SAHM's and P/T working mums - what is your daily routine?

[beatie]

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. My dd is almost 2 and a half. Apart from two days wehn she is at nursery and I study and the activities for which we leave the house, I don't have any other routine and now I feel that I need one.

The time of day I find particularly difficult is from 7.30-9.30 in the morning. DH leaves for work at 7.30. I hate that I don't get a chance to get myself in order i.e. showering, dressing, breakfast before DH leaves for work and DD is demanding my full-on attention but getting up earlier is not an option since I am pregnant with #2.

She just won't play by herself or even watch TV in the morning.

I'm crap at housework too. I had very bad morning sickness from Jan through to March, so I have totally got out of the habit of getting stuff done around the house. I've slipped into a sort of lethargy that I hate. DH is fantastic and does way more than his fair share.

I feel like I need to kick-start life in Spring with a good routine for both DD and for me. Sometimes these wet days feel so long.

Can anyone help?

I have a small basket of toys in every room. So there's a basket in the bathroom, so I can bathe in peace, one in my bedroom for a bit of a lie in... and so on. I just rotate the toys around, and put some away, that she can't play with, so there's often something exciting and new to do. Seems to keep my 18month old happy and quiet... and gives me a few mins peace!

HTH!!

Hi, I am a SAHM too and have been for 3 years. When I first stopped work (when DS was 2) I was overwhelmed by what to do with DS and how to do it too so I understand how you feel. We now have a pretty good system.
I get up at 6.30am every morning to shower and get dressed ... DD is 15 months and I just can't shower etc after DH has gone to work.
DS is usually up by this time (he is 5).
When I am in the shower DH gets breakfast for DS and then gets DD up.
When I am dressed DH gets ready for work while I give DD her breakfast, make packed lunches for DH and DS and do the washing up etc.
DH leaves for work at 7.30am.
We leave the house at 8.15am to walk DS to school ... home at 9am.
I can usually hack about an hour at home with DD before she gets all clingy and bored so in that time she plays and I do housework.
By 10am we are out and about (playgroup, swimming, supermarket shopping, visiting friends, a long walk etc etc)
Usually home between 11.30am and 12.
DD has lunch and is in bed for her nap by 12.30pm.
I then have up to 2 hours in which to work (I work from home) ... making phone calls etc and a teeny bit of housework ...
2.30pm get DD up and chuck her in the buggy for the dash up to school to pick up DS by 3pm. Home by 3.30pm
Mondays DS has swimming, Wednesdays he has soccer so that is what we do then. Sometimes he may have a friend round to play. Usually we chill out at home, DS plays with DD, we do DS' homework etc.
DD has dinner at 5pm. DH comes home at 6pm. DD has bath at 6.30pm and is in bed at 7pm.
DS sometimes eats with DD and has a bath with her and DH and I eat later but now he is getting older he increasingly has dinner with us just after DD goes to bed.

When DS was younger and not at school I tried to break up my day into 2 halves. I made sure that we did something 'out' (even if it was just a walk) one half and 'in' the other half.
I think the key for me is to be up and dressed early before DH goes to work ... that way I am ready to take DD out as soon as she gets niggly ...

I'm a SAHM & have terrible insomnia. I'm usually whacked in the morning but do get dd ready for school & try to play with ds. I have mega-doses of coffee to keep going. The best thing for us would be to get out for a brisk walk but will spring ever come?

Oh yes - wouldn't an appearance from Spring help? I swear we had a BBQ first May bank holiday last year. Do you think that is likely this year?

Thank you everyone for giving me plenty of ideas of how better to organise my day. I must sound really crap but, it's just the type of personality I have. I don't do routine well but realise that I now have to.

Prufrock ~ I'm too over how late your children sleep in. Perhaps I'll try putting the blackout shade up again.

Anyway, I'm going to set my alarm and try and have a shower and get dressed before DH goes to work. DH always has a shower in the evening but I can't do that because I'd need to wash my hair every night. It lasts 2 days if washed in the morning and only 2 nights, 1 day if washed at night. I think it must get greasy from lying in bed, tossing and turning.

prufrock, are you still MN-ing, Please? i love the look of your routine(my DC are 3.5 and 13months) and wondered if you might be able to mail me copies of any of your routines and meal planning etc, i could hopefully adapt them to my family. I'm finding the whole SAHM thing a real challenge, mental battles with too bright DD for 12 hrs a day and making food that ends up on the floor or gets the "yuck" treatment! I am craving the comfort of a job outside the home tonight
many thanks