Don't You Feel

[countrymom]

like sometimes you do everything for the kids that you wonder what the parents do at night.
Like I wash their clothes, feed them healthy food (like real cooked meals) I teach them to write their names, the letters, how to print. Buy them winter stuff, make cakes for birthdays....
I know as a provider you do take care of kids but don't you feel like parents have no responsibilities.
I'm not saying I don't like what I do, but I'm curious what do parents do at night when they pick their kids up from here, because I know that none of my kids have activities, none of the parents are involved in the schools, heck many don't even take their kids to the store or out to dinner. My nights are filled with activities, homework, watch tv together or play games..

[Zoe]

I think you hit the nail on the head. I'll bet that a lot of parents (not all, mind you, but a lot) go home and let the kids play while they do something else, counting down the minutes til bedtime. Sad...

[countrymom]

I do it with my own kids but from the time my come home from school we are always doing something together, but your right, the majority of the parents don't do anything with their kids

[cillybean83]

i wonder that too, my dkg gets here at 7 still in jammys and she's here til 5pm, mom said her bedtime is 7:30 so that leaves 2 1/2 hours for dinner, bath, and play time with mom and dad, and on top of that mom calls at least once a week and asks if she can be late because she wants to get her nails done or she wants to get groceries and she "can't deal with" having dcg with her when she does those things

[E Daycare]

i wonder that too, my dkg gets here at 7 still in jammys and she's here til 5pm, mom said her bedtime is 7:30 so that leaves 2 1/2 hours for dinner, bath, and play time with mom and dad, and on top of that mom calls at least once a week and asks if she can be late because she wants to get her nails done or she wants to get groceries and she "can't deal with" having dcg with her when she does those things

This was me (minus the being late because I wanted to get my nails done) when I worked outside the home. I had to be at work by 8am and my son wouldnt get up till around then and I had already left. My husband would get him up, changed, fed and off to the nannys. Then after my lovely fighting commute home Id sometimes get home at 5:30 or worse, 6:30. My sons bath time is 7:30 too. Id have to come home, make dinner and maybe have a half hour with my son. This made me a VERY VERY bitter female worker. After I had my son, I hated work. Hated driving to work. Complained at work. And cried at work.

After 6 months of being bitter and sad and ANGRY because my job didnt give me any flexibility (as they did others with family obligations) because they expected me to work as I did before my son. I gave OT and weekends to them because I could. After my son, my priorities were just him and my company couldnt see that. So after months of wanting to burn the place down I was like "forget you morons, Im out" and left.

I love being home now. We make play dough, color, dance, snuggle, run around and I dont miss my old outside job. I miss the fact I missed out on my son from 8 weeks to 7 months when I worked but now Im here with him every day.

Parents who arent missing their kids or who dont want to spend time with their kids I cant relate to. That was never me.

[countrymom]

I will never forget this one women at playgroup. She was sitting with her friend and I was easedropping on their conversation. basically the conversation was like this
A "I can't wait to go back to work"
B "when are you going back"
A "as soon as I can"
B "well how old will the baby be"
A "only a few weeks old"
B "what is dh going to do" (here comes the good part)
A "oh he's going to stay home, our deal was that I would have the kids and go back to work as soon as possible and he can stay home all he wants"

I had to pick my mouth up off the floor. We have a one year mat leave here, but this women obviously hated being with children.

[momma2girls]

I know there are some families that place their kids to be at 7:00 or 7:30 every evening!!