[joskids]

I'm currently a SAHM but for 13years (in my first marriage) was a SAHM, then divorced and worked full time for a lot of years, usually two jobs, now re-married. Just quit work 2 years ago as we fostered and adopted and now with 4 children, I'm splitting myself just to keep the family in some sense of organization. At times I really miss work, particularly because at my last job I worked for an adoption agency and LOVED IT. But for now, I'm blessed to be able to do this and be home. Our 5 mo. old has never been with a sitter. I'm going to be doing some after school sitting for a child with Downs when school starts and am looking forward to time with her. Who knows? Life comes at you fast (yeah, like in the commercial) and I'm pretty bored when things begin to stay the same so maybe when I'm 60 I'll get a degree and do something for me. My best to all of you. No matter what our line of work, either at home or away from home, our lives are very full and we continue to take on many faces and do it with joy. You go girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Josie
Mom to 8

[kelceesmom]

I am a working mom. I work 4 days a week with a break on Wed. It is actually nice. I couldn't be a SAHM. I don't have the patience. Those that are, my hats and whatever else off to you!! I get up around 6:30, out the door at 8, home by about 5:30 unless I go over to my parents, which is across the street from our daughters care giver. Very nice for them and her. I am lucky that my work is very family oriented so I can come and go pretty much as I please with appointments for her.

[sadiegirl]

I am a SAHM and it's HARDER than I ever imagined. DS will be 15 mos soon and is already at just 1 nap per day. He gets up around 7ish and takes a nap around 1ish. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR 6 HOURS WITH A ONE YR OLD????

Of course, DH thinks I sit on the floor & play games all day and he'd trade with me "in an instant". HE HAS NO IDEA.

[ruth1]

I do both. I go into the city on Wednesdays where I get to talk to adults and work in an office enviroment and then I work whenever I get the chance during the rest of the week. That's not much in the summer, as we live near the beach and I spend all my time there with my 4 year old!

I am a freelance designer so I get to make my own hours and I also started a business creating personalized stories for kids who were adopted. If anyone would like to check out my website -- feel free to pm me!

[Leigh131313]

Sadiegirl

Even if you WERE sitting andplaying games all day...omg, it's so exhausting! It's not like you are playing YOUR games, you are playing toddler games and entertaining THEM.....

oh, and yes, sahm here too! lol

[Fran27]

Originally Posted by sadiegirl

I am a SAHM and it's HARDER than I ever imagined. DS will be 15 mos soon and is already at just 1 nap per day. He gets up around 7ish and takes a nap around 1ish. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR 6 HOURS WITH A ONE YR OLD????

Of course, DH thinks I sit on the floor & play games all day and he'd trade with me "in an instant". HE HAS NO IDEA.

Exactly what I'm worried about, lol.

Seriously, what do you do for 6 hours with a one year old?

[skilack]

I have been both a sahm and a working mom. I have currently been a sahm for 8 years. I quit my job when our youngest was 2. I have never looked back. LOL. When I think how crazy those days were. We had three kids under three and a half. I'm surprised I didn't quit sooner. LOL. Now my days are filled with practices and lessons and school. I am up at 6-6:30 am and don't stop until 10-11pm. I love it. I can't wait to add number 4 to the mix. (If we can ever decide on which adoption path to take.) I can honestly say both stay at home and working Mom's have tough jobs. I learned over the years you have to do what is right for you. After all if "Mom isn't happy nobody is happy". LOL.

[sissyminsky]

I am a working mom. I teach, but during the summer I have been working on curriculum with much more flexible hours. I have discovered how important it is to keep a routine for my little one.

Right now he is at a great daycare - his usual day when I am in school is 7-4:30. During the week I am the only one at home (Daddy is currently working in another city) so I always get at least 3 to 4 hours of uninterrupted time with Art after I pick him up.

In October or November, my little one will be old enough to start going to my school. I am so lucky to be able to be near him!

I don't think I could be a SAHM, though - I know my husband would expect me to accomplish housework in addition to looking after the baby nonstop. (I need Art's naptime for MY naptime! )

[ajjhmf]

I'm a SAHM. I homeschool our 7yo and since it's summer, our schedule is really loose to give us both a break. Basically though the J and H get up at 7:30. M at 8. We get J and H breakfast, feed the baby then DH is off to work by 8:30. Then it's a half an hour of cartoon while mommy drinks her coffee and scarfs breakfast. M isn't on a schedule yet. (I'm working on it though. ) Mornings are for play time, walks to the park, errands and appointments. H naps at 1, so we usually do lunch at noon, then J and I do some school then he's off with his friends while H naps. Then more playtime until daddy gets home. Family dinner at 6pm with the evenings for family time and Tang Soo Do for daddy and J. Baths and bed gets them in bed by 8:30-9pm. With the exception of M who bathes after the others are in bed and is down at 10pm. Throughout the whole day I'm also juggling M. Wow, I'm exhausted writing all that. LOL

Come next month, school will start for J, so my day will change to include school along with everything else. Our schedule will be more rigid and I'm hoping I have M on a real schedule by then.

Blessings,
Jenny

[gigigeorge]

SAHM here... I worked for many years as a special event/corporate event planner traveling all over the world (not as glamorous as you might think ... Is stopped traveling and still did some 'work' from home when we started the adoption process, and then no work outside the house once our son was born (was about 10 months later)... He is 2.5 now and we are waiting to be matched for baby #2.

Call me crazy but I absolutely love each and every minute I spend with him ! lol. Our schedule is pretty relaxed, dh leaves for work around 7ish, while we sleep in usually until 830 or so. While I enjoy a cup of coffee, A. snuggles with me on the couch drinking a cup of warm milk... usually we watch sesame street.

We have breakfast around 930, then we play. Sometimes I get down and play with him on the floor other times he likes to play by himself either in his room or the playroom, we lunch around noon. If I have errands to run we do them so that we can be back home for lunch, or after he naps which is immediately after lunch.

He usually naps from about 1230-1 until around 3-330 during which time I write as much as I can on my books and deal with agents, editors etc.

After he wakes up, we play outside, visit the aquarium or go to the zoo depending on the weather. dh comes home around 6-630 and I start dinner.... this is a new thing though, we used to have dinner earlier but it was getting increasingly more difficult to cook with a toddler underfoot so now I dont start dinner until dh is home... if A. gets hungry we have a snack (usually an apple or orange)... then dh spends some time with A. playing or just visiting. A. usually settles down with another warm cup of milk and is in bed asleep by 9-930...

and yes it is exhausting, but I remember the days of having to be up by 5am just to babysit some corporate executive and up at night because they figured out after dinner (and many drinks) that they dont know what they are supposed tobe doing for the meeting - lol !! no thank you, I'd take 10 kids at home over that

g.

[jaenelle]

I will be a working mom -- really have no choice as my DH makes even less than I do, which is little enough. In the summers I work full time and in the school year I work part-time and go to school part-time. I'll be lucky to be able to take off 6 weeks with the baby and my husband will probably get about 2 or 3 weeks off.

[sadiegirl]

Originally Posted by Fran27

Exactly what I'm worried about, lol.

Seriously, what do you do for 6 hours with a one year old?

Well, someone else posted their schedule so here's what we do:

Unfortunately, DS isn't the "sleep in" type (altho lately it's been 7:30ish as opposed to 6-6:30ish he was doing for awhile a few weeks ago! ).

-Gets up, diaper change, bottle
-Play in his room, read books w/Mommy
-Watch playhouse disney for a bit while Mommy wakes up, checks email (btw, I SO swore "I'd NEVER let my kid watch tv", yeah that's out!)
-Go downstairs, have bfast
-Play in playroom (our converted dining room) while mommy eats, cleans up
-Watch FP musical baby video while mommy takes a shower
-Errands; I so am a homebody but have found with an energetic 14 mo old that I HAVE to go out every day or I would go nuts! So we do something every day, the PO, the library, the dollar store, the park, the grocery. The clerks at the grocery store look at me like, her again? Doesn't she buy for the week?
-come home have lunch
-nap from 1-3 or 4ish
-more play
-daddy comes home and plays with DS for a whopping 30-45 min!
-dinner for DS
-bath
-bed

I then eat dinner afterward and collapse on the couch. I also used to not be a TV watcher but it's all I can muster after my day.

Yeah, DH doesn't help much... And also wonders aloud why I don't get everything done in that 2-3 hr window of DS napping...

[akcskye]

I guess I will be considered a WAHM.

We are meeting our children in 3 days...EEEEKKKKKKK!!!

Hubby gets up from 3:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m., depending upon his shift for the day, and gets home between 4:30 and 5:15 p.m.

Then, right now, he has a part time pizza delivery job that takes 4 nights out of the week (which will change once I ever get my first check!!! UGH).

The job I have, because it's a stealthy type position, I cannot divulge information about, but I own my own business and contract through a company. So, I set my own hours, and call my own shots...FINALLY!!!

[court5505]

I am a SAHM. I love it, but there are days that are tough. If DD is sick or if the weather is too bad to leave in the winter, it's REALLY tough. Otherwise, we find stuff to do. We have play dates with other SAHM's and their kids. I'm in a MOPS group. We go to the zoo, the library, the pool, the mall, run errands, etc. It is hard at times, but if you make sure and find stuff to do, it is wonderful!

[jaenelle]

Originally Posted by court5505

I am a SAHM. I love it, but there are days that are tough. If DD is sick or if the weather is too bad to leave in the winter, it's REALLY tough. Otherwise, we find stuff to do. We have play dates with other SAHM's and their kids. I'm in a MOPS group. We go to the zoo, the library, the pool, the mall, run errands, etc. It is hard at times, but if you make sure and find stuff to do, it is wonderful!

It sounds wonderful to me, and I SO wish I was able to do that! You're very lucky!