I think I have missed the most important parenting class. If there isn't one, then there really should be. It should be called SAH (stay-at-home) Parenting 101. It would teach SAH parents (moms or dads), how to create a routine, get their personal needs in as well as their families, and still find complete and utter satisfaction in the daily lives that they live 24/7, 365 because they don't do anything else outside of the home. Maybe I should see if I can borrow a manual from someone who did attend this class?
I've really had a great misconception about the SAH-life. I can remember all of the times my fellow colleagues and I would just wish we could stay at home and not be full-time employees trying to parent in the evenings and weekends. We felt there would be so much more freedom, less stress, and more satisfaction in our families and our lives. Dang - were we wrong!
Sure - it would probably be easier if I didn't have to spend almost 4 hours each day breastpumping and then feeding a child. It would also be easier if I didn't have to spend a couple of hours each day transporting 2 kids to and from their different schools. But where is all of this time I thought I would have to be at home, living in a spotlessly clean house (because I would have so much time to clean it daily), doing my crafts, and becoming an aerobics queen like how the other SAHM's looked whenever they picked up their kids from school in their sports-bra shirts and jogging shorts! Or maybe they just dress that way to make us full-timers think they had the freedom to meet their needs as well as their families and live a full and satisfying life? Somehow, I am just not getting any satisfaction in completing a load of laundry and dishes every day. Those chores used to be my "escape" in the evenings. They would give me the down time I needed to unwind by doing simple and mundane things. Now the mundane things are my only things.
So I have set a project out for myself. My goal is to spend time WITH my family in a different part of our house each night and enjoying and doing things there, while getting things cleaned. Tonight, it is the backyard. The kids decided this, so I am not complaining. We have a HUGE backyard (to get an idea - we could fit a tennis court, a swimming pool, a garden, and probably a batting cage and still have room for other things - no exaggeration). I'm going to have my kids go play, while I garden and spray them with the hose. It is time we fully utilize and appreciate the things we have in our home. Tomorrow night, it is the kitchen and laundry room. We are going to do crafts at the table, while I clean up the other messes that are there. Saturday, it will be the front yard........... Oh it is so nice to have a plan again! Keep your fingers crossed that this works........... otherwise, I will be on the search for that manual.
3 comments:
As far as I know, there is no such manual. But, I stayed home from work today with sick kids thinking of all that I would accomplish and got none of it done as well. I like the idea of appreciating different parts of your house, though. Let me know how it goes.
They probably wear their workout stuff because they didn't have time to do the laundry yet. lolinhvyca
Melessa - We have done a great job appreciating our backyard, kitchen, and living room. Things are getting picked up at the end of the day, and the kids are loving the time we are spending together in one area.
Chris - you are probably right.... or they may be like me and that is all I have right now since I don't do any work outside of the home. Why dress up?!
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