do at home. I'm afraid of us both becoming couch potatoes.@jules.

jules

Lol u won't be coach potatoe don't worry

Wilsomom

I homeschool so we do lots of reading & crafts, art, composer study & nature study, etc. You can google toddler activity bags for tons of ideas. We do blanket time or table time once a day where the littlest ones do a special activity from the activity bags at the table or on a blanket on the floor. They watch Super Why at noon & I let them each play angry birds once a day. Lol They love that. I'll get to my computer tomorrow & send you some stuff. Also look up some mommy type blogs & that will give you ideas & encouragement too. All the ones I subscribe to are for large families, but I can name them if you want to take a peek anyways.

perly

@wilsomom you seriously are super mom lol

jules

@wilsomom there are a lot of good ideas on pintrest too but if u don't mind I would love to have some of the things u do but my daughter is still little 15 months I'm not sure if u have anything age appropriate

Math_Mommy

I structure my kids' day like preschool. For one, because my "high-energy"/ "active"/"spirited" (and all the other nice adjectives we've come up with) NEEDS structure (or else he gets in trouble). But, my much more docile daughter is thriving on our structure too! I received a lot of materials from my now-retired early childhood teacher mom. But there are tons of sites on the web for crafts, activities, songs and the like (I like having the kids make crafts that have a song or rhyme to go along.) The teacher-supply store is awesome too! I try to structure their day w/a mix of physically active and "downtime" type activities.

Math_Mommy

I had a hard time keeping up with the housework after our second was born. I eventually wound up hiring a cleaning-lady to come 2x a week so I could have more time to be my kids' teacher.

starrxoxo9

I'm not a sahm but I only work part time so on the days I'm off I just have routines I follow. I usually only do housework while Tessa naps. Monday is kitchen & living room (sweeping, mopping, counters, vacuuming, dusting etc), Tuesday I do the bedrooms, Wednesday I do the bathroom. I pick up and do the dishes and wipe stuff down everyday so it doesn't get out of hand. I also do one persons laundry each day. Monday is my bf, Tuesday is Tessa's and Wednesday is mine. I work Thursday-Sat so by Sunday the house kinda goes to hell but I don't really care lol. We are very laid back on the weekends. Just don't let it overwhelm you.

pineapple07

@starrxoxo9 I may steal your schedule for myself, very well structured and it means I'm not exhausting myself trying to do it all on Sunday.

starrxoxo9

@pineapple07 be my guest!! Lol I only spend around 1-1.5 hours on housework each day and it's so much better than spending a whole day catching up.

Wilsomom

@perly - You are too kind...I feel like a bad mom right now because I'm so sick & exhausted our days are way out of whack. I agree with @starxoxo9 about trying not to get overwhelmed. I have the tendency to expect too much out of myself & get overwhelmed easy when I feel like I'm not getting It all done.

@jules - I've never gotten into pinterest much yet, but I'm sure you're right. Some things we do with the littles are paint rocks with water & a paintbrush, blocks, mega blocks, dominoes (not the game, but stacking), stacking those 3oz plastic bathroom cups (they LOVE this!), of course coloring & drawing. Oh & stuffed animals are really popular around here. Lol

@stella - I'm sorry I haven't made it to my computer yet today. Most of my files are in open office format, will that be ok? If you need actual microsoft documents I can do that on my old computer.

jules

Oh u would love pintrest they have great ideas. We already do lots of coloring I have th water doodle pad thing for my daughter its amazing since I don't have to worry about any colors being anywhere else. And she does stacking with the big blocks and I have lots of woden puzzles those are fun. And now that its getting warm I can do outside water activities. I've never used the little cups though that sounds fun . I remember when I was little my mom let me play with sugar cubes

perly

@wilsomom you would be a bad mom if you would purposely sit on your butt while your kids did all the house work but that's not the case. You're not choosing to be sick, its out of your control. Be easy on yourself, this is all temporary and totally worth it in the end

Wilsomom

@jules When it gets warm outside a big paintbrush & small pail of water is fun! They can paint the sidewalks, deck, trees, fence, you name it! Lol Oh & inside a pail full of ping pong balls is a blast too.

@perly Thank you! It will be worth it.

perly

@wilsomom you're welcome

jules

@wilsomom that does sound fun

stella

@wilsomom no problem when ever you get a chance. Today has been hecktic for me work was a nightmare then XavierTripped hit the tv stand and put his tooth through his lip and during all of this i had the air conditioner guy telling me that i need,my whole system replaced. Rrrrr. My hubby thinks i need,it in microsoft doc. I agree you are a supermom i hope that i can be as successful at being a sahm as you are.@MATH_MOMMY are there any sites that you particularly like that i should look at. I appreciate everyone in put @starxoxo9 I think that not letting thinks over whelm me is going to be my biggest challenge i tend to get anxious when things seem not be getting done like i think they should.

stella

@jules i've been on pintrest a couple of times but i have a hard time navigating through it not exactly computer savey. It there there i should type in that it would make it easy for me to find project and such.

jules

@stella well I went to my pintrest and typed in toddler learning activities and a lot fun stuff came up and u can find me if u want its jules dangerfield I have a good house list its cute and very easy I spend 30 minutes a day with that routine cleaning and house is spotles I'm kinda have problem if things aren't clean and organized or smells funcky I can't focus on anything else lol. This is a better list then I had come up with on my own before. Very simple.

stella

@jules i will definetly find you. Thank you >:D<

Wilsomom

@jules I found you but how do I get to that list you're talking about. I'm curious.

jules

@stella ok sounds good
@wilsomom well once u find me u can push follow and looks like u already did that are u angel wills? And then u will see my boards just like I can see urs and the list is under a board named "handy" its pink the first thing in that board the same place u found the homemade laundry hope that helps.

Wilsomom

Yes, that's me I'll check it out thanks!

Wilsomom

@stella I sent your email but I had to send it from my husband's because mine isn't working for some reason. So it's from willslandscaping@live.com.
Did I read it right...ymail? I thought maybe you meant gmail, but I sent it to the ymail. Just let me know.

stella

@wilsomom yeah it is ymail. A lot of people think it's weird. I swear i'm the only that has a ymail account. Lol i recieved it i havn't gotten a chance to open it yet thank you for sending it.