What you would get up to if you had 12 months off work

[winetime1980]

I have a (nearly) 4 month old and a daughter at primary school.

This will be my last child and therefore last maternity leave 😢 and so I want to really enjoy the time as much as possible. I filled my days with a lot of the typical baby stuff (aqua babies, baby sensory, playgroups etc) last time but I don't seem to have the same enthusiasm for them this time around... plus I've not made many 'baby friends' so I'm a bit lonely at times.

I live in the north west of England so lots of things are accessible and baby seems to travel well. I'd love some suggestions for what you would put on a list of things to do if you had the time (and funds allowed).

I'm even thinking about taking him for a city break (just the two of us). Is this crazy hormones or a good idea?

So, my question is if you had twelve months off work (with a baby) what kinds of activities would you do?

Catch up on sleep would be my number one 😂😂

He sleeps fairly well so I'm ok for sleep, any other ideas?!

I get it, OP. This may be the last time in a long time that you get a decent run of relative free time and you want to make the most of it.

I'd start by writing a list of all the things you have wanted to do and focus on ones that are realistically achievable.

Online courses or qualifications - are there any short courses you fancy eg mandarin for beginners, advanced calculus etc.

Learn a skill - baking bread, car maintenance Something you can practice at home.

Read books that you have always wanted to read.

Day trips of places that you have always wanted to go to.

You could definitely do a city break with just you and your baby, even a week's holiday somewhere exotic.

Oh I had a bucket list for my mat leave (which was my first, I am now 31 weeks preg!) so a list of all the places I wanted to go that DH wouldn't. Cathedrals, museums, galleries, cafés, restaurants, cities, cinema films, the lot. I got through my list! I got a few raised eye brows in some places but my DS loved his days out too, and is such a sociable little boy now. I used to talk to him about what we were seeing etc. Best year ever.

Sorry that wasn't helpful, but I get it about the baby groups I barely went to any with my first and number 2 hasn't been to any and I doubt ever will.
Do you have something like a national trust pass or English heritage? They are relatively good value and allows you to see so many places.
Can you make a bucket list of touristy things in your own city that you've always wanted to do?
Plus what other places in UK would you want to see?
Definitely a good idea to get things done while they are so portable and travel well.

Museums, historical buildings, walks along shores you love, lazy afternoons reading a book in a cafe when baby naps.

If you don't have a sling I'd try a one from a sling library. I found when mine were little they seemed to be more patient for walks around museums etc than in a pram. Plus they enjoyed babbling to the frequent friendly strangers who were happy to say hello.

I regret not trying the cinema.

Enjoy and congratulations

I'd do a masters degree in something that would help when you get back to work. I don't know if that's boring but I enjoy that sort of thing.

Other than that I'd try and get fit, cook nice dinners, do yoga, meditate.

I envy you, I'm in my last maternity leave too, but I have got a toddler as well as one at school, so the above is not gonna happen .

Ooh, do a city break! I flew to Inverness with 9-month-old DS just before returning to work and swapping over parental leave with DH. It was brilliant! We ambled around, ate lots of lovely food, went to Culloden, visited Loch Ness and did a boat trip. I highly recommend it.

We also went to visit family and friends around the country, travelling by train a lot because DS hated car journeys. We had great fun!

I would just sit there and bask in the non-stress!

(I’m super stressed atm)

Take the 4 yr old out of school for half a term and spend as long as possible abroad (we had 9 weeks in south east Asia).