Topic : General Advice

I have a 5 week old son - I plan to take the full year available to me for maternity leave, and I love spending time with my son, but am worried about becoming lazy and possibly chubbier on my maternity leave.  Everyday is the same, we spend time in the morning cuddling, then when he drifts off I run around the house doing whatever housework I can before he wakes back up.  We take a walk for about half an hour, come back and spend more time cuddling (all in front of the tv) then he drifts off again in the late afternoon.  Please don't get me wrong, I love being with him, watching him develop and grow but am starting to wonder what I am to do for the rest of the year.  I need suggestions - maybe ideas of what everyone else does with their time off (and yes, I know its a time to spend with my newborn child - but there has got to be more!)

I am a stay at home mom and have been since the day my first was born. I have always been able to occupy my time and though there have been some lazy days basically just hangin out with my girls, I wouldn't change a thing. I have always been active in my church and participate in most things going on, even if it involves taking the girls. Getting my hubby to watch the girls for a bit while I go out with a friend or just to be alone is something I do not hesitate to do. While staying home, your first thing is to enjoy your child an do what is imporant in the house of course, Take time for family and friends, treat yourself to an outing of some kind, get involve in your community some how, even if it is a monthly thing. I like having friends over so I have had tupperware and pampered chef parties in my home, I have invited a few friends for pizza and we play board games or just hang out gabbing and playing with the kids. reading, writting and scrapbooking are things I like to do and taking advantage of the quiet times is wonderful, go take a long bubblebath and take a book along with you or just sit and relax and meditate/pray. For the most part, I have always taken one day at a time and on days when there isn't plans, I take advantage of those times and enjoy my kids and doing things that I like doing and of course all the "wonderful" things that need to be done around the house. And there is nothing wrong with having a lazy day here and there, I have learned that I don't have to be "busy" all the time to be a good mother and wife which was definetly a hard lesson for me but a wonderful lesson.

I can't say too much on the chubby issue, I gained all my baby weight back, with some interest once I stopped nursing.  When my son was younger I tried walking around my local mall before all the stores opened.  All the grandmas and grandpas there loved him.  I stopped doing that thoguh.  I really wish that we had been able to get a jogging stroller so that I had a place to put my son while I was walking/running/whatever.  A regular stroller's wheels just aren't meant for off roading through the grass.

 

My point?  Take him with you of you so choose to go walking or exercising somewhere.

 

I joined my local Ymca and they have a "day care" for members while you workout. Ours also has moms day out once a month for an extra 10 dollars. They do not do it during the summer. You can pay per month for yourself or family. They have classes for members, daily like areobics, cycling, etc.

You could also look into moms clubs but those are usually for toddlers.

 

HI ALL NEW MUM'S...Just want to give you all some good advice about buying cheaper priced formula's from your Pharmacy.

I have a 3 year daughter who was formula fed from the time she was born till about 12 months old and I know just how much it costs to buy formula from week to week. Well around about the time that Stephanie was 6 months old we were in a Pharmacy one day and happen to be looking at the prices of all the formula's they had on the shelf.

We normally would buy the top of the shelf brand of formula and this would cost way of $17.00 per 900g tin. Well the Pharmacy had their own brand of formula in a 1kg tin size and was only $12.00 per tin. So, hubby and I looked at the nutrition information panel on both lots of formula and found that they both were just as good as each other. So, after that we started buying the Pharmacy brand of formula and started saving some money. So if you want to start saving some money on formula then why not try buying your baby formula from your local Pharmacy.

Please note that I live in Australia and was able to buy the cheaper formula's in Pharmacies in Australia. Please check your own countries to see if they also sell Pharmacy brand Formula's much cheaper.

Hope this information has been of some help. TAKE CARE. LOVE KELLY.

I am a stay at home mom of 3 girls ages 6,2, and 3months.  Now that we have 3 girls I need to get them on a daily schedule/routine, but need help doing this.  I need a schedule of the daily things like nap time, bath time, play time, TV time, homework, ect.  Can someone please share with me their schedule?  Maybe even give me a sample schedule/routine.  By the way my 6 year old is in the 1st grade and goes to school until 3:30. 

 

Desperate and Confused in Texas,

 

leomom_3

Leomom,

 

I only have a two year old boy, but his schedule is:

 

5:00a-7:00a wake up and play in his crib (he wakes up at different times almost every day, but we don't get him out until later)

7:00 get up and get dressed

8:00 breakfast

8:30-12:00 play time and Sesame street/Elmo DVD

12:00-12:30 Lunch

12:30-2:30 naptime

2:30-6:00 play time, no TV

sometimes he gets a snack at about 3:00 if he's hungry

6:00 dinner

6:30 bath, jammies, and stories

7:00 brush teeth and bed time

 

At about three months we were able to get our son on a schedule.  If you don't have one yet for your youngest, you might want to think about trying to create something.  If there is a time when your two youngest are asleep and your oldes is home, try helping her with homework then.

 

You also might want to check out the Supernanny website (Dr. Phil crew: If that's on a different network, sorry, it's still a good show ;p).

 

Hope this helps.

I am a stay at home mom of two girls ages 2 1/2 and 4 1/2, our daily schedule changes because of the activities that we participate in. but here is what it is usually like here (when we are home) 9:00- wake up/potty 9:15- play in play room (Now that we have this play room, the girls like to play in there first before everything else, which I take advantage of and will get a quick shower. The girls are within talking distance to me. 9:30 breakfast together/potty/brush teeth (girls help to clear the table) 10:00-academics 10:30-girls choice of activity(usually we build castles with blocks or play baby dolls) 11:30-stories/music time (my girls like to dance and put on shows for mommy and daddy when he is here. 12:15-table activity while mommy fixes lunch (sometimes they help prepare lunch) 12:45-lunch together/potty/brush teeth(girls help to clear the table) 1:15-outside play if nice out, if not we play inside together. 2:15- My girls don't nap, but this might be good time to. we pop in a show. this gives me time to do things around the house. 3:15- snack/potty/we play together 4:15-academics/table activity with mommy or educational website 5:15-play outside(if daddy is home) or playroom while mommy cleans and prepares for dinner 6:00- dinner/potty/brush teeth(of course the girls help clear the table) 7:00- we set the timer and every one pitches in to pick up toys, straighten up house. 7:30- stories/play and hang out with daddy, while mommy does her thing. 8:30- bathes/potty/brush teeth 9:00- All of us hang out togehter having fun. 9:30-Bible reading/prayers 10:00-bed time These times are flexible of course as nothing is written in stone. We go to the library and the park once a week. We do not pay a whole lot of attention to time, if they are playing well and content, no need to go on to the next activity, so what if they miss something. I am not running a day care. All kids and families are different on how they do things and these approximate times is what works with my girls. As your children grow and mature, you will discover what they like to do and what works for them. This Fall things will change a bit for us as my oldest will go to preschool three days a week, no big deal as my children adjusts well., And the weekends are slightly different as daddy is home more and we have church activities, which church activities sometimes falls on week days and we always participate in those and since mommy plays softball, those evenings are spent at the park with friends. The imporant thing is to love and enjoy your kids, provide for their needs as well as your own, remember to take care of you and don't be afraid to be flexible.

I need to figure out how to space on this thing. I double spaced when typing but it appeared in paragrahph form. Hope everything is clear to you.

Jettav, 

  

I found that if you want to add paragraphs, hit enter/return (whatever the button) twice. 

  

That's how I got my paragraphs.  Instead of formatting to double space or whatever.  You can also preview what you wrote before you post.  :) 

  

Hope it helps. 

Rayvinfive