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.

@TalentedMsRipley I’ve got one day off in the week. I’m a single mum of teenagers. I spend all weekend driving them around so once I’ve done the jobs I need to do on my day off and whatever else I’ve got planned, I have absolutely no guilt in doing nothing.

Volunteering in your local community is very rewarding; try helping at the local food bank.

I'm a sahm...kids are both school age.

I'm always busy...I do the housework, laundry, ironing, shopping, cooking.

Basically make sure that once DC and dh are home there's no chores that need doing, so dinners cooked and there's no mad rush to get stuff ready for the next day.

I find the day goes very quickly and I often don't have enough time to do all my chores. Maybe I'm doing something wrong

I meant if I didn't work at all, if my kids were school age. Having only one day off is not much time.

Genuinely amazed at those of you who don't work and spend all day, every day tidying the house.

You must think we women with jobs are superwomen!

Talented, I work 2-3 days a week.

So I have usually 3 days off a week yet the house is never organised, paperwork still in piles, etc. Am genuine baffled by anyone who struggles to fill the day tbh. I could happily spend all day watching Netflix but I never do that as there is so much laundry, cooking, cleaning, school paperwork, Christmas shopping etc.

Genuinely amazed at those of you who don't work and spend all day, every day tidying the house.

You must think we women with jobs are superwomen!

I think you just adapt and live your life differently.

So, for example, I have 2/3 sets of uniform for my DC as I'm home all day to do laundry. My friend who works has five sets.

I go food shopping twice a week when the DC are at school. If I worked, I'd do it online.

I iron everything...I wouldn't do that if I worked. I iron my dhs work shirts. If I worked, I'd probably take them to a dry cleaners.

Laundry
Shopping
Spend a couple of hours with elderly gran and parents
Walk the dog

Thats usually the school day full.

Sometimes i skip seeing my gran to see a friend.
But feel dreadful guilt as she is 91

Also because I am at home, dh does zero housework/cooking/laundry etc so it's all on me, so I have lots to keep me busy. I wouldn't accept that if I worked too.

I worked 3 days a week when my dc were little. When my youngest started school I absolutely loved those days off! Shopping while it's quiet, going for runs & having time to shower & dry my hair afterwards. Time to watch my TV programmes without having to consider anyone else. Just having a little bit of 'payback' time to myself as I'd had them close together & it was hectic for 5 years! It was 6 hours of lovely time & I was never ever bored. God I still miss those days!

One day off a week here too. I tale

We only do 1 load of laundry a day because we don't have the space to dry any more. Once it's washed and been through the spin dryer it takes 5 minutes to put on the airer.

I run around with the Hoover when the dc have gone. Again, that takes 5 minutes.

I get my dc to tidy up after themselves, and dh does his own tidying up, so there's not much of that to do when no-one is here. Same with the washing up.

Cooking is shared, whether I'm working on not, and our meals don't take lots of preparing or cooking so I don't do that during the day.

I can't really think of any other household chores that need doing tbh so I struggle to see how you'd spend all day on them.

@GrotbagsBetterLookingSister

I change the bed sheets once a week.

Clean both bathrooms three times a week usually

Sort out playroom...my DD especially is a whirlwind of destruction

Hoover...three floors all carpeted

Dust...my house seems to get very dusty quickly

Clean mirrors and windows if I can be bothered

Dinner for kids and dinner for us...made in advance usually. We eat separately to kids on a weeknight and eat different things.

I make my dhs lunch for the next day too.

I work three days a week and have two days at home while kids are at school.
I go for a run, walk the dog and meet a friend for coffee or brunch. Come home around late morning/lunch time and do some jobs around the house. If the whole house needs a good clean that might take a whole afternoon. I play the piano and then often take the dog out again with a friend who also has a dog, we will walk along the beach and maybe stop for coffee.
The day absolutely flies by.

I work 33 hrs per week so almost ft. I get one alone day where all 4 kids are at school. I tidy up, walk dog, sleep. I love it but I'd be bored out of my mind doing it everyday.

I have 5 and a half hours free when they are at school.

How does hoovering take 5 minutes?! I’ve timed myself and it takes 35 minutes to hoover my house even at a basic level.

There is a trail of destruction left by every member of the household which takes at least an hour to tidy each day.

30 mins (at least) to do laundry.

1 hour for exercise.

1 hour for dinner / packed lunch prep type stuff

That leaves 1.5 hours to fit in food shop, school admin, sew on Brownie badges etc. Quick faff on MN /Facebook. Then it’s time to pick them up.

Blink and the day is gone.

By the sound of it we have a much smaller house formerbabe and I'm much more of a slattern. Beds are changed a lot less often than 1x a week; ds, who is quite possibly the most disorganised child I've ever met, is encouraged to tidy his own room on a Sunday evening (I'm trying to get him to take more care of and responsibility for his own stuff rather than relying on me to do it all for him).

When my dc get home from school they have things like fishfingers, sweet potato chips and steamed veg or beans on toast or a jacket spud with cheese for their tea so it's not something that has to be made in advance.

Dh makes his own and ds's packed lunch in an evening unless he's out.

My DC do loads of evening activities and DH works late so I prep train advance most days.

I encourage my DDs to tidy up after themselves but in reality they don’t and their rooms needs proper tidy, not just their attempt at it.

tea in advance that was meant to say.

I have 2 days free now ds is at preschool but really it's only 5 and a half hours each day. Today I went to the shopping mall and browsed the shops at leisure then came home for a cuppa and then pick up.
Yesterday I had a workman booked to quote so tidied up the garden/ cleared out greenhouse, while waiting for him, then went for a run, showered, then ran some errands after lunch.
Last week went for a lovely mtb ride with a friend.
Have a list of deep cleaning chores to do such as tidy out my wardrobe. Clear out the loft. Also the house needs redecorating.
I intend to visit some local stately homes in due course and book some classes too.

I'm always amazed at people who can't fill their days

My youngest is now in reception and I have two weekdays off. It’s bliss.

I’ve got into a routine of power walking with friends straight from school run both days then going for breakfast. Spending time with my dad who is retired. Doing household admin. Volunteering for school events and fundraising. Cleaning, decluttering. Cooking nice meals for my family.

I don’t feel guilty at all for the leisure side of it. My husband works from home one day a week and has leisure time then. He likes coming home to happy kids, a tidy house, a nice meal so it benefits him as well.

I'm a SAHM but send my DC to a chilminder twice a week - it's heaven! I sit and chill on my phone with a coffee, go for a long walk with the dog while listening to music/podcasts, do a bit of freelance work if I feel like some mental stimulation, read.

I don't usually cook or clean (besides the minimum load of laundry/dishwasher) on those days - I try to have it all done the day before so I can completely indulge myself

DH does nothing in the house and very little with the DC due to his crazy work hours, so I never feel guilty - it was his idea in fact! It's saved my sanity and our marriage.

I usually work part time, 2 children at school and I can honestly say I'm always busy on those 2 days. By the time I do school run, go for a run or gym, come back home, sort breakfast dishes, walk dog, do a good shop one of the days, clean up a bit the other day, see my mum or mother in law one of the days, catch up with general admin etc it's time to go get them from school.
For the last 6 months I've been working those 2 days due to staffing problems and my life is not my own! No time to exercise, shop in the evening, house seems to be a disaster, elderly parents neglected, dog walk evening in between sorting kids and tea, no time to get grey roots done never mind bikini wax! I am permanently exhausted! I think full time working mum's are heros!