What do you do when your child goes to preschool?

[RedRobyn2021]

DD is almost 3 and will be going to preschool a couple of mornings a week after Christmas, she's not been in a childcare setting before. I'm just going to send her a couple of mornings a week, it's only 3 hours a visit, but it's more time than I've ever had alone since she was born.

What do other parents do whilst their child is at preschool?

[SleepingStandingUp]

Sleep

How long is your commute each way? Honestly it sounds a lot of time but you'll quickly find it's more like 2 with getting back and leaving again etc.

Have you honestly not had two hours to yourself since she was born? Gosh I must be a terrible mother.

Coffee shop?
Housework?
Get dinner in the slow cooker?
Netflix?

[anon2134]

Clean, do the shopping, tidy the house, walk the dogs, family admin stuff, shower, meal prep, sometimes I meet friends for breakfast.

[ThinkingAgainAndAgain]

I used to do the supermarket shop one of the mornings that DS was in preschool. It was a 3.5 hour session, and (sad as I am) I actually quite enjoyed having a good look at everything and choosing different things so that we didn’t stay in a rut of eating the same things on a 14 day rotation. By the time I did that, had a coffee afterwards with a newspaper in the coffee shop, too it al home and put it all away, it was pretty much time to go and collect. Maybe nowadays I would get an online delivery for another time and that would free up the morning.

On the other day that he went and I wasn’t working, I’d try and get errands done and co-ordinate meeting a friend for coffee in between.

So nothing that exciting!

[HippeePrincess]

Sleep (had a new baby), errands, food shop, sell things on Facebook/ebay, clean, make dinner ahead of time.
With DC2 study, go to college, go to uni, work, or the above.

[RedRobyn2021]

@SleepingStandingUp

Sleep

How long is your commute each way? Honestly it sounds a lot of time but you'll quickly find it's more like 2 with getting back and leaving again etc.

Have you honestly not had two hours to yourself since she was born? Gosh I must be a terrible mother.

Coffee shop?
Housework?
Get dinner in the slow cooker?
Netflix?

I did go back to work 3 days a week for a year when she was 1, but worked from home 2 days. So I guess I had the time at work?

Her preschool is a 5 minute drive away, so it's almost a whole 3 hours! Twice a week.

It seems like a massive amount of time to me. I co-slept with her for over 2 years too and only night weaned her at 26 months so it was CONSTANT.

She goes to bed at about 7:30 so I have my evenings now

Feels selfish just to do stuff for myself, I feel like I need to do something productive

[RedRobyn2021]

@ThinkingAgainAndAgain

I used to do the supermarket shop one of the mornings that DS was in preschool. It was a 3.5 hour session, and (sad as I am) I actually quite enjoyed having a good look at everything and choosing different things so that we didn’t stay in a rut of eating the same things on a 14 day rotation. By the time I did that, had a coffee afterwards with a newspaper in the coffee shop, too it al home and put it all away, it was pretty much time to go and collect. Maybe nowadays I would get an online delivery for another time and that would free up the morning.

On the other day that he went and I wasn’t working, I’d try and get errands done and co-ordinate meeting a friend for coffee in between.

So nothing that exciting!

We do an online shop

I don't think that sounds sad, when I have been food shopping I can't stop for a minute even if she's in a trolley, she'll grab something on the shelves or ask me a million questions "but why mummy? Whhhhhy?"

[RedRobyn2021]

@HippeePrincess

Sleep (had a new baby), errands, food shop, sell things on Facebook/ebay, clean, make dinner ahead of time.
With DC2 study, go to college, go to uni, work, or the above.

We are trying for another baby, unfortunately I had an early miscarriage in the summer and my hormones are still trying to level out so it's not been easy.

I do all those things with her, so I guess I could do them when she's at preschool then play with her more perhaps?

[lewen]

Pre-school hours are my leisure time, so I do stuff that is just for me - visiting exhibitions, film screenings, beauty treatments, public lectures, walks, exploring London, creative activities and exercise.
I don't feel guilty about it as I am focused on my dc and family the rest of the time. There's no obligation at all to do something productive with that time.