Being a SAHM is SOOOooo boring! What do you do to avoid losing the will to live?

[peanutbutterkid]

After 3.5 years I am well and truly BORED -- I am not cut out for this lark. But getting a job not really an option (not for a while, anyway).

Sooo... any tips to make SAHMdom less of a chore? I go to a few toddler groups, but truth is I'm quite bored of them, too.

I have 3 school age DC and a toddler.

You're not alone - this thread is also in Parenting:

'Not a 'natural' mummy... (long, sorry)'

Ooooops, sorry wrong thread

I'm a 'make do and mend' throwback and proud of it .

Seriously though, it seems that the hardest part is finding out what does it for you. I'd got the postgraduate qualifications and stuff before having children so find the 'boredom' a bit of a tonic . For other people, my life sounds like a level of hell!

AM I alone in not being able to do anything when the kids are around? OK I'm managing to type this post but only because my toddler has found a sponge and is wiping her way around the house. She won't watch TV - I give it 5 minutes before she comes up at the kitchen table trying to switch the computer off. Today she point blank refused to go to sleep this morning which may have given me an hour or two. SHe'll go off when I go out to collect her sibling from nursery but that's not time I can use. When do all you people study for your OU courses - is it something you do at night? Do you get any time in the day?

So yes, I am bored because I don't get the space to think - better go cos she's on the table. Am being negative I know, having one of those days!

Ah, Peanutbutterkid, I feel the same. After 7 years going to the same playgroup, I would rather sit in a darkened room and bang my head against the wall. But I must persevere for the LO. DC3 is at nursery in the afternoon, most of my friends have their children in the morning session, and my toddler is very labour intensive and wants constant interaction. Which is fine, and I don't begrudge her that for a second, but it doesn't mean I don't sigh being given the Upsy-daisy wants to f* sing AGAIN' book.
I am sooooo over soft-play. We go to the park, see the ducks, go to the playground yada yada yada.

This stage seems so full on, I can't imagine how to add one more thing into the equation. DP works away alot, but irregular days, so I can't commit to a regular thing as co-ordinating child-care for 4 children on a frequent and regular basis is a nightmare.
I have to get up at 6 to get a gym session in FFS!

...and reeeeeeeelaaaaax

thanks

I found that staying at home with very small children, in a foreign country, in a small city, with not so many friends was boring as hell.
I farmed them to nursery twice a week. They soon became bilingual. I worked a bit on translations. Then I discovered Mumsnet

Oh you could be me! I have a 3.5 year old who goes to playgroup 2 mornings a week and a toddler at home with me all the time. So I have NO time to myself (ie no time for any of these OU courses etc). Because of their ages, trying to do anything constructive with them is very difficult. Even going out takes a bit of planning, although luckily just a walk up the road is often enough to keep them happy (roll on summer..).

I just keep thinking, this won't last forever, I should TRY and enjoy it while I can. My dd1 is a September born so she'll be at home for another year, but hopefully will be doing more time at preschool. And then I look forward to being able to do things with the younger one.

I am planning to try and retrain eventually so will be looking into distance learning courses soon to start me down that road. Even if I could just find something to do for myself for a couple of hours a week, I would be happier....

Re-train in something at uni or college so that when you go back to work you can have more job prospects. That's what I did. Was SAHM for 5 years and it was boring at times.

I have been a SAHM mum now for 18mths. I am bored but I think my main problem is getting motivated to do things. Weather hasn't helped and now DS can walk its so much easier. We go for walks each day. DS doesn't let me do alot, he does demand alot of attention but then he's only little.

I study and am looking for a job but all this is done at nap times (if i'm lucky) or after DS has gone to bed. It would be fair to say I have very little time to myself but then isn't that part of being a mum? I do get frustrated some days but we do have a gym with a creche etc, its just being organised enough to book ds in, getting him settled etc. Writing this makes me realise more than ever that its up to me to make the most of the time I have with ds.

But yes i still have boring days/weeks.