Stay at home moms: do you enjoy it?

Question

How old are your kids? How do you keep your sanity? :)

Thanks everyone. My kids are 7 months (boy) and 3 years (girl) and I have been thinking about quitting work to be with them. Money will be tight, but it will be worth it!

Answer 1

I stayed at home the first 2 years of my sons life. It was a lonely existence for me, I felt isolated. I turned to the internet some as a way of having human contact. I knew a few other stay at home moms who did the same. However, I think someone better at networking than I would do better with staying at home, someone who can get out there and join groups and be a part of the community.

Answer 2

I love being a stay at home mom because I know I'm doing what's best for my daughter.She is 7 and I've managed to get away with only working 3 months during her life. She had to go to daycare during this time and hated it. It was a good place too. But nobody can replace the love and protection a mother provides. I got remarried recently and I watch my 3 year old stepson some times. We have 50% custody. He goes to daycare when his mom has him, and has since the age of 3 months. I can see a difference in daycare kids. There's no way they get enough attention from the parents and they whine and are unhappy more. More behavior problems in school later, just ask ANY kindergarten teacher. Parenting is all about making sacrifices to do what's right for your child. No one thinks she's special at daycare.

Answer 3

I've been a stay home mom for 21 years to three fantasticly entertaining children. Oldest son is 21 and is my "thinker", asked questions like..."Mom, why do we have skin?" When he was 4 yrs old. Middle son is just turned 17 yrs, and is my "dennis the menace in the flesh". Which translates to 17 years of little or no sleep for me, due to his being so much a "mr. busybody". And darling daughter is the youngest at 14yrs, she's dubbed the family's Sunshine on a stick.
Sanity at my house is a reletive question, as my oldest son plots out a solution for middle son's wild antics and daughter prances into the room to announce how wonderful she is.
I guess keeping my sense of humor during all these years has helped me retain my sanity and I have never regretted or been dissapointed by staying home with them.

Answer 4

I love staying at home. I have a 2(almost 3) year old that stays home with me all day and a 5 year old at home part of the day. The other part she is in school. The only downfall is we only have 1 car and sometimes i want to take the kids out and can't. I keep my sanity because Friday night is my night. Either i go shopping or to dinner with friends or even out for a drink. Sometimes i even opt to get grocery shopping done or another chore that needed to be done.. It is just my time and it also gives my husband one on one time with my kids. It all works out good.

Answer 5

I'm a stay at home mom. I have a 2 year old daughter and I'm 6 months pregnant with baby #2. How do I keep my sanity? My husband works 12 to 16 hour days, so the days do get kinda long, but I just really put myself into doing all of the housework to the point of spotlessness and making sure that everything is always in order. I also work with my daughter on learning letters, colors, shapes, animals, words, ect, and we play a lot of the time. During nap time, I get to regroup by watching a movie, doing some scrapbooking or reading a book. One or two days a week my daughter and I go to play groups, which gives her time to play with other kids and me time to visit with my friends who are also stay at home moms. We go for a lot of walks and to the park, grocery shopping, and occasionally to meet my husband for lunch at his work place. Fortunately, my husband allows me to have a "me" night every week during which time I can get out and do whatever I want as long as it doesn't involve spending any money that is. Usually on my "night out" I'll go window shopping, for a drive, for a walk, or over to my Grandma's house to play cards or occasionally a friend's house, or sometimes I just shut the door to our bedroom and read a good book or surf the web. There's ways... you've just gotta be creative! lol!

Answer 6

My kids are now 6, 4 and 3. I have to say I now enjoy it pretty fully. I won't lie, when they were younger, there were moments that were HIGHLY tedious. :) My sanity was definitely nap time. Encourage it as long as you can, and when they stop napping, replace it with quiet time. I was very strict with bedtime also. I can deal with anything all day, but at 7pm I'm done, and everyone goes to bed. I had to have an outing every day - even if it was just running a quick errand. I couldn't stay cooped up in the house all day. Then once school starts you're golden.... although now I miss them! :)

Answer 7

My daughter is 7 months old, and i love being at home with her all the time, it does get lonely without adult conversation(i live away from family and friends). I keep my sanity by putting her in the pram and going for a walk, i take her to the mall so i can window shop and we sit outside on a blanket while she plays with her toys and i read a magazine, this makes my daughter a happier baby at the same time as she hates being cooped up in the house and just loves being outside.

Answer 8

my kids are 7,4,15months and 6 weeks. I've been a stay at home mom since i was 8 months pregnant with my oldest. Of course ive had my moments where i felt like i was going to go insane or have a nervous breakdown, but honestly, i wouldnt trade it for the world! My mom comes over once in a while and watches them so i can get out and do somethign for myself. And maybe once a month so the hubby and i can go out to dinner or something. But i love my "job" and am sad to think about the day when they are all in school full time and have to work outside the house.

Answer 9

I like staying at home with the kids. My children are 3.5 years and 20 months. I am 18 weeks pregnant aswell So it is a little challenging sometimes but you learn to deal with it. I do have my 20 month old take a nap each and every day though it lasts 2 hours and we have no problems for the rest of the day but if she doesn't have one you better look out she is a terror

Answer 10

My daughter is 3, and my son is 1. Maybe 1 day I'll go back to work, but I stay at home, because I know I am the best at raising my kids.