Do You Sometimes Wish you Could Just be a SAHM?

[Soccermom]

Hi, I was so excited to find this forum! I think it is so great for all of us childcare providers to be able to chat comfortably about issues that we all face

I just wanted to know if I was alone in sometimes wishing I could just be a SAHM and not have to rely on the money from my inhome daycare to be able to be at home with my 3 kids.
I feel like I miss out on a lot. I can't volunteer at their school during field trips or be a class helper in the classroom like I would love to be able to do.
I find myself disciplining my own kids for things I wouldn't need to discipline for if I didn't have a house full of little ones.
Also my first dcks arrive @ 7am so by 5pm I am completely out of steam and find my patience for my own kids is very thin in the evenings when I should be making the best out of the time I have alone with them.
When my older dds arrive off the bus I can't sit with them one on one and find out how their day was because of the chaos all around us. Then in the evenings it is hurry to make dinner and head off to whatever activity one of my kids has that evening.
I know I am blessed because there are ppl who trust me with the care of their little ones and I dearly love the dcks that I have but it is exhausting and hard to be home with my kids without really just being home with my kids.
Just wanted to know if this is something that most inhome care providers struggle with as well.

[Michael]

Welcome to the Daycare.com Forum! I upgraded your status. You can post freely now.

[bunnyslippers]

I wish it every single day!

[Lilbutterflie]

Hi, I was so excited to find this forum! I think it is so great for all of us childcare providers to be able to chat comfortably about issues that we all face

I just wanted to know if I was alone in sometimes wishing I could just be a SAHM and not have to rely on the money from my inhome daycare to be able to be at home with my 3 kids.
I feel like I miss out on a lot. I can't volunteer at their school during field trips or be a class helper in the classroom like I would love to be able to do.
I find myself disciplining my own kids for things I wouldn't need to discipline for if I didn't have a house full of little ones.
Also my first dcks arrive @ 7am so by 5pm I am completely out of steam and find my patience for my own kids is very thin in the evenings when I should be making the best out of the time I have alone with them.
When my older dds arrive off the bus I can't sit with them one on one and find out how their day was because of the chaos all around us. Then in the evenings it is hurry to make dinner and head off to whatever activity one of my kids has that evening.
I know I am blessed because there are ppl who trust me with the care of their little ones and I dearly love the dcks that I have but it is exhausting and hard to be home with my kids without really just being home with my kids.
Just wanted to know if this is something that most inhome care providers struggle with as well.

WELCOME! I have the same complaints and worries that you do. It's almost as if I wrote your post! I wish I could just stay at home every single day. The reality of it is that I can't, I need extra income for our family. Just try to stay positive! I believe in the power of prayer and positive thinking, it is what gets me through my days as of late.

[Zoe]

Yes I do. I LOVE my job, but if given the choice, I would be a SAHM in a heartbeat! I hate that I have to carefully choose my 5 personal days so that I can evenly be there for my kids' special school functions, and it's never enough. I hate how tired I am after hours and I get so frustrated with my kids, who don't deserve that. Just a vent, I love what I do, but I do agree with you that being a SAHM would be heaven.

[SimpleMom]

Yes, I wish the same! It's very tough. I do love all the kiddos I watch and have a lot of fun with them.

[lil angels]

I always say I think I would get board if I were only a SAHM. But I sure would love it during the summer so I could just run with my kids the activitys that I would love to do with the if I could. But I would really like to be able to drop my kids and pick them up from school and go on field trips and things like that.

[WImom]

YES! but my kids are both in school so I'd probably be bored after a while. I wish I could just do this part time. At some point I hope to.

[Ariana]

Not really! I do childcare part-time so it's perfect for me. I also only work 7 hours per day so again it's perfect. I keep my groups small and only take in 2-3 kids with my DD. When I did my year mat leave I was quite bored by the end. There are only so many 'mommy and me' groups I could handle!!

I like that my DD gets social time regularly and I get to spend time with her on my days off. I realize not everyone can afford to do this part-time but I made sure when I started out that we could survive on just DH's income.

[Soccermom]

Thanks for all the replies. It feels good to know that others are in the same boat with you

I think the hardest thing for me is when the dcks are mean to my own kids. It breaks my heart. Especially since my kids are so willing to share their home, things and mom with them.

[safechner]

Of course, I do wish for it. My husband wants me to stay at home mom when my child was born so I quit my job two weeks before my child was born. I really enjoyed to spend more time with my child and I also went to moms groups twice a week to keep my child to have a playmate with others. We love it a lot. I started to watch an infant when my daughter was 10 months. My husband wasn't really want me to watch any kids but he allowed me to watch one child so our daughter can play with him. I found out I was pregnant with my second daughter on my daughter's first birthday. Again, I stay at home mom after my second daughter was born. I started doing daycare when my daughters was 4 and 3 years old. They loved to play with kids and my husband was fine with it. Now my daughters are 11 and 9 years old and they don't like it at all. My husband don't like it anymore because he wants our house back. I totally understand how my husband feels. I am working on to get my daycare close by this summer. I was supposed to close my daycare last summer but I can't for some reasons.

I will be staying at home mom again for my kids for three months this summer so we can have spend more time together and doing something fun everyday. My husband is very happy to hear that but I am going to find a part time job this fall when my daughters will be in school.

[sahm2three]

ALL.DAY.EVERY.DAY. I was for 10 years. I felt like I needed to do something because my youngest was going to be starting preschool. I wish I would have waited. I miss it every single day.

[cheerfuldom]

I understand what you are saying. But I also dont allow the daycare kids into my kids rooms and the daycare toys, etc. are not shared with my kids regular stuff. They have their own space and they dont have to share with the daycare kids if they dont want to. You might also consider shortening your hours and hiring an assistant to gain some more freedom back. There are ways to make things better but as always, there is a sacrifice to it. welcome to the board!

[SunshineMama]

Everyday I wish that I was only a SAHM.

Daycare is the next best thng I guess. At least I am the one influencing and shaping my children's future. I would probably be the worst daycare parent ever because I am very picky about what my kids eat, them getting enough exercise and sleep, enough mental stimulation...etc.

[Soccermom]

Everyday I wish that I was only a SAHM.

Daycare is the next best thng I guess. At least I am the one influencing and shaping my children's future. I would probably be the worst daycare parent ever because I am very picky about what my kids eat, them getting enough exercise and sleep, enough mental stimulation...etc.

I agree! I would be the same !