Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. Both DH and I have full time jobs- work 50-60 hours per week. We have two DDs- one is 3 and the other is 4. Have had the same nanny since the first was born. She cooks for us twice a week and does the groceries. She also does the kids laundry. We also have a weeknight babysitter Monday through Thursday who relieves her at 5pm and stays until 7:30pm. That way we aren't rushing home in crazy traffic. Kids have eaten dinner and are bathed and in their pajamas when we get home. We get an hour with them, reading books and talking about their day.

Weekends are sacred family time. But since laundry, cooking, groceries have all been done during the week, and we have cleaning service that takes care of the cleaning, weekends are free and clear for family time only.

Shocked people haven't jumped all over this.

Knock yourself out!

As a new mom this thread makes me sad. Why on earth did I ruin my amazing life with a child?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. Both DH and I have full time jobs- work 50-60 hours per week. We have two DDs- one is 3 and the other is 4. Have had the same nanny since the first was born. She cooks for us twice a week and does the groceries. She also does the kids laundry. We also have a weeknight babysitter Monday through Thursday who relieves her at 5pm and stays until 7:30pm. That way we aren't rushing home in crazy traffic. Kids have eaten dinner and are bathed and in their pajamas when we get home. We get an hour with them, reading books and talking about their day.

Weekends are sacred family time. But since laundry, cooking, groceries have all been done during the week, and we have cleaning service that takes care of the cleaning, weekends are free and clear for family time only.

Shocked people haven't jumped all over this.

NP. This seems sad to me. Does the PP see her kids in the AM?

NP here - my older one is 4.5 years and baby is 3 months so I'm not quite back at work yet but something to keep in mind, OP, is how much more they can do for themselves at 4.5 years vs 3.5 years. My older one can pour her own milk, get her own snacks, get herself dressed (in clothes she picks out) and brush her own hair.

It also helps a bunch that I can frequently telework. Since our second was born we've started hiring a high schooler a few times a month who used to sit our older one but told me she's happy to help do / fold laundry, wash dishes, chop veggies / prep meals. Having her been for 6 hours a month is super helpful and I assume I'll use her more when I'm back at work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm exhausted just reading some of these schedules! When do you get down time to enjoy life?!

Why aren't any SAHMs chiming in to say how these schedules sound so. much. easier. than the exhausting and backbreaking work they perform 24/7?

Oh wait...

Because they also have a job during the day - taking care of kids. Then in the evenings and weekends they have all the same stuff to do as the rest of us. I work from home and I am on conference calls all day. It's a great bonus when I can do a few dishes or throw a load of laundry in during the work day. Have you ever tried to get anything done with kids around?

This isn't true. Sahms can do many of these things during the day while tending to children. They may choose NOT to, but that's their decision. Even when I telecommute I'm able to do a laundry here or there, prep for dinner and tidy up.

Anonymous wrote:NP here. Both DH and I have full time jobs- work 50-60 hours per week. We have two DDs- one is 3 and the other is 4. Have had the same nanny since the first was born. She cooks for us twice a week and does the groceries. She also does the kids laundry. We also have a weeknight babysitter Monday through Thursday who relieves her at 5pm and stays until 7:30pm. That way we aren't rushing home in crazy traffic. Kids have eaten dinner and are bathed and in their pajamas when we get home. We get an hour with them, reading books and talking about their day.

Weekends are sacred family time. But since laundry, cooking, groceries have all been done during the week, and we have cleaning service that takes care of the cleaning, weekends are free and clear for family time only.

Shocked people haven't jumped all over this.

NP here. Both DH and I have full time jobs- work 50-60 hours per week. We have two DDs- one is 3 and the other is 4. Have had the same nanny since the first was born. She cooks for us twice a week and does the groceries. She also does the kids laundry. We also have a weeknight babysitter Monday through Thursday who relieves her at 5pm and stays until 7:30pm. That way we aren't rushing home in crazy traffic. Kids have eaten dinner and are bathed and in their pajamas when we get home. We get an hour with them, reading books and talking about their day.

Weekends are sacred family time. But since laundry, cooking, groceries have all been done during the week, and we have cleaning service that takes care of the cleaning, weekends are free and clear for family time only.

13 month and 3 year old but we have help. Full time nanny does everything kid related (laundry, etc), and a once a week housekeeper who does our laundry, and regular cleaning, special organizing projects. We used to have a cleaning service but we would spend over an hour "tidying". Now she handles all our clutter/mess! We also hired a morning babysitter (college student) so that the baby could nap in the morning and the toddler/nanny could go to classes a few days a week so she does meal prep while the baby naps. I will be sad when DD#2 drops the morning nap!
We order everything from Amazon and do Harris Teeter grocery pickup - I had issues with peapods produce selections.
We make meals on Sundays - grill chicken, make meatballs, etc so I am only reheating or sticking something in the oven since DH gets home right before bedtime.
It also helps I have a pretty low stress (but boring) job that pays well and I can work from home on Fridays. DH's job is extremely stressful with long hours.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm exhausted just reading some of these schedules! When do you get down time to enjoy life?!

Why aren't any SAHMs chiming in to say how these schedules sound so. much. easier. than the exhausting and backbreaking work they perform 24/7?

Oh wait...

I'm currently a SAHM and was a WOHM with 2 under 4 previously. I did have 1 telework day a week. I will never say working out of the house is easier. I do however think working at home is pretty good gig. You can get a lot of chores done with peace and quiet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm exhausted just reading some of these schedules! When do you get down time to enjoy life?!

Why aren't any SAHMs chiming in to say how these schedules sound so. much. easier. than the exhausting and backbreaking work they perform 24/7?

Oh wait...

Because they also have a job during the day - taking care of kids. Then in the evenings and weekends they have all the same stuff to do as the rest of us. I work from home and I am on conference calls all day. It's a great bonus when I can do a few dishes or throw a load of laundry in during the work day. Have you ever tried to get anything done with kids around?

We are in the trenches too. Every day we barely do what we need to do to get to the next day. For example I gad work emails last night and now my 6mo old has no clean bins.

I stepped off "partner track" at my consulting company and got an internal job where I work from home most days. That helps because I get up and get everyone fed and out of the house and work in my PJs. I take a shower break around lunch and get dressed. Also my parents come over one day most weekends. My mom plays with the kids while I clean, cook and do laundry. My husband and dad do house projects and yard work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm exhausted just reading some of these schedules! When do you get down time to enjoy life?!

Why aren't any SAHMs chiming in to say how these schedules sound so. much. easier. than the exhausting and backbreaking work they perform 24/7?

Oh wait...

Because that would be insensitive and unhelpful to OP. The hard aspect of SAH isn't the schedule management, which is obviously easier -- the hard part is actually being around kids all day long.

I find working to be completely manageable, even with an unhelpful husband who often works weekends. I cook all of our meals and clean the house myself. What helps me the most is one day of telework when I can cycle the laundry, so I don't have to be stuck st home an entire day on the weekend doing that. But really I think OP's situation will improve greatly once her baby is STTN. It makes everything easier.

Anonymous wrote:I'm exhausted just reading some of these schedules! When do you get down time to enjoy life?!

Why aren't any SAHMs chiming in to say how these schedules sound so. much. easier. than the exhausting and backbreaking work they perform 24/7?

Oh wait...

I'm exhausted just reading some of these schedules! When do you get down time to enjoy life?!

15:35 here.

We split up sick days as much as possible. My husband will work 6-11, and I will work 11:30-4:30. I have flexibility in where and when I work, so we do take advantage of that a lot.