Following on from Xenia saying she spends 2 hours a day with her kids..............................................

[ssd]

I just want wanted to say how much I love spending time with my boys, how I adore them, how they drive me nuts sometimes and I can't wait till bedtime BUT......................

I can honestly say 2 hours only a day with them would feel like a slow death to me, that would be like torture and I can't imagine anything worse.

Not that my feelings matter a jot, just felt the need to write that down.

I get 2 hours - tops - Monday to thursday - with my DD currently. It sucks. Good for you if you want more and get more.

SSD - being around longer doesnt make you better - I think your response to WB - who made a very valid point, was very patronsing.

I think threads like this are awful. Start a topic on how much time you spend - dont directly criticise another posters choice and way of life. Not on, IMO - however long you have been around.

Great, and when my DC are all at school, i shall choose to work too. Even if it is just during school hours. CnC i am allowed to have an opinion ain't I? and in my case, not yours or anybody else's. Actually i have just asked my 5 yr DS. guess what, he wouldn't only want me around for two hours either. I stand by what i said, I wouldn't of my DC if all I could give them was 2 hour IMO.

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My dd is 2.
Monday-Friday I spend about 4 hours with her and for almost half of that time we are in the car.
I miss her when I am at work. But I couldn't do the f/t SAHM thing - hats off to those who do btw.

When I started back at work, dd was 6 months old and I found it a wrench, despite knowing that it was the right decision for me.

At that point in my life, this thread would have had me absolutely gutted.

Thanks ssd - I don't think.

TwirlyN - you're lucky to have a choice. God forbid that one day you have to choose to put food on the table or to spend all day with them.

I agree you're entitled to express your opinion. However I stand by mine that considering the circumstances of others should be part of that.

Fair enough, ssd!

Twirly, good luck finding a school-hours, term-time job that doesn't make you want to pull your eyes out by their roots.

This is such a nasty, nasty thread to start!! I hope that someone starts a thread about you (naming you) and about how nasty you are - I personally wont because I would hate to sink to this disgusting level.

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ssd has apologised

Cnc. You may also find threads where, some parents can't afford to go back to work. Infact, i think whilst all the Xenia bashing was going on, a poster was asking for help.

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We all need help - that's why we're on here

I personally don't find it helpful when people make statements like yours. I appreciate it's your opinion but then you should be prepared for people to have fundamental disagreements - particularly when the implication is that those who aren't able to spend more than 2 hours a day with their kids, shouldn't have kids.

Surely you also have to take into account the quality of time spent with your children not just the number of hours for instance you could spend ony 2 hours a day with them but they are good hours you interact/play with them etc versus someone who spends all day with their children yet sticks cbeebies on/throws junk food at them to shut them up/doesn't really bother with them (and I know mothers like this) so it isn't all black and white.

Sometimes I find some comments about SAHMs a bit off but people are only being honest not everyone is going to agree with everyone elses parenting choices are they?

hunker a lot of mners seem to think that the day their youngest turns 5 a lovely 9.30-3, term time only job will waft gently into their laps.

I like Xenia. Ok, I've not had any run ins, but she knows what she thinks and says it. She is happy with the life she has.

Atm she probably spends more quality time with her children than I do - and I am home all the time!!

The last month my children have seen me at meal times, school run, and bedtime (if they are lucky) - apart from that I have been glued to this laptop trying to work.

She probably treasures those 2 hours more than I have been treasuring my snippets lately

It doesn't matter how much time you spend with your children as long as there is love and both you and them are happy.

Funnily enough Bozza.....[smug] I am very lucky though - this really did land in my lap - I wasnt looking for another job.

Some employers are blardy lovely - and flexible. Love it.

Agree that not every waking hour of a SAHM is spent 'doing' things with the children. I think it is a bit disingenuous to suggest that this is the case. If we ALL sat with a stopwatch and timed the one to one interaction - I suspect it wouldnt vary that much at all between SAHM and WOHM.

I spend more time doing things with the boys on my days off than I did when I was at home with them, rigid with boredom and PND.

I never, ever MN when I am at home with DS and he is awake......

And, I just answered the phone at work..."The xxxxxx hospital, smug....er good afternoon"

Of course you don't Blu

Hunker - I used to think I loved being a SAHM, but now I have been working (even still in the home) I am realising how much my brain needed work - and how much I enjoy doing things with them on a Sunday