If your children are at school and you don’t work

[Pervymenalloverthenews]

What do you do in the day?

NOT a judgmental post

I worked all my life and had my dc later (infertility) We cut right back money wise and I was able to stay with her until she went to school. She’s now at school and I’m working a few evenings and a Saturday morning, which works out well. I’ve had a couple of weeks at home during the day now that my Dd is at school, I’ve enjoyed reading books, walking the dog, watching films etc. I do any housework that needs doing, but it’s done pretty quickly, plus the food shop, dinners, school run. Just wondering what others do and what to do to fill my time (all friends work in the day now)

I lived overseas for a few years and couldn't work.. primary aged DCs. I volunteered 2 mornings / days a week, and absolutely loved what I did - hoping to pursue it as a paid job in the future. I worked on my novel and did a free online course and a 6-week writers' workshop. I volunteered in the kids' school as and when I could. I explored, went for walks, coffees, exercised, read, baked, kayaked, planned our travel / holidays. And then cooked, shopped and did the bulk of the house work (not my forte though!) Once I'd found my stride, and had some routine, it was a lovely life. I was very rarely bored. Took a while to get to that point though.

I do work but only PT so when I'm at home it's great, I go to the gym, I also have a dog walking group so we all catch up then a few days a week.
I do the shopping, I don't like online shopping, I like physically picking our bits.
I volunteer at 2 scout groups so we meet through the week, to do the planning for that.
I meet up with a friend for coffee and a cake and a catch up.

I do bits of housework if I can fit them in through the day, if not, any of my outstanding bits, I do them when my DH does bed time with our DS.

I have also completed a few courses of things that interest me along the way as well.

I worked 12 hours a week when DC were at school, term time only.
I did a fair bit of volunteering.
School governor, education appeals tribunal, home library service.
Plus I did everything at home as DH worked long hours.

I use to have Fridays off (still do but have a baby now). I loved having that day. I use to go the gym, catch up on errands / housework and other boring grown up things. I’d sometimes meet a friend for lunch.

working p/t isn't the same as not working though.

At home with a baby isn't the same as being a SAHM when your dc are at school.

@Pervymenalloverthenews

I was a SAHM for a few months but struggled with the lack of routine & structure, I'm not good at that myself. My friends had all returned to work at least p/t so I didn't have them about everyday. I went to the gym, did a food shop, bit of organising. After a few months I got offered a job for 14 hours which I jumped at. If I did it again I would sign up for some courses eg floristry, photography.

I work part time so have 2 days when kids are in school.

Chores, gym, community work, visit elderly relatives, Xbox, watch politics live, potter.

I have just started working 4 short days instead of 3 long ones, as DS has started school. I'm doing both school runs on a Friday, with the day to myself inbetween. To be honest the school days are so short that by the time I've had a coffee, phoned my mum, cleaned a couple of rooms, done a food shop and some laundry it's time to pick him up again.

I still work p/t now but I don't think that's the same as not working 🤷🏻‍♀️

And yes the school day is short

DCs are both at secondary school now and we are pretty busy with gym, dog walking, house renovations, parental support, gardening and our shared hobby. Also various village committees and PTAs. Busier than when we were working!

DCs are both at secondary school now and we are pretty busy with gym, dog walking, house renovations, parental support, gardening and our shared hobby. Also various village committees and PTAs. Busier than when we were working!

I don't know why that came out twice!

I gave up my career that I’d trained for at uni because DH became an MD and something had to give, (my blood pressure!).
I project managed the renovation of our house and we sold it for the equivalent of me working and earning 50k per year so I still felt like I was contributing.
Now I care full time for my autistic son who can no longer attend mainstream school so I’m working harder than I ever have and can only hope of having the time to be bored one day.

Only had 5 days of it so far, but...caught up on house stuff (sorting outgrown clothes, built some draws, hemmed some curtains, decluttering), and sat on the sofa feeling ill.
Personally I could never be bored from having 'nothing to do', as there is always stuff to do. Also I bloody love getting some time where no one talks to me.
Sadly this is a brief reprive, before the boredom of work reclaims me

When I was still married I did virtually everything connected with the house/cars/garden/kids- XH earned a lot but did little at home (weekly bin duty and summer mowing of the lawn). Plus I like learning new things- crafts/languages/sports so did a lot of that.

Now I'm divorced I do all of the things plus am doing a lot of the hard graft on building an extension (from demolition through to tiling).

After New Year though I'll be job hunting for the first time in a couple of decades. I'm both nervous and excited about that.

I went the gym, power-walked with friends, had a lot of coffee meet-ups and volunteered in school 2-4 times a week. Squeezed in a bit of housework as DC were very busy after school but house was still a tip! I miss being able to do all those things (work 4 days a week now).

Ah the "what do you do all day " question that is pure ignorance.
Many parents who are not in paid employment are looking after elderly parents. I used an after school a few days a week when visiting my elderly dad. I simply couldn't get back to the school for 3p.m.
The headteacher asked me in the yard "what do you want to use the after school club for if you don't work?" .
I spent a few minutes explaining what an unpaid carer was

I read plenty of books and work full time with kids, you mean you didn't want to read a book!

Which is fine

These days I'm at the gym, visiting art shows, watching matinee films or theatre shows, attending public lectures, visiting museum exhibitions, following guided (and self-guided)walks, attending art and sculpture classes, doing photography projects, dabble with investments, prepare art projects and activities for the dc. It helps that we live very centrally in London so I can get out and back in time for pick up. Also I do more mundane stuff, sorting out years of photos, decluttering clothes and toys, redecorating, running errands, shopping, the occasional school meeting, medical appointments. In the past I've done several postgraduate qualifications, volunteered and helped out family.

I won't volunteer now because I want my time to be just for me and I find all the social demands a bit tedious. I'm comfortable in my own company so I'm happy doing stuff on my own. We put the max into my pensions and ISA annually so I'm well protected.

I work some weekends only and have 3 kids. One has significant complex needs which impact hugely on the rest of the family which means I need to be available in term time and home in school holidays so going back more hours is not an option. I tend to clean the house, go to the gym (lovely chain), meet friends to hill walk or for coffee, food shopping etc, volunteer and attend a lot of meetings with professionals, school etc to support my(3 this week and 3 last). I would start by thinking what do you enjoy and take it from there.

Bit different for me as one of my DC is disabled so I'm also a full-time carer even though all DC are at school.

Lots of meetings, appointments, emails, paperwork.

Plus all the usual household tasks. Shopping, laundry, food prep etc for a large family is a big job!

I volunteer at our church one morning a week.

See my (increasingly elderly) parents one day a week.

One day a week I have a day at the gym / swim / sauna etc as it's critical for my mental health.

Some days I catch up on sleep if we have a bad night with DC. I'm up regularly at night to reposition DC change nappy etc .

I'd like to work in the future but don't know if I'm be able to 🤔

I work 1 day in the week and 1day at weekend.

Ds is disabled and requires a lot of support out of school hours so I try todo all housework and food prep in the day. I visit my dad twice a week. I do Pilates and yoga (I have a slipped disc) I walk the dog. I'm on the board of governors for ds school.

I'm am never bored and frequently feel like I don't have enough time to complete jobs.

Sorry my comment was meant to read lovely gym chain with loads of friendly chatty members

We live abroad at the moment for my husbands job and I can't work here as I do not speak the language well enough. I do a lot of reading, writing, language lessons, cooking dinners etc. a couple of mornings a week I might meet a friend for coffee or lunch.
Sometimes I take myself out for a coffee and do some note taking and people watching, or go to a museum or art gallery.
In the mornings I take our dog for a big long walk, then I might also go for a swim or to the gym.
I've done volunteering in the past but I'm not interested in doing that here. I miss working sometimes, but also love that I can get my son from school every day, be at every sports event, cook him dinner every night and not feel exhausted from trying to combine all of that with work. Once we are back in the UK I am definitely going back to work, but by then our son will be older and more independent, and less reliant on having a parent always at home to take care of him.
I had a mental health crisis a few yrs ago, so I look at this opportunity to be a SAHM as a chance to practice self care and put myself first during the day, without the competing needs of work and home life. It's not always great, there are times when I'm bored and frustrated, but in general i quite enjoy it.

I do. Youngest started school 2 years ago. I do housework and all the gardening, admin around the kids and the food shop and cooking. I go swimming once or twice a week, go to an art class one morning a week, occasionally volunteer at the school doing art or listening to readers and I have a hobby business making cakes which I do 1 day a week. The school day is incredibly short too.

Food shop, art, swimming and cake making take up approx 3 days a week. Household chores/visiting parents takes up the rest. I also meet friends for coffee. I tend to spend an hour a day watching TV during the day too.

My evenings are busy running the kids around, so I need to pace myself a bit during the day.

I look after my toddler grandchild a few days a week (usually two days plus a few evenings and some weekends as DD and her DH are nurses), and I still work 1-2 days .
On the odd week when I don't have DGS as much I walk the dog, practise the piano, learn italian, deal with life admin and now and again actually clean and sort the house!

But I usually have Wednesdays free... and I'm a bit bored by 11am!!!! I should join an exercise class or something but by the time I've walked the dog twice I don't feel like it!