Looks like I'm going to be a SAHM for a bit - any advice/ tips?

[passionberry]

I always planned to go back to work, would have had to for financial reasons. Was going to make use of the work creche and my mum for childcare.

Anyway - circumstances have somewhat dramatically changed and I find myself at the other end of the country, with no job and no subsidised creche or mum on hand! I can't really see it being financially worth while for me to work (am not v highly paid) and I am quite pleased to be given the opportunity to be a full time mum for maybe a few years . . .

I think we will be ok financially now but am not sure what I'm actually going to do with myself

I guess just make sure DD and I go to some kind of activity most days . .

Am still technically on maternity leave and really knackered from night feeds - don't feel like I have the energy for anything at the moment but hopefully this will improve . .

Anyway - I never really saw myself in this role. Any advice would be gratefully received!

Make sure you get out of the house every day. Organised activities are good in that they give you a reason to be somewhere at a certain time and meet other mums. It is easy to get depressed when you haven't seen anything except your own four walls all day and haven't spoken to another adult.

You will find your time will quickly be filled with shopping, cooking, washing, etc, but make sure you fill up the rest of your time with at least one thing you like to do for yourself (like reading books or going to the gym) so you don't lose your sense of identity.

Thank you Tutti Frutti - yes I really need to find a gym with a creche to join, I miss the gym loads.

Also need to brush up on my driving skills as am quite isolated here. DH working VERY long hours. Have a licence but haven't really driven much so need to book a few lessons.

Absolutely agree about getting out of the house. Activities cost and it mounts up so maybe only a couple of the paying ones will be possibly but library rhyme times are free and sure start play groups are great. Try and find some other SAHMs and arrange to meet up regularly. The worst days are the ones where we have nothing planned and its raining so we can't even go to the swings.

I agree - the day goes more quickly and the children seem happier if you have at least one planned activity every day. We do music groups, swimming classes, playgroups, gym classes etc.

Libraries, museums etc are really useful.

Enjoy! I would have hated to go back to work with a young child in someone else's care. You'll experience all the little stages of development.

I think I will enjoy it. Have just started to get into my stride with motherhood as it were and I would be sad to go back to work just when it was starting to get fun!

Just a bit worried that I will get lazy and antisocial without a job to force me out of the house. But once dd is a toddler I expect she will force me out!