[turnipmama]

I am new to this SAHM thing. I have always been a very busy person. I have one DD, 6 wks old. My question is what do you SAHMs do with your time..especially if you have only one child? To be honest, i am having trouble filling my days. I am sure as DD gets older things will get busier but I am not sure what to do here (it doesn't help I am new to my city too).

I BF, do laundry, clean, make lunch and dinner, garden, read, watch TV, play on the internet, work on some personal writing, jog, even correct my dissertation

LLL only meets once a month here. I am connected with an AP group now but that is usually just a once a week thing....when DH goes to sea (he's in the Navy), I don't know what I am going to do with my time at night! I am running out of things to do...I may start baking my own break just for fun (though I am terrible at baking)....

 

[2bluefish]

You need to count your blessings - you obviously have a pretty "easy" baby! I can tell you I couldn't even get one a fraction of the things you have mentioned with my first. She demanded my attention almost constantly. Enjoy it while you can is my advice! I stayed home while pregnant with #1, and I enjoyed all kinds of hobbies - got into soap making, sewing, crocheting... of course, we decided to build a house during that pregnancy and I had a horse I was training from the ground, so I stayed busy.

 

[KimProbable]

When my first was 6 weeks old I breastfed for hours, fed myself semi-warm meals, and jumped up and down with joy if I got to shower each day.

These days when I have free time (actually when I make free time by ignoring the messes and odd jobs) I write, scrapbook, go for walks, surf the web, read, and hang out with friends.

Don't forget to give yourself permission to do nothing for hours but watch your babe sleep. When you've got two it gets harder to do.

 

[zinemama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2bluefish You need to count your blessings - you obviously have a pretty "easy" baby! I can tell you I couldn't even get one a fraction of the things you have mentioned with my first. She demanded my attention almost constantly. Enjoy it while you can is my advice!

Amen, sister!

I was happy if I could just get that baby to sleep for 20 minutes so I could read or just stare vacantly into space. You sound supremely lucky to be able to be do all the stuff you do - and still wonder how to fill the time. Live it up while you can. Soon enough you'll be chasing a toddler around.

 

[St. Margaret]

That's kinda like the SAHM life I aspire to-- but for now I'm just getting by with my 7 wk old! I say enjoy the time to do those things that will feed your soul-- like working on your diss, baking, gardening... why not? That will in turn provide a rich life for your DD as she grows!

 

[rebelbets]

My life was a lot like yours in the beginning. My son slept a lot (except for his witching hour at night), so I spent my days nursing, watching television, surfing the internet and reading. I didn't do much cooking and cleaning, as we were living with my parents at the time due to our home being damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Now that my son is 17 months old, our days are pretty full. We have lots of play time, and I try to get him out of the house for one "fun" activity per day - whether it's playgroup, storytime at the library, or just swinging at the park. Sometimes our outing is a visit to the grocery or Target, but hey - it's something. And I'm one of those people who does better by getting out once a day.

Between keeping up with my kid, attempting to keep my home fairly neat ad organized, and cooking - our days are chock full! The older they get, the busier you will become. Enjoy these lazy newborn days.

 

[woobysma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turnipmama I am new to this SAHM thing. I have always been a very busy person. I have one DD, 6 wks old. My question is what do you SAHMs do with your time..especially if you have only one child? To be honest, i am having trouble filling my days. I am sure as DD gets older things will get busier but I am not sure what to do here (it doesn't help I am new to my city too). I BF, do laundry, clean, make lunch and dinner, garden, read, watch TV, play on the internet, work on some personal writing, jog, even correct my dissertation LLL only meets once a month here. I am connected with an AP group now but that is usually just a once a week thing....when DH goes to sea (he's in the Navy), I don't know what I am going to do with my time at night! I am running out of things to do...I may start baking my own break just for fun (though I am terrible at baking)....

My days at home with DS2 were a lot like that in the beginning. I stayed home with him for 7 months and it didn't get hectic until about 5 months or so. I was single and also had a 7 yo DS1, so my days were a little more full, but generally pretty relaxed.
I think it was a shock to me at first not to be so busy. I'm a busy person by nature and settling into a more natural routine took some time, but it was so lovely, looking back. It was, by far, the best time of my life.

Things change, though, and now my 2.5 yo DS is a little whirlwind

:

I say enjoy it while you can

 

[little]

enjoy now!!! my days sounded the same! now my babe is 6.5 months and she likes to play a LOT and nap a NOT!!!!!!!!

 

[mamasaurus]

Hey Turnipmama,

How about doing some things around your home that you won't be able to do as easily when she starts crawling/walking?

Like... painting rooms, reorganizing closets, any type of decorating, any sewing or repairs or mending that needs to be done, fix anything that is broken, make a raised garden bed for veggies, fix/repair things outside, etc.

Or... spend time researching things - like investments for retirement. Learn a new useful skill - like sewing, baking, advanced cooking, gardening, auto repair, wood-working. Learn another language, take up a hobby - pottery, art, handwork.

What is your dissertation about? Can you learn something new that is related to it? Do you want to WOH someday? Do you want to polish/hone any money-making skills? Do you want to WAH a little bit?

Reading a lot of child-rearing books passes time and gets you prepared for what's ahead.

Volunteer somewhere where you can take DD along in a sling.

 

[Amys1st]

Why cant I have babies or tots or even school aged ones like that???

With dd1, I spent the entire day nursing, changing diapers etc. I got nothing done for months until she was older and then I got less done because I chased her all day.

Now I have MAggie and she can be a handful.

Dont be in ahurry to have another, because that one will be a busy one!

 

[2Sweeties1Angel]

The girls and I sleep until around 10am, then I feed the baby and change both of their diapers. After that, I shower and get dressed, then get them dressed and we eat "breakfast". After "breakfast", the baby usually takes a nap and I let the toddler watch TV

: while I do daily cleaning like vaccuuming, laundry, unloading the dishwasher. When I'm finished with that (takes about an hour) we play for awhile. Then DS comes home from summer school and the day goes straight to Hell because he's usually in a rotten mood. If I'm lucky, he'll stop by Mom's house next door and stay down there for awhile because she can get him to nap and I can't. After DH gets home, we do stuff together as a family.

My schedule will be changing after next week when summer school ends. I'll have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn because that's when DS gets up

:

(Don't tell anyone that I don't really do anything all day. I have everyone thinking I work really hard

)