To be a little bit excited...

[hocusspocuss]

Tomorrow my 3yo starts nursery four days a week and my older DC goes back to school. I had them three years apart so there hasn't really been a time at all where I haven't had a child at home with me for nearly seven years.

DC2 has moderate SEN and goes to specialist school, I'm technically his full time carer, as he receives DLA and I therefore get carers allowance hence the qualifying for 30 hours instead of 15.

The last three years have been full of stress, moving admin, SEN battles and mental illness.

I can't quite believe I'm about to have four days a week to myself! I've bought myself a swimming costume and joined the local gym on an off peak membership. Swimming used to be my happy place, but I haven't done it in seven years.

I feel a bit anxious about it all tbh, maybe that's my brain trying to sabotage me. I dunno. It feels U to be excited, so I'm trying to keep a lid on it.

It sounds wonderful, and well deserved. What fun things will you do with your new free time?

Enjoy your 'me' time OP - you deserve it. I had 2 DCs with SEN. When DC 2 started nursery I joined a gym and went there on the 3 mornings that DS was at nursery and DD was at school. No way was I doing housework during those hours. 22 years on and I still exercise regularly (still went to the gym until covid hit!). It definitely helped get me through years of stress relating to the DCs conditions.

I felt like this when my youngest started school and I had my 2 non-working days to myself for the first time ever!

Sadly it only lasted sept 19 - mar 2020 but they were gloriously happy months (and I lost a stone!)

I dread the end of the holidays. My kids are teens now but I’ve always loved having them at home in the holidays

Enjoy your time. Unfortunately even though I’m on carers allowance (to a child who receives high rate care and high rate mobility) as a single parent, I don’t qualify for 30 free hours. I only get 15 because I don’t have a partner who works. Yet I’m on my own the entire time. So I have to wait until my disabled child is at school (another year to go) before I can have more than 15 hours a week. I don’t begrudge any parent carer getting 30 hours but I wish single parents got the same!

Awesome, enjoy!

I left my job at the start of the summer holidays after a very tough 4yrs. prior to that I was a SAHM for 3 years. So I am in a similar position to you and thoroughly looking forward to having a few months off!