A Day in the Life…. of a Stay at Home Mom

What did you do all day?

Don’t you just love it when you get asked “what do you do all day”. As if I sit at home watching TV, sipping on hot tea only to get out every so often to get my hair and nails done.

 

I am a stay home mom to two pre-school children. A four year old who is beyond active and a 2 year old who wants to be just like the 4 year old.

  

 

The night before the Day

Every mom knows the day actually starts the night before with the prep, research and multiple wake ups.

 

You’re really only able to operate as a Stay at Home Mom on very little sleep, half eaten left-overs and caffeine or sugar or both.

  

 

A Day in the Life of a Stay at Home Mom

 

Before you’re officially awake

(Location: Trying to stay in bed)

 

Midnight – 5am Wake up repeatedly. Either to try get 3 year old to sleep in his own bed or  baby not to have milk. And of course to prevent one child from wake the other.

5am – 7am Keep everyone asleep although they desperately want to wake up.

7am – 9am Offer breakfast, have breakfast refused. Repeat 4 times.  Make a cup of tea, forget the cup of tea, reheat cup of tea, put cup of tea somewhere you won’t find it.

 

Now you’ve had half a cup of tea

(Location: The kitchen and laundry mostly)

9am – 10:30am Try cram in a thousand loads of washing and dishwashing while not standing on lego. Dress children and hopefully yourself.

10:30am – 11:10am Try leave the house for preplanned activity. Leaving something vital at home and debate whether to return for it until you reach your destination.

 

Now that you’re out the house

(Location: somewhere child friendly) 

11:10am to 1pm Try wear children out and cram lunch in. Wear yourself out more than the children. Have two fights 1) when you arrive and the children don’t want to do what is planned and 2) when they don’t want to leave because they’re having too much fun.

 

Nap time 

(Location: The car and home) 

1pm to 2:30pm / 3pm Implore children not to fall asleep in the car on the way home. Children fall asleep in the car. Carry children from car to beds. Daytime sleep. Quickly rush around the house trying to clean it up. Plan dinner, take everything out that you need for dinner. Eat a chocolate bar for lunch. Communicate with husband so he knows everyone is alive.

 

Afternoon (is it not 7pm yet?)

(Location: Out and about)

3pm to 3:40pm Try leave the house for preplanned activity / grocery shopping / errand.

3:40pm to 5:30pm Child friendly activity. Or unfriendly activity like grocery shopping. The latter being a ploy created by adults to ruin their children’s lives, apparently…

 

The worst time of the day 

(Location: the depths of hell)

5:30pm to 6pm Convince children to eat dinner as it will not kill them. Negotiate, debate and eventually threaten.

6pm to 6:30pm Chase children around the house in various stages of undress (them not you, hopefully). Get them in the bath and try get them clean.

6:30pm to 7pm Chase naked children around the house. Stop children from jumping on the bed. Get pjs on and evening bottles made. Discuss why they can only have 1 story, read 1 story. Give in and read second story.

7pm to 8pm Repeatedly tell the kids to go to bed and cook dinner for adults. Try clean up toys and Lego from the floor.

 

Adult time

(Location: A happy quiet place)

8pm to 10pm Pray that the children fall asleep. Do housework while watching the tv with one eye and one ear.

10pm to 11pm Try go to bed but expect one child to wake up. Suddenly remember everything you wanted to tell you husband and all the messages you forgot to reply to.
  

  
 

 

A day in the Life of a Pre-schooler

5am to 7pm Have fun all day. Sleep, eat and feel loved.