My youngest is starting kindergarten this fall. It will be the first year when all of my kids will be in school full day, 5 days a week.
Go ahead. Say it.
Ask me what I’m going to do with myself, with all this free time, ask if I’ll be bored, if it’s time for me to head back to work.
If you make a comment like that to me when I run into you at soccer practice or at the pool, I just give you a weak smile, make some vague gesture with my hands(no, not that gesture, even though I might be tempted), and say that I have plenty to do. But it’s not really what I want to say.
If none of those thoughts crossed your mind, you’ve probably been where I am, with your kids all in school. And you know: we can always find something to do.
I do expect that the days will be easier now that I don’t have little ones home. Not claiming that life will be as crazy as when I had three little ones running around all day. Though back then, they didn’t have homework and practices to deal with and they were all in bed by 7pm. So, the days will be calmer, the nights crazier.
And during those days, there are chores to be done around the house: things to clean, to organize, to cook. Plus, the hours when my boys are home from school are so full of doing homework, getting them to their practices and games, dinnertime, and then dealing with the bedtime routine, that if I do happen to have some time for me during the day, that’s my only chance to get it. So yes, I might use some of that time to read or workout.
Plus, I do have work to do. I’ve been a work-at-home-mom for several years now. Before, I’ve just worked around the kids’ schedules or found ways to keep them entertained while I got my work done. With all the kids in school full day, I can have a little more breathing room in getting my work done and even take on more projects.
I will have plenty to do when the kids are back in school. And it’s not time for me to head back to work because I have been working.
And phew, does that feel good to get out. But probably a little much to spill out to the well-meaning mom at the grocery store who asked me what I’ll do with myself now that the kids will all be in school.
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I’ll have two in school all day and my little one home with me, and people ask us all the time what we are going to do all day. Your thoughts are exactly what I want to say, but I don’t either. There is never enough time in the day, no matter how many kids you do or don’t have at home.
I figured you’d probably work on your work stuff just like you have been…but you’d have more time to do it?
Yep. Everything you just said. I get it. I have one more year before both of my girls are in full-time school, and I already know how those hours will be spent. Working from home, actually preparing meals and cleaning my house, imagine that. A mentor told me once that our workday simply shifts when the kids are in school. Instead of 9 to 5, we work 6 to 8 and 3 to 9. So I’ll take those mid-day hours to do whatever else needs to get done. Great to be back here! I took a little break the past few weeks… trying to soak up my kiddos while I still have the chance.
Ha – you definitely should say that to her. Or just hand her your business card 🙂 I loved this, as always. You are a beautiful writer and one that I look forward to reading every time. Thank you for being so honest. It allows me room to feel like I can do the same. ~Jenna
I have no doubt you’ll be plenty busy, Shell! As the kids grow up, we just trade one kind of busyness for another.
The time the kids are in school will fly by! Enjoy the time you will have to get things done.
We are back to school today. This is my 3rd year of both my kids being gone all day, what’s different this year, is the hubs had a promotion and works normal during the day hours instead of 3am-9am (or 12am-9am during the Christmas season!) so I will literally be home alone all day long. That is going to be so crazy but as you said, there is always something to do, especially with working from home!
It’s the end of one busy season and the beginning of another. As you said, busy at different times. I treasure the time I have with little ones at home now for the most part but also love the idea of having a bit more room to breathe and get more work done during the day, instead of burning oil at midnight!
Ryder is in preschool now two days a week and I have already gotten that question, yesterday was one of those days and it was one of the busiest days of my life! So yea, I will have plenty to do, though I have to be honest the thought of them all being gone all the time next year kind of scares me too, I always thought I would just fully celebrate that day, but now that it is closer I am starting to kind of dread it in some ways. A bittersweet kind of thing.
My husband asked me that last week when my kindergartener started school. I wanted to scream but since he’s been deployed and not a witness to the craziness around here I shrugged and brushed it off lol.
Yeah… I know this all too well Shell. I always feel like I have to prove my worth as a SAHM and I consider myself a WAHM even though I don’t get paid much…
There are PLENTY of things we do when the kids are at school. I feel more fulfilled and valuable now than ever… Just hate to have to explain it all the time.
There are different kinds of busy. I have no doubt your days will be just as full. Just…different. I think this is one of those inane things people just say. Like “you have your hands full.” I get that one a lot. Our boys are four and will (hopefully) be starting soccer this fall. Jumping on the crazy train of practices with ya!
Oh my gosh thank you for writing this post. I am already hearing this and I have one more year with a part time school kid. My family and friends look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them I already work. After 4 years they still don’t see blogging as work, it’s just a hobby. So annoying! I’m still in denial that school is starting on Monday. And that I’m putting 2 kids on the bus in the morning for the whole day.
Thank you… I swear if one more person asks me what I am going to do with ALL my TIME! I may just have to break something. 🙂
When my youngest started kindergarten I had someone ask when I was going back to work. At that point I was “just” a stay-at-home mom (because that’s not a job in itself?!) and I was too shocked at the question to even answer. I still get asked those questions and when I reply that I’m trying to get a business up and running, I don’t think everyone believes me.
Or you could just hand them a business card with a link to this post. 😉
Thanks as always for providing us a place to pour our hearts out. I deeply appreciate it.
I’ve had people ask me that and Jack is only in school a few mornings a day for 2 and 1/2 hours, seriously I can’t get much done in that time. I sometimes think that people who work full time still think that SAHM or even WAHM are sitting around eating bon-bons.
My friend and I were at the pool with our kids week before last and her youngest started Kindergarten and so we were talking about this too. She said she just laughs at people when they ask her that. Like she says nothing, just laughs. I kind of like that approach. 🙂 There is still MUCH to do during the day and it’s not like it’s from 8-5, school still ends mid-afternoon and like you said, most days there is stuff to do after!