Happy lovely things about being a SAHM

[thebluemoon]

I've recently had my third child and for the first time ever I'm a SAHM.

I want to enjoy it and feel good about it which is sometimes challenging.

So this thread is about the good stuff! Just happy lovely thoughts about being a SAHM please, to boost me and the others out there!

Like - being able to decide what to do when. Which might mean cuddling littlest DC for an hour in our pjs.

I have no stress. I used to have a hugely stressful job which gave me panic attacks. Even my worst day looking after the dc doesn’t affect me as badly as that job did.

I loved that our mornings were calm, relaxed and not the frantic rush-fest they are now. When dc were babies, I would bring them down in the morning, we would have a lovely leisurely breakfast and then watch a little bit of CBeebies. But I loved everything about being a SAHM and had no regrets spending my time with them ( dc are now 12 and 9). Enjoy and savour every single minute, they will be grumpy pre-teens before you can blink 😊

You don't miss anything. First smile, first laugh, crawl, watching them figure out a puzzle for the first time or making a new sound, it's really brilliant.

You can pick your own pension fund for DH to pay into - not tied to an employer's choice!

Being the boss of you own day, whether that means a day at home or trip to the zoo.

Not missing out on a single moment.

Low stress or a drink different sort of stresss.

Feeling mostly on top of things that needed doing at home.

Having time to get to know other local mums, meet up and form friendships/share support.

I loved it!

Ha ha. No idea where drink cane from there were days when I was desperate for one

I love being a sahm. It’s not the pc thing to admit but I don’t mind what other people say. Even now they are at school I chose to set up my own business rather than take a regular job. It means I can help out at school, go to open afternoons etc

Dh and I both grew up with parents who worked all the hours. We don’t resent them for it, they did what they had to do, but we were the kids who never had parents at school events. Typical latch key kids really.

We discussed it at length and both decided this is what we wanted. Money isn’t always flush but our lifestyle works for us

Totally agree with low stress - I had a stressful job/commute before becoming a SAHM and every so often have to remind myself how stressful it was, even without trying to add 3 DC into the mix now! I have an autoimmune disease which is significantly better since I've not worked.

Totally agree with being the boss of your day - DC3 is sick today and it is actually no hassle at all, we can just stay at home all day and concentrate on her getting better, not worrying and juggling everything.

Mine is older now and I work p/t but best thing was the lack of stress particularly being able to take time off when DD was ill. Also, being able to go at a child's pace in the morning and having time to cook properly.

Haha Freudian slip Holly!

Slower pace is really good isn't it, especially in the mornings (original night owl here).

My eldest child was unexpectedly ill last night, I've been easily able to bundle the younger one off to school while me and the poorly one can come home to snuggle. I've read him a story, laid in bed chatting etc.
I'm v thankful I can do this without added stress of missing work.

This is a lovely thread. I’m about to be a SAHM as I’m giving up work when we move out of the city.

I’ve been a bit down about it but your comments have made me feel more positive.

I’ll as mine (from mat leave): having time to really listen to my DD. When I’m working it’s just rushing from bath to bed to tidying up, she’s trying to talk to me but I’m not as good as listening as I’m thinking about all the things I need to do, or checking work emails as she puts on PJs.

What’s lovely about being at home is that I have the time to really listen and you hear the funniest insights into their lives.

So much less stress!!

We don’t have to rush in the mornings to be out the door.

If we have a day where we feel like doing nothing but staying in our pjs and watching Disney films, that’s what we do.

We got a National trust membership so spend a lot of our time out and about and visiting nice places.

I’ve been there for every single milestone.

I love not having to adhere to a dress code. So I can properly experiment with my hair for the first time since I was about 21! And my daughter loves having a mummy with bright hair.

99% of the time I love it, it's great (1% loathe it during tantrum time/ moments of self doubt). I'm naturally a pottering, studenty, unashamed layabout with no gift for workplace politics and being able to just BE, day to day, and focus on my DS and his pace of life is a total luxury. I'm also doing a postgrad degree so my brain hasn't completely switched off, I do think I'd be a bit bored by now if I didn't have that (ds is two)
We go for long walks, we make things, we bake, we meet other SAHPs for lunch, he watches CBeebies and i fart about on mumsnet
If I can, I will never work full time in an office again. I'm doing a PhD next and planning to have a second child so I've got a few more years of this hopefully!

As you have older DC, you will have lots of routine and structure in your day already, so being a SAHM will give you flexibility in between the commitments you will have because of your older DC. I should say that I am not a SAHM, I work part time. But on my non working days, I love being able to adjust plans to suit the frame of mind I'm in and do either very little or a lot. I can look at the weather and decide from there. And I can go to the supermarket on a day that isn't popular with other people, so relatively quiet and calm.

BTW my DM was a SAHM and I am an only child. She had no family nearby and my dad worked full time (and had hobbies ) and she thought she would be there for every milestone. The very first time she left me, with a neighbour, whilst she went shopping for a morning, I crawled for the first time. So don't put pressure on yourself to think that as you're a SAHM, you must never ever miss anything. It cannot be helped sometimes!

Not having to rush them about is, I think, just the best. You want to spend half an hour doing a dinosaur jigsaw puzzle in your pjs before breakfast? Why the heck not! You want to have a silly voices competition in the hall with me for 20 minutes while we're getting your coat on to go out? Yup, we can do that! You get to really enjoy them without having to stress about getting them places on time. It's a hugely privileged position to be in. Enjoy!

It's all about the slower pace and no stress for me. I love being a SAHM.

I get to go to everything at school, and that includes anything going on at secondary school with my older children. I have never missed a school play, nativity concert, open morning, sports day...

I often do my 13 year old daughters hair in the morning (she's the eldest- mine are 13 11 8 and 3). Eldest loves that have the time to French plait, fishtail or whatever her hair on a school day. Because I'm in no rush and she's passed the age of hating having her hair done, it's lovely bonding time for us to experiment with pretty styles.

I get to go for lunch/breakfast with my best mate and my mum never minds baby sitting because it's just an occassional request, rather than the chore of weekly childcare.

I get to nap at lunchtime 😎💤

All so positive, thank you!

The thing about taking time and doing things at their pace is so lovely - I'm still a bit in rushing-around (and stressing) mode so it's really good to keep conscious of that.

Noticing the seasons! Really living in the moment you are in rather than constantly thinking about something else. Walking slowly. I miss being at home and if we could afford it I would stop working - never thought I would say that but I found going back to work after my last mat leave really hard.

I love being a SAHM 🙂

Being able to do our own thing is great; if it's nice we go out, miserable we stay in, if the kids want to look at dinosaurs we go to the museum. We don't need to rush, places are nice and quiet (except for all the other preschool kids 😅). If the kids are feeling lousy then we can stay at home and there's no stress about taking time off work.

Im sure it's hugely unPC but I do the majority of housework, cooking, (making husbands lunch) etc too and it makes life easy. He doesn't have to worry about leaving the office on time to do daycare pick ups.

I dread when the eldest starts primary next year!

Scotinoz my eldest starts primary next year and I'm dreading it too!

I love being a SAHM. I love the mixture of variety and routine. I like that we can plan our days around what the weather's like, how we've all slept, how we're feeling and what we fancy doing. My two are in pre school 2 mornings a week and it gives me time to get the house straight so weekends are pretty much for pleasing ourselves. I just love being with them.

I’m going back to work next week and I will miss all of this so much. It’s only part time, and term time only, but it is every week day. Youngest DD is soon to start school anyway but I do love being a SAHM. Necessity, not choice, is forcing me not to be. Cherish every moment 💕