Just wondering.

 

 

*I had both kids for a time and worked, clean the house and did all that it took to be a parent so house work does not count.

 

(LOL)

Feeling especially brave today NCF? :eek:

Feeling especially brave today NCF? :eek:

No It was just a statement not directed at anyone at all.

Ok, I cant resist this one. How old are you children and what does "I had them for a time" mean?

 

I have been a working mom (part time) and a stay at home mom.

 

When my children 2, 3, and 5 I quit work for 5 years. I can tell you at that age I never sat on the couch and watched my "soaps". Watching toddlers all day long is a very tough job especially when you have diapers, 3 meals a day to fix, laundry, housework etc. Babies and toddlers get sick a lot. When one gets sick the others usually follow.

 

However, I can honestly say the most important job I had at that time was investing TIME into my children. We had a family zoo pass and went there many times, often packing a lunch. During the summer we went to the pool. We went to the park, built "tents" in the house when it was cold, played games (which takes a LOT of patience with the little ones). I read to them, baked for them, held them when they were crabby, and most of all, ENJOYED them. It was the greatest gift in the world. I would have hated having to PAY someone to do those things for me.

There is a BIG difference between watching your own children and RAISING and NUTURING your children.

 

 

When they got a little older, but not old enough to be alone in the house, I invested my time in their school. Room mom, PTA functions etc.

 

When my oldest turned ten, I went back to work. Had an older teenager stay with them an hour before I got home. I remember hearing moms of young children on the phone at work. If one of their children got sick, they would panic because there was no one who could pick them up from daycare. If they were giving their babysitter a hard time, they had to mediate from work. I am so glad that I didnt have to do that. I didnt have to raise my children via telephone from work.

 

 

I have to agree that sometimes I wonder what stay at home moms do when their children are older, more independent and at school all day. However, I usually assume that they have cleaner houses, cook and bake more than I do now. Those moms are usually the ones who stay busy at their childrens school, which I burned out on long ago.

 

My kids are now teenagers, so it is too early to tell how they turned out. However, I can honestly say I have had very little trouble with them so far, and we have a close relationship.

 

 

I am not saying that moms who work full time do not have close relationships with their children. Every family is different. However, I would not change the way I raised mine for the world.

I retired in August and my plan was to move to Indiana and live with my husband. As we all know the best of plans are subjected to change without a moments notice. So what do I do all day....well let's see.....I usually start my days by starting the first of at least 7 loads of laundry. My Mom's laundry room is in her basement so that means lots and lots of trips up and down those stairs. I then help change my Mom, since she is still bedridden, and continue those changes all day long. We then get her breakfast and then I clean the house. Sometime between laundry and bed changes I will have to make a mad dash up to the drug store or Kroger. At numerous times during the day we have 4 different kinds of therapist that come to the house and work with Mom. Then there is lunch and getting supper ready. After supper I clean mom's trach and then we get her ready for bed.

 

As you can tell there are very few moments of doing just nothing. And what you probably can't tell is that there are very fews hours to rest, even at night.

 

So what I do, as I am not working, is working harder than I've ever worked in my life.

They were in Elementary. Why?

I retired in August and my plan was to move to Indiana and live with my husband. As we all know the best of plans are subjected to change without a moments notice. So what do I do all day....well let's see.....I usually start my days by starting the first of at least 7 loads of laundry. My Mom's laundry room is in her basement so that means lots and lots of trips up and down those stairs. I then help change my Mom, since she is still bedridden, and continue those changes all day long. We then get her breakfast and then I clean the house. Sometime between laundry and bed changes I will have to make a mad dash up to the drug store or Kroger. At numerous times during the day we have 4 different kinds of therapist that come to the house and work with Mom. Then there is lunch and getting supper ready. After supper I clean mom's trach and then we get her ready for bed.

 

As you can tell there are very few moments of doing just nothing. And what you probably can't tell is that there are very fews hours to rest, even at night.

 

So what I do, as I am not working, is working harder than I've ever worked in my life.

 

 

It sure sounds like your days are very busy and stressful, and I'm sure depressing at times. I must ask though, you do 7 loads of laundry a day? :scared:

I retired in 2004 .My wife still works . I clean the house and pay the bills . Get on BGP . Cook . Do home projects . Since I retired I've single handedly put a new and larger deck on the house . Installed a ceramic tile floor in our kitchen (250 sq' ). Get on BGP . Painted the living room , dining room , and downtstairs hallway (twice , didn't like the first effort ) . Installed a brick patio next to the deck . Get on BGP. In the spring and summer I also garden extensively , and in my spare time I dabble in ceramics and paint with water colors and acrylics and get on BGP . I also have a very very needy neighbor who thinks that since I retired I'm at her beck and call all day . :irked: Other than those things I just basically lay around the house all day . :lol:

I attend the University of Kentucky, and for me thats a full time job:D

:lol::lol::lol:I eat doughnuts and watch soap operas most of the day.

 

RK--I'm right there with you, girl. I average about 7 loads a day, as well.

It sure sounds like your days are very busy and stressful, and I'm sure depressing at times. I must ask though, you do 7 loads of laundry a day? :scared:

If anyone has taken care of anyone who is bedridden, they know that there is a lot of sheet changing and pads (that lay under a person) that have to been changed with each cleaning. So yes, 7 loads of laundry a day is very easily done. I suppose you could get by with less if you had a lot of pads and hopsital bed type sheets, but we don't so we have to make sure that there are clean ones ready to go.

 

Yes, it is very depressing but Mom is transferring, with help, into a wheelchair, so we can only pray that things will start looking up soon.

 

The only thing that keeps me sane is my husband and spending as much time as we can together. I will be going back to Mom's tomorrow morning but I have been so blessed to have spend the last 4 days with MrRk. I am so looking forward to today because I am getting ready to meet him for lunch, which is a big treat for both of us.

:lol::lol::lol:I eat doughnuts and watch soap operas most of the day.

 

RK--I'm right there with you, girl. I average about 7 loads a day, as well.

 

Now that is funny! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

If anyone has taken care of anyone who is bedridden, they know that there is a lot of sheet changing and pads (that lay under a person) that have to been changed with each cleaning. So yes, 7 loads of laundry a day is very easily done. I suppose you could get by with less if you had a lot of pads and hopsital bed type sheets, but we don't so we have to make sure that there are clean ones ready to go.

 

Yes, it is very depressing but Mom is transferring, with help, into a wheelchair, so we can only pray that things will start looking up soon.

 

The only thing that keeps me sane is my husband and spending as much time as we can together. I will be going back to Mom's tomorrow morning but I have been so blessed to have spend the last 4 days with MrRk. I am so looking forward to today because I am getting ready to meet him for lunch, which is a big treat for both of us.

 

 

Yep, after I posted I thought about that job as well. I did take care of my mother before she died. I didnt have children at that time. That was, without a doubt the hardest thing on Earth to do. Unless you have been there, you have no idea how hard it is to be a home caregiver. Elderly parents and grandparents are very time consuming. I was lucky because I came from a big family and we all shared that responsibility. However, I have friends who do not work who take on the entire burden of a sick parent because their siblings "work."

 

I might also add that, when I wasnt working, I was constantly getting phone calls from working moms asking if I could "help them out" in a variety of ways. Driving their children around, having them over after school for an hour or two. One mom even called me from work because her son had pooped in his pants at school and needed to be cleaned up and have fresh clothes. I had a neighbor who worked whose son always managed to stop by, uninvited after school and on days off. He wasnt a very well behaved child either. I knew sometimes he was home alone and other times had a less than enthusiastic babysitter who was more than happy to send him over. Some moms reciprocated favors, others just thought I had nothing better to do than to help raise their children. I learned very quickly how to not be taken advantage of.

I might be retiring soon, and in my job I might be home for several days in a row, work a day and be off several more. My wife goes nuts, but I do housework...Outside stuff too. But my plan is...I'm going to speak at Nursing homes on the Bible. I did it before but had to quit, they wanted more than I could do, but I soon might be able to do it more.

 

I also visit the hospital for my church and hang around and see strangers who might want to talk.

 

When I retire I plan on doing a radio show on Bible subjects. Momma wants me to take some Bible classes. I asked her "Should I teach them or Take them?" She just made a face and walked away.

 

And God willing I plan to be on BGPs more talking about Bama Football.

For those who don't WORK and stay at home LOL LOL....There is more work staying at home than actually going to work...oh, and when you go to work, you get paid, have breaks, etc!!!

 

I would not have it any other way though....I have really enjoyed being home with PH.

 

It is getting better for both of us though. We (I) am only doing one bandage change a day and helping him with clean up etc. I might just go back to work when we decide on a house plan, get the house built and get settled. Right now, it is just too hard for PH to get around the house and cook and such....laundry is out of the question for him because to the wash room and the washer is top loading. He will love to finally have a house where he can be independent. The van has really added to him being independent by leaps and bounds.

 

I guess when you asked that question, you thought that people did not do anything but sit around? LOL LOL!!!