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Parenting

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Original poster

Are you a SAHM with school aged children?

39 replies

Sparkler1 · 10/03/2007 12:44

Really interested to find out:-

1 - How old are your children?

2- Do you plan to go back to work in the near future?

3 - What do you do with your free time when children are at school?

4 - Do you find yourself wishing you were at work?

Reason I ask these things is because I was a SAHM for 7 years. DD2 started school last September and I now work 18 hours a week in school hours. Works well but sometimes I wish that I had waited to return to work for a couple more years and just spent some time on myself. I could have been at home pottering, decorating, having real time to browse around the shops which I haven't had time to do since becoming a mum. I could even have gone to college to learn a new career but couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to do anyway.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

AllieBongo · 10/03/2007 12:46

my mil has been a SAHM for 35 years.. she goes to church meetings, prayer groups, painting classes, computer courses and food shopping on a friday. All very regimented and ordered as to what gets done on what day etc

kittypants · 10/03/2007 12:46

1 - How old are your children? almost 7,almost 6 and 15 months

2- Do you plan to go back to work in the near future? no

3 - What do you do with your free time when children are at school? look after baby,housework,mn

4 - Do you find yourself wishing you were at work? no,i enjoyed working but enjoy being here too.

AllieBongo · 10/03/2007 12:48

kitty you're allowed as you lo is not school aged

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Original poster

Sparkler1 · 10/03/2007 12:48

Kitty you have a baby to look after. I always said I would stay at home until all children were at school full time then would consider going back to work. DH told me I didn't have to but I think I would have felt guilty for staying at home unnecessarily when I could be out making some extra money.

OP posts:

nearlythree · 10/03/2007 12:48

5, 3 and 9 mo.

look after ds, a bit of housework, reading, gardening.

I would like - an intend to - develope a career that I can do from home once ds starts school, but I never feel the urge to work outside the home.

kittypants · 10/03/2007 12:51

oh ok

Original poster

Sparkler1 · 10/03/2007 12:52

kittypants - you can still stay and talk to us though! lol

OP posts:

kittypants · 10/03/2007 12:54

cool!when ds1 was 2 i went to work.i did an evening course and got my nvq3 in childcare.i worked part time so sort of felt i had best of both worlds. i didnt go back from maternity leave.but because i got the nvq3 i could.

Freckle · 10/03/2007 12:54

Mine are 13, 11 and 8.

I do a small part-time job (hours flexible and I go in when it suits me), plus voluntary work for two days a week. I also help out in DS3's class on a Friday morning. The rest of the time is me time .

foxinsocks · 10/03/2007 13:02

Mine are 6 and 5. I don't have an office job - we're renovating the house and I'm not going back to work till at least the bathroom has been done (there's no way we could hire a nanny to work here in its current state!). Dh has no interest/skills when it comes to DIY/renovation so this all falls squarely in my lap.

Yes, I plan to return.

I don't wish I was work but I know I will have to go back (from a money perspective). I've just finished doing some continuing professional development stuff I have to do and I did do it all with a sense of impending dread !

I returned to work when dd was a baby and stopped just before ds was born so if I/when I go back this time, I need to be 100% sure I'm doing the right thing because if I start and then stop again, it will look dreadful on my CV!

saadia · 10/03/2007 13:12

My youngest will start school full-time in 2008, and after that I reckon I will look for a job that is part-time and term-time only. A friend has managed this but she took over a job that a friend of hers was leaving, so it wasn't actually advertised.

ATM I am completely baffled as to what I will do - don't want to return to my old job, have thought about teaching but it looks like a huge commitment time-wise (will have to train) have thought about SALT but all the courses are full-time only so not an option.

I want a job that is fulfilling, financially worth it, allows me time for my kids and takes nothing away from them - not sure if it's possible though.

Stargazer · 10/03/2007 13:15

Hi Sparkler - kids are 11 and 5. I do plan to go back to work, but once I've completed my degree and PGCE (so aiming for 2010). With my free (?) time I do all the household bits and pieces (as I like to have the weekends free to be with the kids & DH), I also try to do all my studying during the day as well as stuff for the PTA/Governors and card making. I also manage to squeeze in reading for pleasure. Oh yes, I spend time on here too probably too much time!

foxinsocks · 10/03/2007 13:19

should also say that I was desperate to return to work when mine were younger - really desperate. Found it very hard being at home the whole time but a combination of factors (the kids' bad health, dh's work and travelling, the thought of going back to my old job and long hours/travelling, cost of a full time nanny) meant I didn't return.

Now they are at school and I have some time to actually achieve something (like sorting the house), I feel less desperate!

foxinsocks · 10/03/2007 13:20

and also, financially, I know I will need to start earning again at some point this year and I've always known that.

DumbledoresGirl · 10/03/2007 13:25

My children are aged 10, 9, nearly 7 and 4, so three of them are at school and the fourth starts in September and goes to playgroup 5 mornings a week so I guess you could say he was semi school aged.

Yes, I do want to go back to work in the near future - maybe next January when ds3 has had a term to settle at school. My trouble is I have been a SAHm for 11 years so going back to work will take some courage and perhaps some re-training.

When the children are at school, I do housework, sometimes gardening, shopping, etc - all the necessary tasks for running the house. In between times, I write and read and MN.

Yes, I have missed work for about the last 10 years. But as said above, going back is not that simple. I have done some part-time work and some casual work, roughly 5 years ago, but I really want something part-time and regular, preferably allowing to spend some days a week still being a SAHM.

Curlygirly · 10/03/2007 13:39

mine are 4 yo and 19 months. I work thurs monrning and 4 hours on a Saturday (at work now!)
In September, ds1 will be at school all day and ds2 will be at nursery for 3 mornings and I am very excited at having some child free time. Dh seems to think when I am at work, that is my time off.

boredwithlife · 10/03/2007 13:40

Mine are 10 and 7. I went back to work about 4 years ago, but found everything too much of a struggle and am now SAHM again. If I could find a job that would work around the children (and NO, teaching isn't it!) I would probably enjoy working.

I don't find I have any more spare time now than when I was working, and still have the same huge ironing pile etc.

paulaplumpbottom · 10/03/2007 13:58

Nope

run errands, grocery shop, meet friends for coffe, sometimes I go to the days spa for a facial or something.

Nope

suedonim · 10/03/2007 14:21

1 11, 19, 27, 31yo

2- No, I live abroad and can't work here.

3 - Read, crafty stuff, go to expat/school/charity things, visit British Council to read newspapers. Organise our staff and sort out the unremitting problems in our apartment with water and power and fumigation. And I spend a lot of time in the car, traffic here is awful.

4 - No. After 30+ years as a mum, I'm enjoying some me time!

Iota · 10/03/2007 14:30

ds2 went to school in Sept.

I have applied for 1 P/T job since then - didn't even get an acknowledgment of my application

I do stuff

I would like to do something vaguely interesting that would fit in with school hours and paid enough to cover childcare for 2 in the hols.

So far I have seen 1 job since Sept that met those criteria - see above.

CarGirl · 10/03/2007 14:31

In Sep 2009

1 - How old are your children? 12, 7, 6,4

2- Do you plan to go back to work in the near future? undecided

3 - What do you do with your free time when children are at school? do all the stuff I currently do in the evening as I'm thinking I'll be busy being a taxi service from 3.30pm onwards......

4 - Do you find yourself wishing you were at work?

I keep thinking that partly the idea is when they go to school we will have an improved quality of life as I can get stuff done during the day so dh will need to help less in the evenings but also our evenings are going to be very busy being a taxi service. Not going to be much better off working as get assistend ctc so is it going to be worth working???????

auntymandy · 10/03/2007 14:35

16,14,12,4,2 and one on way!!
Back to work?.. I assume you mean paid employment? This is no holiday!!

3)watch tv..about half an hour between school runs in an afternoon. I manage neighbours and loose women if I am ironing!

4)only so I can have a lunch break!

Flowertop · 10/03/2007 15:48

6 and 8
Funnily enough worked right up until DS2 went to school and then realised I had school days and holidays to think about so had to give up my job. I have always worked since leaving school at 16 so giving up was such a worry and I must admit I did turn my nose up at SAHM's with school age children . Not going to work in near future as love being at home.
I meet a friend twice a week for a 5 mile run. Go to the gym and tap dance class. In between I do the boring housework, ironing and other domestic chores. Then I pick up the kids.
Sometimes I feel guilty and think I should be working but with shorter days and term time only my choices are limited. I can think of so many excuses why that job is not for me.

Aloveheart · 10/03/2007 15:49

Kids are 8 and 7 and no i don't want to go to work yet as i have no one to have them in the summer holidays and half terms. I will go to work when they go to secondary school. I'm not on benefits and am lucky enough to be able to sah.

Freckle · 10/03/2007 15:58

Suedonim, DD2 can't be 11! In my mind, she'll always be 6 - but don't tell her that 'cos she'll take it as an insult.....

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