SAHMS with kids at school...

[CJJHRA]

just wondering how many stay at home mums (or dads) we have out there with kids who are of school age? (and perhaps a bubs or toddler at home still too)

I have 5 boys of school age, and a 2 year old girl, and I am a SAHM.

just wondering what you all do when the kids are at school, and the house is cleaned? What do you do to fill your days (apart from forums like this)

[Funkychicken]

I have school aged children (8yo and 5yo) and a baby at home. I don't seem to have any spare time to fill right now! A baby, as I am sure you know, are time consuming! School is an hour and a half round trip so that takes a chunk of my day, plus the time I spend there doing 'stuff'. I also run a litle home-based business so there is a bit more time taken care of and if I have managed to visit here and get my fix of bubhub, I always have plenty of craft projects on the go. I do a bit of work outside on the farm too so spare time is pretty rare.
Just read through my post-I guess even though I am a SAHM, I do a bit of work as well, so maybeI'm a cross between SAHM and WAHM?

[Ky]

I have a 5yo and a 3yo.

School is just across the road, so I basically have from 8:25am until 2:45pm all to myself with my little man.

I have found that I have a lot of friends that just "pop in" as I live so close to the school and it has been great getting to know so many of the other parents from my dd's class. I am involved with a local church so have meetings and a playgroup to go to, I go for long walks (we are on the edge of town) and my house ... well, it is clean, but not exactly tidy iykwim!

I find that it is easier to get some of the major jobs done on the weekend when the kids are all over dh, so our place seems to get really spotless for Sunday and then degenerates until the next saturday rolls around!

I enjoy the fact that I can have a bit of "down time" during the day ... the occasional sleep taken by ds brings a welcome hour to myself and my sanity is once again restored.

We rent a huge house on a large block of land, so I often have lunches, parties, meetings etc here. Because it is child friendly and the parents only have to keep an eye on them while sitting in comfort, I regularly have groups of Mums with up to 20 children here playing during the day! We often have people over for a bbq and end up with heaps more than were originally invited ... of course, they know we have very little money, so they bring food etc.

A lot of my friends are on thier own and because I have always had to survive on very little (even when growing up) I have learnt a lot about making a dollar stretch, so I spend time with my friends teaching them practical things like cheap and simple meals, budgeting and household basics.

I guess my days are pretty hectic, now that I look at it!

I am having a holiday from everything at the moment ... my dd and I both have the chicken pox! i am finally feeling less like a bus has run me over, but now no longer have only 4 spots ... more like 400 now! ITCHY!!!!!!!

[mrsd]

I'm not a SAHM but DH is and he'd be asking "What spare time ?". He has E (nearly 3) and F (9mths) still at home and A (Yr 5) to D (Yr 1) at school.

The kids and I mess the house up every evening specially for him to clean the next day (we don't really but he firmly believes that we do !). On weekends we drive him so spare that he plays basketball and tennis twice, apart from running around after the kids' sport, and then he has to clean the whole thing up again on Monday (as well as doing at least 7 loads of washing).

He was a computer programmer so he often gets people asking him to fix their computers for him but they just drop them off and he has the machine working in the background while he puts washing on etc.

He doesn't do school canteen this year (F's too young) but he teaches a scripture class at another school for a lesson on friday before Playgroup and there's playgroup on Tuesday's, too - they're the highlight of E's week.

The kids have sport for hours after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, too.

His time for himself is playing the xbox or computer games when I get home from work or in the middle of the afternoon when both E and F are asleep (if there's not more housework to do).

Sorry - I've raved on. He'll probably read this and say that there's more stuff he does (mowing the lawn and cleaning the pool ?) that stops him having time to himself !

[bitty]

i have a 13yr old and 5yr old who is at preschool 5 days a fortnight as well as a 5month old. I dont seem to have much spare time at all really. i do try and get to the gym a few times a week and sometimes if im really lucky i get to go and visit friends lol. I always take 12:00 out tho...thats my dr phil time and everyone knows you dont disturb mummy when she's watching the good old doc

[shellsbubs]

Hi well i recently resigned from a full-time job and are now a SAHM which i am loving!!!!!:) :yes: . I have a DD5 who goes to full-time preschool (8:45am-2:45pm) and believe me I don't know how i fitted working in! Usually after i drop my daughter off i drive to the shops park and then go for a walk to other shops (my exercise- i still put my 3yr old in a stroller so i dont spend the whole time chasing him) then back home to do chores etc. i do allow abit of me time during the day while my son watches a dvd (i usually go online) and then before u know it is time to pick DD up and get them a snack and prepare dinner. I love being a SAHM, i am a much happier,relaxed person.:o

[kymmy]

I am a sahm to three - 2 at home and one at school. My eldest in grade one, my boy hopefull y go to pre school next year (health probs considered) and my baby is 6 weeks off turning one.
I don't have much spare time. I have so much I like to do though.

[Rhoxie]

I'm a sahm to 3
Two in school (yr 3 and pre-primary) and one at home (2 yrs)

My days are so busy lol :)

I help run a playgroup and go on one day
I play indoor soccer one night a week
I go to uni p/t
I help at the school
I go to BAD women (which is a community group of ladies who do a different activity each week and there is a creche for the kids/babies so we can have kid free time)
I coordinate the Safety house program for my suburb
I help with kids afterschool sports.

Some weeks I'm so busy that there is just no time for housework ;) LOL (I generally do my housework in the evenings when the kids are in bed)

Any person who tells me that stay at home mums lead lives of leisure usually gets a very long lecture from me LOL ;)