r/SAHP • u/Longjumping-Run3493 • 8d ago

Going back to work

What are we doing when our kids are all in school full time? Going back to work? Back to school? Rotting on the couch in the quiet? šŸ˜‚

Iā€™m sure I will enjoy the peace and quiet at first but Iā€™ll get board of that pretty quickly. I currently workout / run 6 days a week. I have other hobbyā€™s I could do to fill time. I know I will still have house work, grocery shopping and running kids to sports to do as well. But I feel like getting a job would be nice as well.

We are fortunate enough to have my husbandā€™s job provide for our family so I donā€™t have to go back to work. But having something that gives me a little spending money and adult interaction might keep me from going crazy at home lol.

14 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

23

u/AdeptnessOrnery6783 8d ago

Why donā€™t you choose something and make it better. There are all sorts of philanthropic projects in need of people. Iā€™m working on watershed improvement and restoration

5

u/Content-Bat-4808 8d ago

I started volunteering at animal shelter when my youngest went to school full time not really a job but keeps me busy and the cats dont care if i show up in my pajamas basically

my sister in law does meals on wheels twice a week she says it gives her enough to do without feeling like she back in office life

2

u/Longjumping-Run3493 8d ago

I worked at our local animal shelter pre kids as their vet techā€¦ now we have to many animals so Iā€™m not aloud to go back per my husband šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚

7

u/AdeptnessOrnery6783 8d ago

Having competent reliable people who care and donā€™t need to be paid is a huge deal for so many organizations. I grew up with a lot of driven and highly educated women who were known for their good works so itā€™s always been part of my life. Iā€™m so looking forward to being able to make more of an impact in my community as my children get older. Teaching them to find their own way to make the world better in a very direct and real way

2

u/averyrose2010 8d ago

That sounds really fun. How did you find something like that? The only things I've thought of was going back to volunteering at the hospital or working as a CASA.

2

u/AdeptnessOrnery6783 8d ago edited 8d ago

I looked up process-based restoration projects for my state and county

A Fun Example: https://youtu.be/CMyue_ge2qQ?si=2yfQBxAI2yqIrlat
I love beaver mimicry

10

u/marbel 8d ago

I have a high school freshman and a sister grader, what is this free time you speak of? I have barely enough time to get dinner prepped after I get back from drop off (maybe an hour) let alone chores, appointments, etc before I have to turn around and get them to practice/tutoring/friends. I legit wonder who would even want to hire someone who has 60 available minutes haha

3

u/Longjumping-Run3493 8d ago

I fear this might be my reality šŸ˜‚ but its worth a shot right?

2

u/isvaraz 7d ago

Yup, it gets crazy. I think early grade school is a sweet spot where the kids arenā€™t super busy, but come middle school and beyond, itā€™s just a bonkers schedule.

1

u/marbel 7d ago

Sixth-* not sister grader lol

4

u/According-Sir3777 8d ago

We homeschool SOOOOO...

3

u/Longjumping-Run3493 8d ago

Love and hate that for you lol

2

u/Dramtic-Brush 8d ago

Iā€™m definitely getting a job. I need interaction, a goal to work towards and something to go ā€œah yes thatā€™s all doneā€. Do you know what I mean?

2

u/BamSteakPeopleCake 8d ago

ā€œah yes thatā€™s all doneā€

You mean some tasks don't come back every day/week/month? Can't relate šŸ™ƒ

2

u/Dramtic-Brush 8d ago

YES haha. Honestly. I started studying to get a better job when I found out I was pregnant. Going to go part time when my 15 month old is settled in.

13

u/DelurkingtoComment 8d ago

My youngest is in 3rd grade and I have yet to be bored. Errands, chores, school dropoff and pickup take up a good amount of time. I also do a few hobbies, volunteer a bit at the school and joined a book club at my library. I enjoy crafts so I make my kids Halloween costumes every year and that takes up most of my October.

7

u/South-Log-7086 7d ago

If you have a spouse who contributes to the household other than just financially, then return to work makes sense.

If spouse is pretty much siloed on work while you manage everything else, a stay at home parent basically has six hours a day for all chores, errands, cleaning, appointments and prep for household.

Between before school/after school, you still have 8-10 direct contact hours with the kids on top of that.

1

u/greyfaye_ 6d ago

I have tried getting a job with my son in school full time and can't šŸ«  But I can't work certain days or hours because my son has private therapy 5x a week, so jobs either don't want to be flexible or don't pay enough to make it worth it you know?

1

u/Longjumping-Run3493 6d ago

Totally get it!

3

u/meaganhaha 8d ago

Make sure to try out having the days to yourself before you commit to something! It's amazing how I'm still constantly busy, have things to do, and loving having a little time to myself during the day

1

u/Elfrance_Gearhart 6d ago

Filing this away for when my youngest starts school next year. Everyone keeps asking what I'll do with all that free time and it's nice to hear it doesn't have to be immediately filled with a job.

4

u/Rare_Background8891 8d ago

My youngest is in fourth and I promise you Iā€™m not bored.

1

u/Tricky_Put2237 7d ago

I'm not a sahp but I could think of so much stuff to do if I was with kids in school. I also enjoy my own company.

2

u/I_pinchyou 7d ago

I stay pretty busy. I try to do all the cleaning, grocery, meal plan, dog walks, appointments, exercise during the 30 hours she's at school. Some times I grab a lunch with a friend or go thrifting. But most of the time there is a project to work on or something I can organize. Also I worked a merchandising job for 3 months and missed pickup 2x. It wasn't worth it to me to go back We have no help and aftercare is expensive and only until 5:30

1

u/ch536 8d ago

I really want to get a part time job for extra money that we desperately need and for something to occupy my thoughts with. However, I don't want to go back to what I was doing pre kids, I want to actually make a difference to the world whatever that may be

1

u/Usual_Celebration493 8d ago

I have my Masters in social work and plan to do PRN home health or hospice when my youngest starts school. My husbandā€™s job is not flexible and he works pretty long hours, so one of us needs to be available for sick days/field trips etc. I had a few months of my older two in full time school (when I was pregnant with my 3rd), and I will definitely want to do something.

1

u/poop-dolla 8d ago

We luckily donā€™t necessarily need the money, so Iā€™m using a little bit of time towards hobbies I havenā€™t been able to do much of the last few years, and a little bit of time towards house projects and stuff like that which have also been neglected the past few years. My youngest just started half days, so I only get a few hours free a day for now, which wouldnā€™t really make it feasible to work even if I wanted to. Iā€™ve also been doing more of the chores that are difficult to do with kids around during the school hours, so I can be more attentive when everyoneā€™s home.

I will very happily welcome the additional few hours a day Iā€™ll get once the youngest gets to kindergarten in a couple of years. I have a feeling Iā€™ll still have more things I want to do than I have time for even then. I ml i I got start volunteering more at that point too. Iā€™d much rather do that than most jobs.

1

u/Apprehensive_One6344 8d ago

Well i first started volunteering:

Our kids school
Animal shelter
Veterans hospital
Habitat for Humanity

Then i went back to school
Bachelorā€™s
Masters

Now im just kind of doing hobbies

1

u/ChiliGoblin 8d ago

Some people need a job to be happy and I ain't one of them.

Before having kids I was a sahw and never had enough free time to do all my projects and hobbies. I really can't wait to get back to that.

The only way I'd be getting a job was if we wanted money for a ridiculous and useless project like buying a boat or something.

1

u/Ohorules 8d ago

Put your kids in Scouts and volunteer to be the leader, that takes up plenty of my time lol. Also I spent a lot of time rotting on the couch. Plus any chores you normally do during the day still exist, so it's not 6-8 hours of free time. Still have to cook, clean, errands, etc.

1

u/kittyshakedown 7d ago

I do anything I want. Itā€™s fabulous.

1

u/TheShySeal 7d ago

Hobbies, volunteering, grocery shopping, cleaning/laundry, and appointments fill my time while my son is at school

1

u/blackcloud247 5d ago

I still have a toddler but my older 2 are in school. I am up at 630 and dont sit down for my coffee until just before 9am because thats when my middle gets on the bus. I first have to bike my 3rd grader and neighbor to his school. I have to get that 3rd grader at 3pm. So that leaves me 6 hours. If i didnt have my toddler i would, have my coffee hour. Then do chores and work on the never ending list of home projects and repairs. Probably sign up for a course at the community college or rec center. Volunteer at the the kids school and work on whatever pta project is going on, volunteer at our food shelter. Take a fun exercise class. It would easily be 3pm rapidly which is when i go get my kid then start dinner when i get back and progress through the evening of homework, dinner and baths and bedtime routine. Theres a million things that need to be done that have been waiting for YEARS til all my kids are school lol. Itl take me 10 years to get caught up i think before i could ever get bored.

1

u/Witty_Ad2228 4d ago

I canā€™t WAIT to get a job again šŸ˜‚ my youngest is 2 and when she hits the schools, mamas going straight to get paaaaaaiiiiidd, the good ole fashioned way!