Stay at Home Moms (and Dads)...what do you do?

tpayne0453

Work out outside or at the gym since you can leave...

This. There isn't much more to say. You post is confusing.

I don't think it's confusing. I lost my motivation when I left my job. It was part of my routine while I was working...now I find it difficult to get into a routine when my days run together. Yes, I can leave the house, but I don't...

Cheeky_and_Geeky

I suggest running. Its cheap & there are lots of apps out there to help. At home, do push ups, squats, lunges, reverse sit ups, crunches, leg raises, planks, etc. Those are quiet strength training exercises. Also Youtube yoga routines. Good luck!

iamanadult

Work out outside or at the gym since you can leave...

This. There isn't much more to say. You post is confusing.

I don't think it's confusing. I lost my motivation when I left my job. It was part of my routine while I was working...now I find it difficult to get into a routine when my days run together. Yes, I can leave the house, but I don't...

So then you're looking for motivation, not ideas?

walleymama

I'm not really clear on what you are asking about, but here's how we roll...

I'm a SAHM and my two kids are homeschooled but they are old enough that I can leave them at home for a bit. I live in a rural area and our property backs onto miles of groomed trail so I do my running there. I love running and don't need to drag myself to do it. I also have a dog who needs regular exercise (Heeler mix, fairly high energy) so on non-running days I go for a good long walk with her (4 - 6 km). She needs it, so even on days when I don't really feel like it I will. But honesty I love my walks: the natural scenery is the best antidepressant there is. I hate gyms and am much happier getting out into the beautiful forest and fields. I also ride horses, which I love, and would do more often if I had more time and money.

Routine, now that is a hard one. I know we (the kids and I) all do better with routine but it's hard for me to stick to it because I love my quiet days at home and so do the kids but then I easily get distracted by housework, and I also love to craft (quilting, knitting, etc). My kids are self-motivated learners and really don't need much of my attention for the most part, although they love to do projects with me and so do I, but it's easy to get distracted. We are involved in many activities and get together regularly with our homeschooling community but by most peoples' overscheduled standards our life is pretty laid back and mellow. I've learned over the last seven years of homeschooling not to try to force us into a schedule that doesn't fit with our natural inclinations (we are all naturally nightowls and not morning people so we don't schedule anything before 10:30 am (and that is our "early" day). So my advice is to know yourself and build set activities in that you know you can stick with.

While part of me envies you having so much free time the truth is I would miss my kids terribly if they were in school all day, five days a week, and I wouldn't trade my time with them for any other activity or hobby.

tpayne0453

Work out outside or at the gym since you can leave...

This. There isn't much more to say. You post is confusing.

I don't think it's confusing. I lost my motivation when I left my job. It was part of my routine while I was working...now I find it difficult to get into a routine when my days run together. Yes, I can leave the house, but I don't...

So then you're looking for motivation, not ideas?

Well, really both. I'm new to the SAHM routine after working full time since high school, so tips and motivation are appreciated.

TheFitHooker

Not sure how much longer I'll be a SAHM, it's sad because I love being home with my baby girl. Hoping I can kick my photography up a notch and not have to go back to work.

I wake up by 7. 7:30 most mornings, before my daughter, my husband gets up and takes our son to the bus stop, it works out perfect that way. When I get up I workout, doing T25 right now, I don't go to a gym or anything only have workout DVD's.

Usually about an hour after my workout my little girl is up. So then it's play time with mommy, we do some work, working on potty training and her speech, teaching her alphabet and so on.

10 am is her favorite show on Nike, Bubble guppies so that's my time to do some cleaning and photo editing or whatever else I need to do.

11:30 is lunch time, I'll cook us a good healthy lunch, the girl would rather eat off my plate so I just add extra and we enjoy lunch together.

12:30 is nap time, she takes a nap for about 2.5 hours, so by time her brother is home from school, she's getting up. Then it's homework time with brother, shortly after that, husband is getting in from work, so then it's time to start preparing dinner.

onwarddownward

My days vary. Fpr a while, after my kids were all in full time school, which was just recently, since i had been cyber schooling my son who is 13 and has autism until August 19th of this year. After that, I sort of went on a daily shopping bender.

Every day I would shop. I bought all kinds of stuff. Then I got sick and since then I have been trying to not medicate with shopping, either online or in person.

I have painted my baseboards this year, since the kids went to school. I usually do a the laundry twice a week, I batch it, rather than doing a bit each day, that way I fold more at one time but get it over all at once.

I try to get my floors cleaned every day with the vacuum. I have old wood floors and an old golden retriever and kids who drop stuff, so I try to keep that mess cleaned up once a day.

I keep the dishes cleaned, that's harder since our dishwasher has been broken since June 28th. So I handwash. I try to keep the sink empty and clean. Our kitchen is 8x10, so there is no room for mess, I literally HAVE to keep up on this, although I hate cleaning with a passion.

And, since i have been sick, I take a nap before the kids get home so that I can deal with homework and their attitudes (ages 9, 13 and 15).

So that's pretty much my day. I also take the dog out to pee, poop and I deal with the mail, the bills, etc.

I wish I could say my house was spotless, but it's not. But it sure is better than it was when the kids were all out for the summer. At least now if a neighbor comes by, which is often, I am ok with it and not cringing and wishing they would leave.

I have been out of the workplace for 15 years, except for a stint at my son's school as the cafeteria janitor two hours a day, five days a week. It was horribly, demeaning work, because the people at the church school were mean to me and acted like all I was was a janitor. They even addressed me as "The Janitor". I like working at home much better.

Achaila

What do I do? Everything? I wish I could answer that question when people ask me. I have a 2 year old who is EXTREMELY active and a 3 month old. I just do things. Cook, clean, take care of my kids. Since time to myself is pretty not non existent (my husband works out of town for weeks at a time and I do not know anyone where I live and won't send my kids to daycare) I incorporate my kids into physical activities I do. I put my youngest in a sling and my oldest on his tricycle that has a handle I can push on the back and we go around the blocks a few times. I dance around with them. I'll mess with little hand weights while my oldest is watching morning cartoons and my youngest is napping. Its not that hard. You could do whatever you want. If you want it bad enough, you'll figure out a way to make it work.

tpayne0453

Thank you!!! Seriously! I love hearing the different takes on my question.

BringingSherriBack

I am a single parent of a 4th grader and work full-time so I have all the parenting responsibilities and all the household responsibilities. I do kickboxing on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings and just take my daughter along (she either joins in or plays on her Kindle to pass the time) and I walk a couple times a week during my lunch break at work. If you have the desire you will find the time to workout.

Maybe plan out your days just like you did when you worked and schedule your times for workouts, cleaning, shopping, etc.

bubaluboo

How about something like couch to 5K or even 25K if you're feeling like more of a challenge. You could sign up for a race way in the future to give yourself an aim. As a working mum, I'd love to have your dilemma but also know that when you're at home, you can waste so much time pottering and getting side tracked because you have 'all the time in the world'.

jrbb03092

I'm a SAHM with a daughter who's just entered high school. I get up at the same time every morning, see her and my husband off to work, go out for a 60 walk, prep dinner or throw it in the slow cooker, write (I'm not published but I hope to be), have lunch, write some more, do whatever needs doing around the house, spend time with kidlet when she comes home (hear about her day), make dinner, we all go out for another 30 min walk after dinner and that's pretty much my day.

Anna_Joys_Journey

I homeschool my kids, and lately we're away from home more often than we're at home it seems. For me it helps to have a strict schedule for things so that I can keep up with it. I'm not as rigid with my children's schedules though. :-)
I'm up between 630 and 7am (depends on how many times I hit snooze...haha!).
When I get up I either have my morning "quiet time" or work out. It's not the same every day, but I do it. Then I shower and get dressed. I make breakfast and wake the kids up to eat...we eat and then do our morning chores. Then we do school from about 830-11 and have lunch. Then they have free time while I do my chores or we do whatever daily activities need to be done. (We have dance and football on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, Bible study and AWANA on Thursdays, and football games on Saturdays.). I try to have dinner on the table between 630 and 7pm depending on the day...then I tidy up, do the bedtime routine, try to relax for a little bit and try to be in bed by midnight.

Sometimes my workout gets pushed to way later in the day, but I super duper hate that since the later it gets pushed, the less likely I am to do it.


ETA::
And in case you're curious at all, here is my strict chore schedule for me.


**Monday: vacuum, wash towels, and clean bathrooms
**Tuesday: scrub the kitchen and do K's laundry
**Wednesday: floors, windows, dusting and wash J's laundry
**Thursday: clean my bedroom, vacuum, change the sheets on all the beds, wash sheets and towels. Make menu and grocery list.
**Friday: grocery shopping, errands, library, appointments. While I'm out I clean out the car. Wash mine and B's laundry
**Saturday: organize school and desk area, catch up on anything left unfinished, bake anything needed for the week. Vacuum. Clean the church. Work on Sunday School lesson plans. Wash B's uniforms.
**Sunday: church, rest.

Every day I make my bed and the kids make theirs. I swish the toilets and wash the sinks/counters in the bathrooms. I do the dishes, tidy, and sweep the kitchen after dinner. (It helps to keep a sink full of soapy water all day. When dishes are dirtied they can be rinsed and put in that sink to soak.). I do a "10 minute tidy" three times a day. The kids contribute a lot by doing their "family contributions" each day.

ScorpionReaver

I am a SAHD of 6.
3 boys, 3 girls. 4 are in school now during the day, which leaves me with a 1 year old and 4 year old girl at home all day.

Weekdays, alarm is set for 6:20. I get up and start waking up children for school, help them get their things together (if they need it) remind them to brush their teeth and the older ones to wear deodorant (they almost always need reminded haha) and make breakfast.
By this time, the commotion has woken up the smaller ones, so I change the diaper and get the both of them breakfast.
First bus shows up at 6:50, the second at 7:00.
This is about the time I drink a cup of coffee and eat a quick breakfast.
You have to be so careful with this!
I grab a yogurt and some almonds, or usually a bar of some sort, Luna or Kind or something.

Yes, I love Luna bars. Don't judge.

The little ones finish breakfast shortly after, and i help them get cleaned up. 4 goes to play with toys and has free run of all of the rooms, so that makes her happy. 1 gets to run around the kitchen while I clean the kitchen or play on the computer for a bit. Pay bills, play a little Command & Conquer.

10am is snack for us, then clean up after that.
Sometimes we will go outside for a bit, or they go back to playing.
If 4 is really good, I will put on a movie for her and 1 usually catches a nap.

12pm is lunch, I can start the laundry and pick up the house a bit while they are eating.
Clean up from that.
If I am doing any challenges, or 30 DS or inside exercises, I will squeeze this in. If not, I try to keep up with the housework.
Make a dinner plan and thaw out something if it needs it.

2pm is the next snack time, naps are usually finished (if they need them, 4 goes without them most days now), so there is clean up after that.

3pm Youngest school age children (5 and 9) get home, so a snack for them and help with homework.
4pm Oldest school age children (12 and 13) get home, so snack for them and help with homework.

5pm My wife's schedule varies, but is mostly a day shift, so if that is the case she gets home around 5. we talk for a bit, then one of us gets started on dinner.
6pm Dinner, afterwards everyone pitches in on cleanup. Older kids get a little tv time, or play outside. Sometimes I will walk if she is making dinner, or try to get one in afterwards. We have memberships at Planet Fitness, too, so sometimes we will alternate or both of us go if the teenager is feeling particularly helpful haha

7pm - 8pm Starts bath and shower times, and wind down time (reading, writing, drawing, etc).

9pm All children are in bed (in a perfect world). If we are splitting gym times, the other person hits the gym.

Usually in bed about 10pm or 11pm.

On my wife's closing days, it's a bit easier to get a walk or run in, or hit the gym, as she goes to work about 1pm.
She will get home around 10:30pm or so, so there is another opportunity for the gym.
I am pretty much stuck at home during the day as we only have the one car.

Weekends, big kids help out with little kids, and I normally get to sleep until about 8am.
Snack and lunch schedules are the same, and my wife gets every other weekend off, so there is a bit more freedom.

My neighbourhood ends in a cul-de-sac, so if I walk the entire thing from my mailbox back to my mailbox, it is 1.1 miles.
I usually walk 5 laps, although one day I did 10. 11 miles!

I keep a radio turned on pretty much all day long, and have set times for everything, and enough daily jobs that I need to accomplish that it feels like a normal job.

The transition was kind of difficult for me, but fortunately I learned to cook, bake, and clean when I learned to do lawn work, auto repair and maintenance, so I am well rounded enough to pull it off
My wife has been fantastic, too. Couldn't do it without her.

I worked real tax paying jobs from the moment I was 13, and you could get summer jobs through the school, took my first (main) job at 16 and worked it for 4 years, and have worked ever since, until a neck injury removed me from the work force.
The stay at home bit was really different, at first, but everything has just fallen into place. Been doing this for three years now.

Anyway, thanks for your post, and I hope this helps.