To ask what you do when kids are at school?

[sharond101]

I work part time. Eldest is in school and youngest will go in August. Currently youngest goes to nursery 9-3, I regular collect early and play with her at home or take her out. I cook, clean, shop, paint my nails, exercise at home but otherwise have no idea what to keep myself busy with. I have been working extra hours and arranged to meet a few friends but this is not regular and feel pretty lost.

I also work part-time with kids at school.

I do laundry, cleaning, shopping, batch cooking, walk dog, go for run, go to exercise class, buy/wrap presents, write & illustrate a book, gardening, tidy out cupboards. I'm pretty much always busy.

I have one day off in the week which is usually packed with running errands/ going to the bank/ ordering and collecting prescriptions, take the dogs for a long walk, household chores, occasionally seeing a friend for lunch, wasting time on mumsnet and other sites.

If I'm not working when my dc are at school I sleep, watch TV programmes that noone else likes, drink hot tea, set up still life scenes and take photos of them and then edit them, go out with my camera, go for breakfast or a hot chocolate by myself and savour the silence, dick about on mn...

I wish so much I could relate to this. I tidy, shop, clean etc. Prep tea. Get stuff ready for any evening activities. Token effort exercise. It’s then easily school pick up time. I never sit down and eat lunch while tidying. What on Earth is the secret to being bored while they are at school?

I have 1 weekday off a week.
At the moment my day off routine
Put on niceish clothes (anything that's not my work uniform really)
Take dd to school
Meet a friend for breakfast and coffee
Come home and have a small tidy up
Deep clean one area (like a cupboard, or the fridge)
Play on mn or Facebook
Have lunch
More messing about
Driving lesson
Make Dinner
Have a bath
Tidy up
Bed

I'm a sahm with 5 school aged dc (3 primary, 2 secondary). I clean the house, take dc to their various appointments, batch cook and do the family admin. Also look after the dc's when they are ill, school holidays etc.

I work part time, two kids in school. When they are out and I am home alone I:

Do housework (no cleaner)
Kondo cupboards and clothes (small apartment)
Budget (YNAB)
Batch cook / clean the fridge / shop at Lidl and the market
Ironing (only chance I get to watch tv!) / laundry / folding / sorting out seasonal clothes

Non-routine things: organise birthday party and presents, organise activities / play dates for children, phone my parents / sister, sort out holidays / camping trips for an entire year (we live overseas and have family in the UK), sort out various care & medical stuff for PIL, voluntary work, trip to the dump, scrape old silicon off and reseal the bath/shower, pick up picture frame and put it up, paint the dining alcove (i do a fair bit of DIY),

Fun stuff: lunch / coffee with friends, but of MN, reading, trying to learn a language.

There’s not enough time tbh!

Good God I can’t wait for this to be my problem 😂

I work or I’m rushing about with an 18month old trying to clear the endless shit heap of my house! I can only afford nursery when I’m working.

In your shoes I would.... sleep, go for a swim ALONE, tidy up and sort work and home admin. And twat about on my phone.

I have one week day off a week. I clean, shop, cook or (as I'm a teacher - middle management) answer emails, phone calls or finish paperwork for school!

My youngest starts nursery next year and I'm planning to use the time studying, as I want some more qualifications, hopefully to help me find a job eventually.

Other than that, I would love a clean and tidy house. At the moment it is a never ending battle.

Clean out pets
Load and unload dishwasher and washing machine
Volunteer at school
I run a small business from home (not mlm}
Decluttering
Christmas and birthday shopping and wrapping
Appointments (chronic condition involving hospital but also hair, dentist etc)
Meet various friends for coffee once a week
School and home admin
Netflix
Napping/ resting if needed

Clean breakfast things away, House work, laundry, ironing, shopping, organising kits for kids clubs, sports, go to gym classes, garden maintenance, diy, make packed lunches for the next day, cook dinner.

Watch Ghost Adventures etc. Mop, do washing , hoovering , change beds , food shop .......

There is probably much more tidying/sorting I could do but can't be bothered

But even just surface tidying could take me all day. The day absolutely flies by. I dream of decluttering but never have time.

@Bluewavescrashing what is your business? Not sure what not mlm means.

Mum of DD 14 at boarding school and DS 12 at day school.
I work full time and very long hours - roughly 8.30-8pm 5 days a week
I work at my sons school so he is with me

@DisorganisedOrganiser that's it in a nutshell. Surface cleaning takes time enough!

Reborn and Disorganised, do you not work?

do your husbands give you shit for the more leisurely side of your activities? or are they not aware?

It’s ok to do nothing! I’m sure you’re busy at the weekends with kids so it’s not compulsory to be on the go all the time on the days you’re off in the week. Put your feet up with a book or something on the telly and enjoy the rest

I think I'd feel v guilty if I sat around and didnt go to work, tbh!

I have 1 day off a week where I shop, clean used to go the the gym but now study for a bit, watch TV and if DH is off too, take full advantage of no children in the house .

I have Friday off. Tidying the house can take all day because everything gets left for Friday, lots of putting washing away, and usually at some point along the way I'll sort out a drawer or some toys, so making slow progress with decluttering.

We have a cleaner as well, the tidying up is just to get it to a level where they can actually clean!

@sharond101 I run an education website.
MLM = multi level marketing aka pyramid selling. Forever living, younique etc.