SAHM

So what do you do with your babies all day??? And when do you ever have time to get any housework done??? Every time I watch Jon and Kate + 8 I'm just amazed that she can do all that, by herself, with SIX babies!


At daycare I know the providers aren't on the floor ALL the time entertaining the kids, there's some amount of self-entertaining that has to happen. I know, I've seen my two do it.

At home, they will NOT let me leave their site w/o screaming, and often want me on the floor to entertain them. They have PLENTY of toys, both ones that require creative play and ones that don't require so much imagination, and ones that challenge their mental/coordination skills.... We have 2 different play areas that we rotate between as well... I read them books and they also have their own books to look at and play with (foam ones w/ animals)

Sometimes though I just have to put them in their highchairs in front of baby Einstein with a tray full of puffs to keep them occupied for a few moments so I can get some of my sanity back! I feel so terrible for doing it, but it's the only thing I can think......

I try to get them out of the house once a day, but sometimes we're stuck inside due to weather.........

Just curious what the rest of you do during the day!

 

I dont know how old yours are but mine are 2 months old and eat every 2 hours so I feel like all I do all day is just care for them. Sometimes I too feel like pulling my hair out like today. I cant even get away from them to get a bite to eat. I feel bad too when I leave the room for a minute to go pee or start a load of clothes if they are awake.

 

I watch...or more like tivo Jon and Kate but they have 8 childern. I don't know how she does it either. I like to watch just so I can say "well, at least I don't have it that bad...or I wish I could have it like she does...whatever"...lol.

Anyway, I am where you guys are. I have an almost 3 year old that drives me bonkers all day too. I pretty much sit in the family room on the couch with a gate up and watch Disney, Noggin, Sprout, Nickeodeon...name the cartoon and she and I have watched it. It's on pretty much from 9 am - 4:30 pm. And then she gets to watch Tom and Jerry before bed. I may get a few minutes on the computer or make a few phone calls but other than that I am a zombie. You should see what my family room looks like after my toddler has been in it for just an hour. It's ridiculous. It's hard to even give my toddler lunch. She really doesn't even get it anymore...I hurry to the kitchen to get her snacks most of the day. Today, while making bottles I got crackers, cheese and raisins and she had that for lunch. I used to make her chicken nuggets with fruit and veggies but I don't have time for that anymore...poor girl. It just HAS to get better. It will.

A new tip that has helped me a little better with getting a few things done (washing bottles or typing on the computer) is to wear one baby in a sling. My dd constantly needs to be held where my ds is more laid back. When he is settled she is in the sling and I do this or that.

 

How old are your babies? What I did with them all day depends on how old they were. If they are newborns....no housework gets done. It was just 24/7 care. Now at 6 months they are very interested in each other, their older brother, the dog, toys etc. It's much easier to find time throughout the day to do some things around the house. It all depends on the phase they're in!

Reyna

 

i manage to get a shower, do a load of laundry, and make bottles on a good day. on a bad day, just bottles. the last several weekends i've had dh take them out for an hour (that's all the babies can handle between feedings) so i can get the housework done. yeah, it stinks but when you don't have any help you do what you have to do. I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel though as I can now put them down for 10 minutes awake under their playmat and they will entertain themselves.

 

I watch the show too, but if you notice she has a finished basement and sends the kids down there with the older twins to watch them. So she is able to get some stuff done. I have mine attached to me at the hip so whatever I can get done with one hand is all that gets done. Some days I dont even get a shower until I go to bed and some days run really smoothe and we get out. So I just think is by the day.

Anytime before 6 months I think are just survival mode and trying to stay afloat. Do what you can and leave what doesnt absolutely need to be done.

 

It's getting better everyday, but I have often wondered what the heck others are doing all day. Especially those days we don't leave the house...

For us, we get up around 7, change diapers, bottles, and play on the floor until around 8. Breakfast at 8, takes 20ish minutes. Play again until naptime at 9. I could go on with our exact scheduled, but basically it's 4 bottles, two naps, 3 meals, and play in between. I try to rotate their toys so they are a little more interested in them. Now I spend lots of time trying to motivate them to crawl, pull up etc. Build block towers so they'll crawl to knock them down, etc. We usually have the TV on for Sesame Street when they get up from their first nap and have their bottle. I TRY not to leave it on the whole day, and if I do, it's on Food network very low volume. If it's "one of those days" I will turn on a Baby Einstein DVD, or put them in their exersaucer/jumparoo multiple times. Now that it's not hot, we go out in the stroller a bit, or swing at the park (I'm in Texas, it's just NOW not in the 90's!).

When they were younger, I'd put them in their bouncy seats in the kitchen and cook, clean, etc and talk to them and sing and be silly. I got stuff done, and they got to see a new room and new things, they loved it.

Don't feel guilty about the highchair, puffs thing...do what you need to do, they'll be fine! I can't imagine having mine AND a toddler!

I've rambled enough, hope this helps in some small way!

 

Some days it gets to be 4 or 5 in the afternoon and I wonder . . . "Did I brush my teeth today?" Chances are no, because that would require going up stairs and my boys will not allow me to leave their sight most days. They are very happy boys . . . as long as I'm talking to them or playing with them. Sometimes I sing songs from the kitchen as I wash bottles just so they will stay happy. I consider it a good day if I can get a 5 minute shower with no crying (although its usually not until late afternoon).

Way to go all you SAHM!

 

I hav one word for you!!! JUMPEROOS!!!!!!!! My two have loved these things since they could hold their heads up. It keeps them entertained and contained. We have two and it is hilarious when they are jumping at the same time. Other than that, they play on the floor with their playmats, the dog, a basket of toys, me.

 

Actually I think having the toddler helps in some ways. On DD's happy days she will entertain her sisters to no end. Give them toys, get me diapers, you name it. I have fallen in love with exersaucers. It keeps them entertained while I get bottles ready or tend to DD. They also get the rotation of toys/rooms/etc. On bad days, you just hang on and wait for it to pass....ya know?

 

It's tough to know what to do! My older one watched some Baby Einstein, and it was easy to get out and about with one baby -- I did a mom's group, took her shopping, etc.

These little ones don't seem too captivated by Baby Einstein, although I'm going to try it again soon. Mostly, I have them play on the playmat, sit in Bumbos, sit in bouncies, roll around on the floor (well, DS rolls, DD just lies there and thumps her feet, LOL). They're not really grabbing toys and playing yet....I think they're almost ready to try the exersaucer or jumperoo, so I'll have to dig those out of the basement soon.

Entertaining my 3-year-old is a whole other challenge. She is *great* at playing alone, but she's 3, so she obviously can't play alone all day....so I try really hard to play with her/read to her while the babies are napping. Which means, of course, that nothing gets done around the house.

So, no advice from me -- I just do what I can!

 

I also try to rotate rooms/toys/etc. Whenever they're happy playing with toys on their own, I let them. Sometimes it's actually an entertaining "show" for them to watch me eat a snack, make a phone call, fold clean diapers and laundry or change the bedsheets. I hold them and let them look out the window, give "airplane" rides, bounce them, let them practice sitting and standing (on my belly, or on the floor), let them "play" the piano, sing to them, read books to them. DS is really into crawling right now, he's often happy just exploring the house and following the cats around. (Not that they're too happy about that, LOL! :lol: ) Whatever I can't get done with them awake, I try to do during naps. Or if one is happy playing independently and the other is high-maintenance, I'll take the fussy baby in the Bjorn and do the dishes or whatever. Stroller rides are great, but now it's getting too cold and the days are so short, argh. Now that we're doing solids, that's another "activity" to occupy them. They don't actually eat much yet, but at least it keeps them entertained for a while.

It is hard, though! There are plenty of times when they just will not let me out of their sight without pitching a fit, or when nothing seems to make them happy. Agree with pp - you just ride it out and do your best.

Hats off to all the moms with other kids besides their twins! I REALLY don't know how you do it. :bow2:

 

My two do a lot of mischevious things... but they do and can entertain themselves for a little while.

Katie is pretty laid back, she likes to sit in her chair and look around, sit in her swing... she likes to lay in the floor... she LOVES tummy time...