When I worked in vacation care, the parents (mostly mums) would come and drop their kiddos to us and I’d ask the little ones what they’d like to do that day. Painting? Colouring? Play dough, musical statues, popsicle stick craft, you name it, we could do it. It sounded like a hell of a lot of fun (and it was) and sometimes I felt a little sorry for the wistful mums who looked like they wanted to stay and play rather than go to work. I definitely felt sometimes I got the better deal that day, and I threw myself into making the holidays a magical time for those kids.
Nowadays when my husband kisses us goodbye and goes to work, I sometimes feel the same way that I did when I worked with other children. Often I’m snuggled up in bed with two tousle-haired poppets, ready to take the morning easy before maybe heading to the park, or playing play dough, or whatever else it is we’re going to do that day. And I feel grateful that I can share this special time with my babies before they go off to school and maybe I’m the mum dropping them off at vacation care.
Sure, I still have to scrub the toilet and referee fights and clean up spilled glitter and deal with a LOT of human poo every single day, so it’s not all fun and games. But being a stay-at-home mum with maybe a little flexible paid gig on the side was something I wanted very much, and worked very hard to achieve. And while my husband would swap me in a heartbeat, I’m not so sure I’d be willing to give it up! (Although he works as a high school teacher, so he gets plenty of holiday time to hang with us and occasionally think it would be an easier day at work than two full-on, mobile, loud, messy toddlers allllllllll day, lord knows I’ve thought that!). So I’m grateful I get this time. I’m grateful I’m a mum. I’m grateful I have a job that I love that I can do around my family, from home. I’m grateful to soak in these moments.
I could do without the poo, though.
It was something about the way you put it… “human poo” lol it made me laugh!
There’s a lot of cat poo too, but that didn’t have the same ring to it!
I love that you appreciate and rejoice in this time with your kids. How lucky they are to have you be so present and connected with them. Good for you for making this work. x
Thank you lovely. I expect they’ll still hate me for something when the time comes!
I’m enjoying my time with my girls too despite the mess and poo and fighting. Being able to snuggle together and not have anywhere pressing to go is lovely.
Ohhhhh the squabbles. Help.
The messy domesticity is where it’s at – the joyful life
It is really lovely 🙂
It’s so true Stacey being a stay at home Mum is good but I do think it would be easier to go to work,though I would never have swapped that time in their lives and I also worked hard to be able to do it too,enjoy, the time goes way to quickly xx
I figure there’s plenty of time to work later! Gosh it does go so fast though x
So much human poo!
But yes, for all the times I feel like I am losing my tiny mind with children-ness, I think about trying to juggle all of this around a 9-5 job and I realise I have it made in the shade. xx
I can’t even. I take my hat off to those ladies. And dudes.
Just yesterday I had a very similar thought and feeling towards staying at home with my girl. I have really, really struggled settling into this parenting gig (and my little one is almost 2 and I work outside the home part time!) but yesterday, for possibly the first time, as I was walking with her in the sunshine I had a real “I am so bloody lucky” moment – it was joyful!
ohhh I love that feeling! I hope you have many more x
Ah, what a beautiful post 🙂
My eldest two are now at Primary school (and vacation care) and I loved the time I had at home with them when they were little. It was such a special time and I sort-of wish I had appreciated it more, because it feels like it passed too quickly.
At the time, I remember feeling like I wasn’t doing ‘enough’ with my kids (there was a lot of pressure from others to go to playgroup, swimming lessons, kinder gym, baby yoga, toddler music class etc) but I really enjoyed not having a schedule and my best memories are of us all relaxing at home, playing in the paddling pool, drawing/painting, going to the park etc.
Mornings seem so rushed now, afternoons are stressful and my kids suddenly have this whole other life that I’m not as involved with. I’m taking a few hours out each week to volunteer at the school though, to spend some time with them during their day while they still want me there (despite the fact that Prep/Year 1 Art classes are completely crazy!)
Haha I bet they make a terrific mess! I often take stock and see if I’m fully appreciating this time – I’d hate to think I’ll get to a point where I wish I’d done more. But I also sort of think every parent feels like that no matter how much time they devote to mothering at this age. We’ll always think we could have done more even if we did enough 🙂
I love the way you appreciate every little part of being a SAHM and are so grateful for the opportunity to do so. I love being a SAHM and love the same things you do and being able to walk my son to and from school most days, and staying for reading groups and gatherings and other things, and look forward to doing it for my daughter too, when she starts Kindy next year. I struggle with the disapproving ‘what do you do’ stares and questioning from other people, but I love most bits of it and am so grateful to my husband who works 6 days / week as a tradie and allows me to stay at home with our kids. We just go without some non-essential items and try to live as cheap and well as we can so we can live off one wage for now.
I especially LOVE school holidays!!!
I love school holidays too, it’s so nice to have all the family together! I’ve never had the “what do you do” looks (mostly because I’ve always worked at least one day a week) but I like to think I’d be a bit badass about it. People are so judgy! I love the way you’re accepting this time of your life and sacrificing a bit so you can do it how you want. Go you!
i too chuckled on your last line, doing w/o the poo — poo can be everywhere, and the poo in some peoples work place is tougher on the spirit than the little ones poo.
Ditto.
I am also grateful for all the people who look after C…who seem to seriously enjoying spending time with children and specifically my child.
His child care teachers always greet him with a legitimate smile, arms outstretched for a cuddle.
And I am not sure who laughs more at swimming lessons, C or his teacher.
Whenever I witness those moments, I do feel a pang that I am missing out…but mostly I am grateful for those who help me raise him.
Amen to that. Best job in the world and I wouldn’t trade it for a second (alright, maybe a second every now and again 😉 I feel very grateful too x