SAHMs / Maternity Leavers...is anyone else willing to admit to being bored?

[FasterPussyCatGrrrl]

Lord i am bored.

I love my kids, and i love doing things with them, but all day every day is sucking the life out of me. It's not even 10am and i can't wait until they're both in bed, so i can go to bed too because i'm exhausted. I don't feel appreciated, and every day is the same, however hard i try to be different and fun. Nappies, milk, nappies, stropping, food, nappies, bed...

Am i alone? Am i just a rubbish mother?!
I'm glad i'm not missing their little milestones, and we do have some fun too, but
I can't wait to go back to work part time in July. But it's only March

I used to watch the clock at home with dd during my maternity leave. I had to go out with her if only to make the minutes and hours tick by faster. With ds, I was less concerned abot providing a 'stimulating' environment for him and better at getting on with my life and projects, whilst working around his schedule, so at least I felt more productive.

(Pt) work is my saviour.

thats a good idea about going cinema pussycat, you need a break too
your still your own person as well as mummy xx

I will admit to being bored some of the time too. Part of the problem is that you are exhausted and everything feels ten times worse when you are tired.

Yes looking after small children can be really boring and sometimes you just want to go out on your own. I have stayed at home with my two though because for me work was equally boring and I would rather be master of my own day than jumping to the tune of a boss. That's just how I feel about it. If you love your job then of course working will be preferable to being at home all day.

The other thing is, if you are bored talking about your children with other mothers (and I do relate to that) have you tried talking about something else? People often say they don't like toddler groups etc because all people talk about is their children and I feel the same way but sometimes all it needs is for one of you to start discussing some other topic that interests you and you are off. I am sure that most other mothers want a break from the baby talk too - you do find you are going round in circles a bit. What do you talk about when you are chatting to your work colleagues for example? When there are no children around and they aren't the focus of everybody's attention?

Another thing would be to take an evening class or a short distance learning course to keep your brain active. Something for fun or something work related, it doesn't matter really. Or join a book group where you can have adult conversation occasionally.

As everybody says it does get easier as they get older. The 20 mth old will be chatting away soon and the baby will be sitting up and crawling and you won't all be joined at the hip quite so tightly.

great post niecie, yes i agree sometimes if you just change the conversation everyone can seem relived at work we used to talk about tv and whatevers going on in the news

Just off to the post office, that should take up oooh about half an hour!

Talking about the telly is a good one and the news, lionbeast. Holidays and travelling are quite good too. I have a friend who I see in the playground when picking up DS1 who really hates the baby talk and is probably only at home by default because she got made redundant and got pregnant with her 2nd child in quick sucession and we almost never talk about the children except for a quick discussion about the latest goings on in school. Our common thread is that both our husbands are starting businesses so we end up talking 'shop' more often than anything.

The difficult thing is finding that non-child related topic with people who you only know because you have children, iyswim. Telly and the news are good though.

Fasterpussycat
I still get bored and I work p/t and only have 2 days a week with my dcs. I am now pg with no3 (which I am happy about) but dreading moving to a new area and leaving work, which I love, both of which I am having to do in the near future. When dc 3 is older and both ds and dd are at school (this year and next year respectively) I suspect I will probably want to go back to work again. I wish I was the 'lets make a collage out of leaves' type SAHM but I'm just not. I love my children but find I am a far nicer person when I work a bit as well.

Thank you for letting me know I'm not the only one! Dont feel quite so guilty at feeling mind numbingly bored most days. My DS is 5 months and although things are getting easier we spend most days alone in the house going from room to room (for change of scenery) doing the same things waiting for him to get tired so I can have half an hour to myself. I dont know anyone or have any family here and there's only so many times you can walk around a shopping centre! Would love to go back to work but at the same time I couldnt bare to be apart from DS and know things will improve as he gets older.

Clazz you would might feel better if you had a bit of adult company and had a bit of time out of the house every day. I went to my first toddler group when DS1 was about 5 mths so he isn't too young.

We moved away from family when he was 15 mths old and I was a lot like you so I had to make an effort to get out of the house with him every day. Sometimes it was the supermarket or a wander round town but we also did the library and feeding the ducks or art groups and music groups and Tumble tots at different times. It does get easier as they get older though, you are right.

Mind you if it helps more to go back to work, then do it. Even part time will make you feel better and you will enjoy your time with your lo more as a result.