Are you a SAHM with school aged children?

[Sparkler1]

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.

Flowertop - I worked until ds1 went to school - it was sooo much more straightforward when the dses were in day nursery

8 & 5

No

Children at school isn't all my free time. It's time I use to do housework, food shopping, stuff like that. I do get to do some things I like too ie sometimes see a friend, shop for myself, hairdresser, gym.

No

I may get a job in a year or so (I do not want to work at school though) but don't feel ready yet.

i CAN'T WAIT until my kids go to school. and i'm only on no. 1 of 3 (hopefully)!

ditto saadia'a post

My DD is 2 (DS at school) and DB on the way but I intend to blag another year at home when the youngest has started full time school. I will have 10 years of coffee breaks and lunch hours owed to me in lieu

Sometimes I think I would love to be like some of you. Being at home and sorting out the house, spending some time at the gym, meeting friends etc etc. I think I would just feel so bad knowing that DH is working bringing in the money and I would be at home having so much time for myself, especially now I have returned to work and that bit of extra cash comes in handy. When I talk to DH about my feelings he says it's up to me - I can stay at home if I want to. But that means I have to make a decision, I can't do that!!! pmsl I know running a house isn't easy stuff but with DH and both working we both muck in and get stuff done around here as best we can.

1.- 7, 5, &4 - 4 yr old starts school in Sept - is at nursery 4 mornings per week.

1. - Yes am studying for a new career, am starting to go mad being at home.

1. - Study, study, study

1. - yes, dh has just started his own company and if I earn't it would put less pressure on him and I really feel the need to be me, not just mum.

Studying has been great, I was worried that I couldn't do it, but actually so far I'm doing well and really enjoying it. When I'm qualified I will be able to work when I want, so can fit around the children's school hours. If I want to do more and dh isn't working then I can. So hopefully I'll get the best of both worlds. The children won't even notice, I can still be Mum at school pick up, and me for the rest of the time.

1. 7 & 8
2. No, although I work a couple of hours a week at their school.
3. Shop, clean up house, p/t evening course. I find there's virtually no spare time for the things I'd like to do.
4. church flowers

I have an almost 6 year old and an almost 3 year old, so I know I don't apply yet

I don't actually plan to go back to work when ds2 goes to school though. I have a lot of hobbies and I like pottering around the house when he's at nursery.

I occasionally wish I was back at work when I'm going around Tumbletots of the nth time (gets a bit boring when you've done it all before, I find!) but never when he's at nursery and I'm on my own. I've always got fifty billion projects on the go that I never have time for.

Most importantly though, I want to give writing a serious go (I have a draft novel that's currently getting nowhere). No idea if I have the ability to get anywhere with that, but I really would like to give myself the space to try once ds2 is in full time education.

If I don't try I'll never know, right?

I have children of 13, 11, 8 and 3. Have been a sahm for 13 years and mostly have loved it. However I'm happy now not to be having any more babies and am sticking my head over the domestic parapet to see what's out there for me. Don't want to go back to my previous professional career (been away too long, but the main reason is its long hours culture and target based value system. All fine, but not for me now).

Had my heart been in it though, I'd certainly have gone back, to a different employer, much earlier, perhaps after ds2. Nearly did in fact !

Ds3 is at playgroup 5 mornings a week, so I'm just beginning to have little bits of me time, eg gym, selling our junk on ebay and Amazon - more than enough to pay for music lessons and shoes x4 - .

However I now want to write, having had this thought for years and although it's little more than jottings atm, I plan to devote more time to this in the autumn once ds3 can do a couple of full days at nursery. I'm basically happy with my own company, so the lifestyle would suit me well. Just an agent and a publishing deal to sort then...

I do have the odd moan on here about dh (aibu about long lunches at mils for example), but basically he is a fully evolved human being who values what I do, and appreciates that were I working oth, especially in my old career, our lives would be very different on the domestic front. That does make it easier for me to sah without any pressure. Neither of us would like to go down the full time nanny/housekeeper route which would then be essential to keep the boat afloat !

1 - Dd is 6 & at school, ds 3 & at nursery all day, except half-day Thursday when he goes swimming.
2 - See myself working again in the next few years. Currently studying web design with NITLC, would love to work for myself. Have visions of being a successful business woman in sense that people want me to work for them and are very appreciative of what I do well for them .
3 - Free time split between study, housework, shopping (food & for me) and exercise.
4 - Think the only thing I miss about work is having other people around, but certainly do not miss office politics or working with people who live for their job. Have always been a work to live rather than live to work kind of person. I am sometimes lonely & long for a really good friend who I could talk to about anything. Have lots of "friends" but no really good ones.

I am generally happy with my life - could always do with more money to spend on clothes / holidays etc. but all in all I haven't done badly. Have a great dh & 2 wonderful kids, a roof over my head, my own car, enough money in bank for essentials and the odd night out...

Skinnynomates what a lovely post. You have really made me think of what I do have. It's lovely to hear when someone is so happy with their lot.
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