Maybe I was the only one who dreamed of being the next June Cleaver when I was 8 years old, but I’m here to tell you that all my dreams have been crushed.
Then I cried.
How did this happen? What DID I do all day?
I used to work 4 10 hour shifts a week. On my weekday off, I cleaned the whole house, grocery shopped, did all the laundry and ran all the errands. I cooked every night and still found time to work out and hang out with the hubs.
Being a stay at home mom, I thought, wouldn’t change much. You just take care of the baby in place of working. Haha. Dead wrong. EVERYTHING takes longer. My grocery trip takes all morning. By the time I get breakfast done, both of us dressed and out the door, I have 2 hours before I have to be home for lunch and nap time. We stop to look at toys, to diffuse tantrum bombs, to pick up items thrown out the cart and to open multiple snacks to keep him busy.
Then when we’re home and Coop comes up and says “you play in the base-a-ment with me mommy?” I know I better just let that toilet ring become a piece of art.
And I think I’m finally getting to the point of that being okay. I’m just going to be proud of my laundry and Target day. Who cares if my white socks turn black waiting on the floors to be mopped? Singing the ABC’s 65 times a day is much more important.
{BTW, I can’t even believe how nice y’all are about the recipe post! Thanks and I will be getting on that asap!}
I can only imagine how hard it is to get everything done in a day as a SAHM! I know that I would probably always be wanting to spend the time I do have with my little ones…
Molly~You are so right. I had my first child at 29 and married at 30. That means that I worked, on my own, from 18-30. I then stayed home and have had 2 more children. There are days when my husband walks in and I'm sure that he thinks that I did absolutely nothing all day just by the way the house looks. I try to tell him that I fed breakfast, loaded dishwasher, started laundry folded laundry, took dishes out of dishwasher, made lunch, put dishes in dishwasher, put babies down for nap, put clothes away, did more laundry, sat down and ate lunch, picked up toys, etc. etc. But you could never tell I did a thing by the time he comes home. Target? Only a dream. Grocery shopping? Not with three kids. I just have to keep reminding myself one of these days my house will be spotless BUT my kids will all be gone:( Enjoy these precious moments.
april@Party of Five
http://www.westerhold.blogspot.com
Umm.. Are you serious? I only dust if someone is coming over and toilet rings sit there for at least two weeks. If John ever says anything about the house, I just says "Fine, I won't do anything tomorrow and see how it looks." And he shuts up. And then go loads the dishwasher. I realize that my "job" is cleaning up the house, but it sure is nice when John helps– even if 50 lbs of guilt sits on my shoulders if he does anything. It's all I can do to keep the house picked up, much less baseboards clean and FORGET cooking. Trust me when I say that two children close together is bat crazy.
I'm a student/SAHM and today is my day off from class. You did more work than I did today. My son and I LITERALLY laid around all day. And I totally dreamed of being June Cleaver too. I feel kinda bad that my husband came home and cleaned the kitchen and got dinner started when I was the one sitting at home today. But in all honesty, both the kid and I felt really lazy and schleepy today so we did what made us happy!!
I think you are amazing and all SAHM's I know its a tough job and you do great at it!
I have no children- but I have to be honest- you got done more today than I did without any children. Don't be so hard on yourself girl. And in my opinion.. you kinda summed it up at the end of your post… singing ABC's 65 times a day with your beautiful baby is SO MUCH more important than a clean house or getting your daily tasks done any day. Coop AND your hubs are so so lucky to have you. Keep your chin up– you are a homemaking superstar
It's easier now that Jolie is older & the boys are in school all day, but it still drives me insane. I feel like all I do is wash & fold clothes. I don't even get them put away half the time. And I'm ALWAYS repeating myself to do the same crap- drives me crazy!
I was an unhappy working mother who tough it was going to be so much easier for me to be at home. While he consumes most of my day, He IS the most important. Some days (like Thursday) I can clean the entire house and he is fine playing by himself. Other days I can't even pee alone 🙂
It happens to all of us darling, just enjoy your time with him…the rest can wait.
Being a mom is the toughest job because it is 24/7. Much props to you girl!! Don't get yourself down. I don't even get that much stuff done during the weekend:)
I've had my freak out moments too in disbelief at how little I can get done in a day. And then I remember he's only going to be so small for so long. So then I go and nap with him. 🙂 Being a mom is much more work than I thought it was going to be and I'm not the one with the toddler yet! 🙂
You are an awesome mom and wife! Annnd you manage to look hot while being one. Sounds like a winner to me!
I am glad I am not the only one who can't get much, if anything, done during the day! When I had my first daughter, I worked p/t, but just before having my second daughter I made the decision to stay home f/t. I, too, thought it was going to be easy and that, after I settled into a routine it would be so easy to keep the house clean. Cut to 2 years later and, while it is a bit easier to get things done, my house is still a sty most days! I feel good if I can get the floors swept and maybe a room or two vacuumed! Clean bathrooms? What are those??? I just try to do what I can and try to let that be enough. Oh, and even though I am home all day, I don't cook. My husband is the cook in this house (although, Ido the kitchen clean-up afterwards). I do feel guilty about that, but he is a much better cook than me with much less effort (I require a recipe and time to put it all together, which I don't have much of with 2 small girls).
you sound like me! except I have two children, so by the time I get all 3 of us dressed, in car seats and out of the door, I have 15 minutes before I have to be home for naptime. LOL. Mommyhood is hard, and whoever says that it's not is full of you know what.
Great post. I actually look forward to the day where we can have children and I can hopefully stay home to raise them till they are in preschool. I want to do that so bad! I know it takes hard work! I admire you for doing that!!!
~Romantic Savy
Oh no, this kinda hit me right there. I am on baby #3 and thinking about being a SAHM.. My biggest fears is that I won't be able to get anything done because I won't have the nanny there those 40 hours that I work. It's gonna be ok, right?
Laundry is my least favorite part because it never ends. I'm always sweeping and mopping too. I work 40 hours a week and still find time to do it, but it's HARD for sure.
I can't even imagine how crazy life must be with a child – it's definitely something I am looking forward to soon enough!
This pretty much sums up a productive day for me! I became a SAHM at the end of June 2010 and can't believe how much I do NOT get accomplished like I did when I was working. I really thought I would have a neat and tidy house, laundry and dishes always done, dinner on the table by 6pm etc. how wrong was I?? And I am having twins in June!! OHMYGOODNESS!!! It takes me and my 3.5 yr old 2-3 hours just to get ready for the day (if we are going somewhere). Sometimes dressing him is a big challenge, there is always a fight over something. He tests me to no end. And forget even going to Target or even grocery shopping with him. The times I have taken him I had to do some serious bribing. And yes there have been times I have carried him out screaming and just left my full cart behind because of a meltdown. Now adding in that I am pregnant right now and completely wiped out every minute of every day is just making it all worse. A productive day to me now is making sure my son is fed for all meals, he is bathed (maybe every other night? LOL) and we get some quality mama/son time in. Its just a perk if anything else by chance happens to get accomplished.
it's all about perspective dear…you spent the day with your little one. sure it was just a day. one day. but that one day you'll never get back. i promise you that your little guy will never remember that toilet ring (nor will you or your hubs) but he'll remember that you played with him and cooked for him 🙂 perspective.
I know how you feel….now that I am home on maternity leave my days go by SOOO fast. All of a sudden it is 4:00 and I have to run around and get some things done before Ryan gets home and thinks that I laid on the couch all day…lol!! This mommy stuff is tough!!
Sounds like you are still doing a fantastic job. I can't even imagine how difficult it is with a little one.
My son is always "Close the puter Mommy and play with me!" Uh hello 2 yro guilt trip
I dreamed the dream too. The reality is that "world" is CRAP. seriously.
Our world is soooo much better! Who cares if the house is spotless? I am raising 5 little people and bettering this world. toilets are child's play {ha! literally!}
Great post. You just described my day, thank you for understanding 🙂 But please give us all some tips on how you manage to blog everyday as a SAHM? Esp. with slow internet? Sometimes I don't even have enough time to wait for my laptop to warm up…so that's pretty productive!
p.s. I'm glad you went with playing in the basement, dishes and toilets can wait their turn. Always.
Hands-down, nothing, I repeat NOTHING is harder than being a SAHM…(oh, unless you're a WAHM, which I am). My OLDEST was only 3 years 3 months old when my THIRD baby was born. Baby in the middle was only 16 months. Point being, I completely get what you said. I've had days where I just go into my closet, close the door with the lights off and cry. For a while. 🙂 I feel better when I come out. 🙂 It does pass so fast. My mom is STILL trying to convince me to let things go sometimes, but it's hard. Being at home with the kiddos is such a blessing. Who cares if the floor isn't mopped…okay, unless baby gets sick from something he ate off of it.
Hang in there. Life passes quickly. Cherish it. 🙂