Stay at home parents

jaga13

I am considering leaving my job to be at home....I have an older child in school and my toddler would be home with me most of the day (probably in preschool a few hours a week, but not much). I am used to my current exercise schedule: hubby takes the kids to school and I have 25 minutes to run (treadmill) or lift weights before I get ready for work. I then add a lot of walking throughout the day. I run 2 days and lift 3 days, and then do a long run on the weekend.

I don't know how I will maintain my running if I am home with my toddler and no longer have that free time in the morning (I plan on using the time she's in preschool to manage cooking/cleaning/laundry etc). She wakes up at 5:30am already, so I don't think waking up earlier will be a great option. I can try using the treadmill when she naps, but you know how toddlers are--naps can be unpredictable. I can wait until the evening, since my evenings will theoretically no longer include all the chores I currently do after work. I could squeeze in 2 miles while she's at preschool twice a week and use the other days to catch up on stuff around the house. Or I could find something less intense that I can do when my toddler is with me (like dancing, more walking), or something I can easily stop doing in the middle of a nap if she wakes up.


I'm kind of just thinking out loud, but if you've made this transition and have some ideas, I'm open to them!

eDonatti

I'm stay at home mum - you're so right about the naps! I do all the chores (or as much as I can) during the nap time - sometimes I squeeze some push ups, sit ups etc. I do run in the evening when my hubby is back from work. He's then looking after our daughter and I go for a run.

I hope that helps?

jaga13

Thank you! Every perspective helps! Hubby often doesn't get home until the kids are already in bed (one of the reasons we're considering this shift--he works a ton of hours and travels, and just can't be there to help me out after I've already worked a full day too!). But my kids go to bed early (out by 7:30), so I could probably run at 7:30pm twice a week, and maybe do strength training during naps or even while she's playing since it's easier to start and stop with weights than to start and stop on the treadmill.

Francl27

Well, couple ideas... Join a gym with a daycare (I go pretty much every day in the Summer to mine - it gives me a break from the kids, it entertains them for an hour, and I get a workout), get a jogging stroller, or workout at night when the kids are in bed and your husband is home. Personally though, I was working out while the kids were in preschool. Cleaning and laundry can be done with the kids home (sort of), but it's harder to keep an eye on them when you exercise (and forget taking a shower after).

But pretty much for me the gym has been a lifesaver, but it's true that I don't have a treadmill at home either.

kshama2001

Is your toddler too big to push in a stroller?

Oh, good tip about a gym with daycare. If giving up your job puts your income low enough, the Y has scholarships.

jaga13

Francl27 wrote: »

Well, couple ideas... Join a gym with a daycare (I go pretty much every day in the Summer to mine - it gives me a break from the kids, it entertains them for an hour, and I get a workout), get a jogging stroller, or workout at night when the kids are in bed and your husband is home. Personally though, I was working out while the kids were in preschool. Cleaning and laundry can be done with the kids home (sort of), but it's harder to keep an eye on them when you exercise (and forget taking a shower after).

But pretty much for me the gym has been a lifesaver, but it's true that I don't have a treadmill at home either.

Good points. I probably won't join a gym since we have a treadmill and weights (and we'll be losing my income!). But very good point that it is much harder to workout with kids around than it is to clean/do laundry. I do well with a schedule, so I think I'll need to actually pencil in everything I need to accomplish in my calendar (Monday-clean bathrooms, cook dinner, lift weights...Tuesday-laundry, cook dinner, go the bank, run...etc).

cmcdonald525

I'm a stay at home mom as well. Naptime is a wonderful time to squeeze in workouts. I also recommend finding a gym with a good child care center. My girls love it so much that they wake up asking if we're going to the gym each day. Some days we make workout videos a family thing. My 4 year old loves anything that includes jumping jacks (don't know why....lol) and even my 1 year old gets curious and tries to do some of the yoga poses with me. It may take some trial and error to figure out what works in your home, but as you settle into your new routine it should get easier

minties82

I would get a jogging stroller, pop the toddler in that and go for a run.

jvs125

I usually do the chores while they are up and "help" me. Then when I put them down for the nap, I work out. If they wake up before I'm done, I want them to stay in their room because it is too early to be up (workouts are never longer than 45 minutes so if they're not actually sleeping, they should still be resting in their bed/room). On days where this proves difficult, I either wait for my husband to be back, or I put them in the stroller for a jog or bike trailer for a bike ride.

jaga13

jvs125 wrote: »

I usually do the chores while they are up and "help" me. Then when I put them down for the nap, I work out. If they wake up before I'm done, I want them to stay in their room because it is too early to be up (workouts are never longer than 45 minutes so if they're not actually sleeping, they should still be resting in their bed/room). On days where this proves difficult, I either wait for my husband to be back, or I put them in the stroller for a jog or bike trailer for a bike ride.

Great point that I should be able to get through a reasonable workout during nap time, even if she never falls asleep! She's 3 and still in a crib (I know, crazy--neither of my kids ever attempted to get out! We only moved my oldest out at 3 because the baby was coming!). But soon we'll move her out of a crib and she'll technically be able to get up on her own if she really needs to. You're right. When my oldest was starting to phase out of naps on the weekends, I would still enforce quiet time in her room, so this should be no different.

Francl27

jvs125 wrote: »

I usually do the chores while they are up and "help" me. Then when I put them down for the nap, I work out. If they wake up before I'm done, I want them to stay in their room because it is too early to be up (workouts are never longer than 45 minutes so if they're not actually sleeping, they should still be resting in their bed/room). On days where this proves difficult, I either wait for my husband to be back, or I put them in the stroller for a jog or bike trailer for a bike ride.

My problem with that, personally, is that I sweat a lot, and I need a shower after a workout. And I was never comfortable taking a shower if nobody else was home to keep an eye on the kids... even if they were napping, as I wouldn't know if they were waking up.

So yeah, I'd do it when my husband is home or when the toddler is at school.

HamsterManV2

Tabatha style work outs. Not good for jogging, but if you don't mind other movements then it will work well.

It's basically doing a circuit nonstop until you can't go on. Lasts from 2 minutes to 10 minutes depending on what you put it in.

I.e.
5x Burpies
10x pushups
5x pull ups
10x sit ups
Repeat until you cannot. Adjust by increasing reps for things you find did not get worked enough, decrease reps by things which were too hard. If you can't do pull ups, you can do assisted with your feet on a chair. If you can't do push ups, do them at an angle with hands on a chair or stairs. etc.
You can have equipment like dumbbells or kettlebells. Just make sure it's balanced so you get some legs, arms, chest, back and abs to varying degrees.

i.e.
10x lunges holding dumbbells
5x dips
10x dumbbell rows
30sec plank
8x kettlebell swings
repeat

I might have to do these on some days when I get kids...

mkakids

Sah mom to 4(ages 7,6,4, 10 months) and I have a 10 month day care baby.

During the school year, I drop the big kids atschool and head to the gym. Daycare is a life saver. Or I'll pop the babies into a jogger and go for a run. Added bonus is that if I stop, they wake up...so I have to run or walk for as long as they sleep, lol.

When all the kids are home, I either go to the gym or let the kids play outside and run laps around my large backyard. I also occasionally run laps around the local playground, lol. That way I can supervise and exercise.

I rarely exercise during naps...only the babies nap and I use that time to get other stuff done.

I won't get up early either...my kids are up at 6...that's early enough for me, lol!

Nights are off limits too. Dh is gone 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. If we get an hour or two together before bed,, it's a good day and I'm not giving that up.

eDonatti

I wish I had a treadmill - well I think I would use the time when the younger one naps or is in preschool - since it's the only time it's possible and leave some of the work for evening.

As to walking - I do that a lot (my daughter is 18 months old) - we leave car at home and we walk everywhere- obviously with stroller but that adds lots of activity for both of us.

meetmygoal135

I am a stay at home mom of 2. I am up.going more than down and limit my eating, sometimes getting all my calories in is hard for me. Question is.. I have been at a stand still for 2-3 weeks now. What can I do? Remember I walk 2.5 - 5 miles a day pushing a stroller with 30 - 70 pounds in it depending on how many kids I have with me.

pollypocket1021

A good jogging stroller would probably be a solid investment. My kids LOVED long walks and a good stroller can handle a pretty big kid.

If you change you schedule a bit and do the long run with the baby in the stroller and weights on the weekend, that might work better with the new arrangement.

Liftng4Lis

Jogging stroller, or strap one in and go.