SAHM---What does a typical day look like?

I'm curious to know what a typical day in the life of a stay-at-home mom looks like. I'm so used to working and having a routine and I'm new to the Mom role...outside of their schedule of naps/feedings, what do you all enjoy and do during the day? I am trying to figure out a way to have more structure in my days to keep busy and accomplishing things....

 

I take 2 mile walks most days. I also try to meet with another mom down the street with a singleton (three weeks older than my twins) once a week. Next month, when they are 10 months old, I have something going on 3 days a week outside of the home, for the babies. On Monday, we have parks 'n Rec Playbabies for an hour. They play with other babies near their age (0-15 months olds) and adults talk to other adults. On Tuesday, I have a women's bible study for 1.5 hours. The twins will go to a nursery and be with other babies/kids 0-2 years old. On Thursday, we have lapsit storytime (6-24 months) at the library a few blocks away. It is free and is only 20 minutes long. After the story time, there is a play time for all of the babies/kids. Of course, I can run errands too. HTH .

 

My girls at 5 months old. I'm just at home on Fridays thru Mondays and work Tuesdays thru Thursdays but here is our schedule:

6:30 - Wake up and have 5 1/2 oz. bottles and cereal
7:00 - 8:00 - Read books/play
8:00 - 1st Nap - Usually about 30-45 min.
8:30/9:00 - Tummy time/play on the floor
9:30 - 5 oz. bottles
10:00 - Go for a walk
11:00 - Read book/play
12:00 - Sometimes a 15 min. nap
12:30 - 5 oz. bottles/veggie
1:00 - 2:30/3:00 - Nap
3:30 - 5 oz. bottles
4:15 - Play or walk
5:00 - Sometimes 15 min. nap
5:30 - Play or walk
6:15 - 5 oz. bottles/cereal & veggies
6:45 - Baths followed by 3 oz. bottles
7:30 - Bed

 

Well, I think that there is no such thing as a "typical" day! It seems like, every day, something changes! But, I think that the most important facet of our 'stay-at-home' schedule is getting out of the house. Between pediatrician/dermatologist/OB visits for me and the 3 kids, to grocery shopping and other chores, to fun stuff like outings with our moms club, playgroup dates, lunch with friends, preschool functions, etc... we rarely stay home. In fact, I feel kind of stir-crazy when we are at home all day long. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great to have periodic rest days (PJ's all day, woohoo!), but I personally feel isolated and understimulated when we are home multiple days in a row... i get tired of looking at my walls/yard/neighborhood.

 

6:30- wake and bottle
7-7:45am- play and mommy has coffee to wake up.
7:45-8- Excersaucers
8am-cereal and fruit
play until 9am nap
PRAY for a 2 hr nap but usually get 1hr if lucky so I will do laundry, put things away or get on TS
Bottle after nap
walk or run or get out and run errands
Noon- cereal and veggie
play or play date
1:30ish nap
2:30/3-bottle
sometimes bath
play
5pm dinner
6pm bottle and bed

It really does vary day to day though if we have things going on.

 

The structure will come when they fall into a more predictable daily schedule and you have to do all sorts of feedings of liquids and solids. Then it gets harder to get out and about-at least it did for me. But I am one that likes to get out everyday. For me that means getting in the car and going somewhere for at least an hour or so. It breaks up the day and gets us all some stimulation that the inside of the house cant. Mine do better out and about than at home all day. Less whining and they eat better out too.

So when they were younger I would try and get out after the morning bottle but before the morning nap or let them nap in the car. And now, we still go out in the mornings so that we are home for lunch and then a nap. We rarely go out in the afternoon.

 

Here is our usual schedule, but it can vary sometimes

7-7:30-wake up and get a bottle
They play on the floor or in their jumperoo/exesaucers after their morning bottle until breakfast
9:00-breakfast
9:30-10:30/11:00- morning nap
*if I need to run errands I try and leave before their morning nap and be home before lunch, otherwise I wait until after lunch and go before their afternoon nap*
Bottle when they wake up and more playtime until lunch
12:00-lunch
After lunch we go for a walk or go outside to play until naptime (they get a bottle before their afternoon nap)
2:00-4:00-afternoon nap
Bottle when they wake up and then they play until dinner
6:00-dinner
Bath or we go for a walk or run errands so DH can help me
8:00/8:30-bottle and bedtime

My schedule also includes my 2 year old, so that 2:00 naptime is REALLY important because all three will take an afternoon nap and I get some peace and quiet!

 

I am a multi-tasker As soon as I get up I give the bubs their bottles, put the washing on run the water for the dishes and make myself some coffee. I try to do lots of things at once so that I can get some time to read or play on the internet. I also go shopping a lot because the kids LOVE to be out. They get as stir crazy as I do staying at home. I usually visit other SAHM's and pay bills etc. It's winter here so I cant go for walks yet, but we go for drives a fair bit. I am new to the SAHM thing too because these are my first kids. I love music so I put that on when I am cleaning and the kids are awake. They think I am a great dancer and singer captive audience LOL. i am not much of a 'joiner'' for some reason so I never ended up going to any mothers groups. Plus I didn't think I could handle it when I had 2 babies and they have one. <_<
especially if we had a double meltdown.
And I love the internet, it has saved me from dying of boredom. lol.
Have fun

 

Mine still sleep quite a bit, rarely awake more than 2 hours at a time, 1.5 hour usually, otherwise I get overtired and cranky babies... so I still have some free time. I spend some of it doing house stuff, and the rest playing online or reading forums... sometimes reading or watching a movie. They don't need me that much when they're awake really, they're fine on the floor playing with toys for one hour at a time, so I can relax while keeping an eye on them, as long as they get 30 minutes of attention each during their awake time.