SAHM mums, what do you do each day, need some advice on routines!

[cerealqueen]

I am about to become a SAHM as my job finishes this week and I don't have anything to go to. DD is a different little person to the baby she was when I went back to work. She is now 19 months. I need some ideas of what to do aside from endless washing and housework. I've started to explore toddler groups locally, and there is the park so thankfully its summer. How often do people go to those groups? Is is Ok to just let her play on her own at home and not do things every day? We will be a bit broke without my income so paid for classes may not be possible. She is very sociable and am worried also that she will miss being with other children she saw at the childminders and will be bored at home with me.

and I do housework about once a fortnight or so. I don't tend to bother about these things (besides the washing which obviously needs done every other day, and cleaning round the toilets). I do the bare minimum and spend quality time with DS instead. Much more enjoyable!

Ooh BertieBotts, maybe I will! I always think it's strange that there is so much talk about keeping active, yet all the activities that Sure Start arrange are fairly sedentary. And there can't be a child in the world that doesn't love music/ dancing.
Does just the disco part last half an hour, or is the whole disco and picnic half an hour?

The disco is half an hour or so. I've only been a couple of times, so not sure if they do more warming up type things at the beginning. Then the picnic is for the next half an hour but there are usually 5-10 minutes between them while the children cool down, adults catch their breath (as you invariably end up joining in) and the tables etc get set up.

They do loads of stuff - the food co-op is fantastic. They have a little vegetable garden and run a veg box scheme, some of it's from the garden, some if it's from an allotment shared between the different centres locally, and some of it is bought in. It's very simple in that there are only two options - large bag for families, or small bag for small families (one child/one parent etc) The children are encouraged to help with the gardening, so it's the more robust stuff planted at the centre itself. They include a recipe sheet in with the bags every week and they accept healthy start vouchers as payment, or cash a week in advance - it works really well.

This is the timetable, if you want any more ideas

Google what's on in your area.

I don't think you need to do stuff everyday - I was working part time and I found I used to compensate too much on my days off - two activities a day - I was worn out and his expectations were very high. Housework was shunted till after ds's bedtime.

If dd has naps I suggest spend a nice morning with her - do housework when she's napping and then both chill rest of the day. Depends on her engery levels.

I've been a sahm mum again the last year - my issue now is that I spend way too much time faffing around with housework and the place never looks clean, Not good either.

Park is good
swimming is good
there are lots of toddler groups around - you need to try them out before you find the one for you.
You can make trips out to do shopping a bit of an adventure if you put your mind to it.
Art stuff at home (something I struggle with)
We have book picnics - big long reading and picture book sessions
Music - we have lots of percussion stuff at home and we just go a bit mad.

My only word of advice is try to get your dd to play alone for a bit everyday - my ds won't and it's exhausting.