stay at home moms, if you had to give a job description for yourself, what would it be?

Question

i am a stay at home mom too, looking for info from other stay at homers. how much time do you spend with your kids vs. doing housework? how do you utilize your child's naptime? how do you accomplish and prioritize what needs to be done as far as erronds and chores? what do you do to make your husband feel happy and appreciated when he gets home from a day at work? what do you feel is the part of staying home that you struggle with the most?

Answer 1

Boy oh boy... well the best advice I can give is to think of this as a job (stay at home mom for 6+ years). This is how I stopped resenting my husband. I would get upset because I did all the "work" around the house and EVERYTHING for the kids and he got out of the house (to go to work).
Write a list at the beginning of the week (this list will go away over time) of what "needs" to be done around the house and what errands "need" to be done. Then map them out over the days to fit into your time with your kids. Take time for yourself while they nap or play by themselves - don't always do chores at that time (you'll burn out). MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF and don't forget your marriage!!! That is the key to staying sane. Your kids will benefit beyond your comprehension from you being there for them.


Good luck

Answer 2

Be yourself and do the best that you can. That's all that anyone can ever ask. Try to prioritize your daily routine and activities so that you don't burn yourself out and go crazy. A routine will help to kids the kids in order as well. It might help to have the kids busy doing something (movie, coloring, playing, outside) when your husband gets home from work. This way, you have a few minutes to greet him and say hello. Plan some special "mommy and daddy time" when the kids fall asleep and surprise your husband once in a while. Stay positive and happy. Husbands love a cheerful wife but don't be fake, be real. Know that you're blessed to have the opportunity to be home with your children and don't let anyone tell you that you're not doing your motherly or wifely duties. Everyone is different, so just be you. If you have the courage and/or the strength, get involved in something positive so that you have things to look forward to. Spend quality time with your family but also take time for yourself. A happy mommy is a happy home. Good luck. :-)

Answer 3

I use "stay at home Mom" if I'm talking to other moms about our professions...and I do think of mine as such. On forms of all sorts that ask for occupation, I use "Homemaker" because that's what I do. It seems, however, that for many moms who also have a professional career, they think I sit around the house all day and simply do a bit of cleaning and such and not much else. I always get the "Oh, you're so lucky. I wish I could do that. I work my a** off all day". Really? Like I don't? I've two sisters, both of whom (when I tell them I'm too busy to do something) always complain "You stay home all day. What do you mean you're too busy? Get your a** off the couch once in a while." You can imagine how angry this gets me. I take care of a handicapped son, a chronically ill daughter, all of the animals, neighborhood crime watch, volunteer when my own health issues allow, cook, clean, shop, do repairs, pay bills, run to doctor appointments and after school activities, spend half my life filling out insurance forms or fighting with the insurance company, and lord knows what else. I take great pride in keeping things together under such circumstances and feel all stay at home moms/dads/homemakers should be proud of what they do. Surprisingly, I get more kudos from dads, both working and stay at home/homemakers than their female counterparts. I always find that odd. My spouse likes to call me Household Engineer. Maybe we should all adopt that term.

Answer 4

i am a homemaker. i like the way that sounds. i home school my kids and my nephew. so i spend all day with them. i don't do anything at nap time because i breastfeed my 8 month old. so i just sit it out. i do what i can when i can and if it needs to be done outside the home i do it first. and i make my husband feel special by making sure he has dinner and quite when he gets home . and i get every thing done so he needs not see a messed up house when he gets home . then when the kids are asleep i tell him as much as possible every good thing about him and then we get serous. i don't have any problems with staying home with the kids. i like the life i have and i can honestly say that it's really fun and exciting .i hope this helps .

Answer 5

Well lets see if im a stay at home mom i spend 24 hours a day with my son and housework. It never does end. My son has the same 2 naps every day at the same time. Hes tired at those times and goes down at those times. I just go and do my errands etc. I tell my husband i love him, if anyone should be apperciated it should be me. Haha. The part i struggle with? Not being able to have at least an hour to myself.

Answer 6

Time with Kids vs Housework: I have to admit that my house is very rarely spotlessly clean! I definitely spend the majority of my day with my kids. I try to keep the laundry going throughout the day (folding it is another story!) I wash the dishes in the morning while the kids are having breakfast. As far as vacuuming and cleaning the bathrooms, when it's noticeable to me that it needs to be done, I squeeze it in :)

Utilizing child's nap time: My kids nap time I use as my "me time" That is when I check my email, read a book, maybe take a bath. That is the time of day that I use to de-stress.

Errands and Chores: I pretty much function on a preset routine. I always grocery shop on Sundays after church, I always make diner at 5:30 while my kids play, things like that. A predictable routine.

What do I do to keep my husband feeling happy and appreciated: Unfortunately probably not enough! I have dinner ready when he comes home and I try to be understanding when he needs some quiet time to himself to unwind...that's about it!

What part do I struggle with the most: Laundry

Answer 7

The hardest thing I struggle with is feeling isolated. My daughter is almost 4 and my son is 2. They are only 16 months apart so they fight all the time! I try to get them occupied in watching some of their favorite movies, putting puzzles together or something like that. If they are really into what they are doing then I will try to get a few things done around the house. I try to have my cleaning day on Thurs. and the kids "help". I run most of the errands on Fri. Fridays are date nights for my husband and I so the kids to to grandmas and a aunts house.When they take a nap, I try to take a few minutes for myself, like coloring my hair or painting my nails, just something to remind myself that I am still a woman! If you need anything, u can e-mail me [e-mail]. Hope this helps!

Answer 8

Someone in a yahoo group I am in described it as "The CEO of Domestic Affairs"... I thought that was pretty clever. It took me a while to realize she was a SAHM! LOL :)

Ooops didn't answer the rest......

I try to spend as much time with my kids as possible. Now that I have two older girls, they help out with housework.

During my baby's nap, I either nap, get on the computer, take a bath, or do housework. Depends on my mood, I guess...

It really helps having older girls who help out (I wouldn't need as much help, though, if I didn't have older girls)

I try to make my husband feel happy and appreciated by fussing over him. Hug him, kiss him, ask about his day. Fix dinner, fix him a drink, etc.

Staying at home is hard. Sometimes I feel like I am not good at being in the "outside world".

Answer 9

well i dont do alot of house work i spend all my time with the baby and i dont have alot that i have to go out and do but if there is something then i take him with me and do them but i love to be home with him but i dont get alot done he is a mommy's boy bad and there is not a lot that he lets me do

Answer 10

24 hours a day, 7 days a week. no days off allowed for sickness. you have be referee with kids, prostitute for husband, and slave for all of them! but wouldn't change a thing. especially when the kids tel me they love me and give me a hug.