Dread being home alone with my 2 girls
- 31 Replies
Quoting atyou:
Hey!
I'm watching you. Nice mug.
Quoting lilfishbigocean:
Good advice, and awesome links!! Thanks!
Quoting starbuckmom03:
Sounds like you need to get out of the house more.
I get the arguing and screaming and squabbling over toys. I have 3 boys who do this daily. I have two 4yr olds who are still trying to negotiate playing and having their turn and verbalizing this with each other and older brother so I am usually in the midst of it all referining (sp) it all.
Do you have a MOPs group near you? MOPs ( link)is Mothers with Preschoolers. My old group, which I might start back up this fall, met 2 times a month for 2 hours. My kids were taken care of and I got to relax and talk with other mamas and have a snack and talk about so many things. Check the link I shared. You can see if there is a MOPs near you. The closest one for me is 15 mins away but so worth it!
What you are going through, we all go through it.
Try this website, No time for flashcards, for some great ideas to do with your kids.
Also, remember, its winter. We all hate being cooped up in the house. Once its warm enough outside, I notice a huge difference in my kids. They are so happy to be outside they forget to argue with each other!! Its like the sunshine and warm breeze washes the stink off them and they are happy!
I checked out the MOPs website, and I don't have any close to me.. It did say that I could start my own - but I think that would be taking on too much for me right now. My littlest one is autistic, and she has teachers coming in and out all week long. Definitely something to think about though!
The other website, No Time For Flashcards, is AMAZING. I already found quite a few things that my LO can do with her teachers! Thanks again!! :)
Quoting starbuckmom03:
You're welcome!
I know what its like to be in the OPs position. Its not fun. Thats why I found my MOPs group or well, they found me through my friend! But its so worth getting out of the house and meeting with other moms who totally understand what you are going through. To be able to vent or even getting a reasuring hug from time to time is huge!
Another poster mentioned getting someone to watch your dd's so you can have some time for yourself. Please look into that! Even 2 hours a week is big. Time to wander around Target, or sit at a park and read a book, go get a coffee or soda or even have lunch by yourself <----- HUGE deal for me!!
OP: Another thought. Do you have any extra money to be used for childcare? The reason I say this is there are programs called Parents day out or Moms day out. Google those for your area. I was able to put my oldest in a program, one day a week for 6 hours for, at the time, $20 a day. I was able to go to dr appt, shop, clean my house, or just be refreshed and ready to go again and be a mom again when I picked up my ds.
Quoting lilfishbigocean:
Good advice, and awesome links!! Thanks!
Quoting starbuckmom03:
Sounds like you need to get out of the house more.
I get the arguing and screaming and squabbling over toys. I have 3 boys who do this daily. I have two 4yr olds who are still trying to negotiate playing and having their turn and verbalizing this with each other and older brother so I am usually in the midst of it all referining (sp) it all.
Do you have a MOPs group near you? MOPs( link)is Mothers with Preschoolers. My old group, which I might start back up this fall, met 2 times a month for 2 hours. My kids were taken care of and I got to relax and talk with other mamas and have a snack and talk about so many things. Check the link I shared. You can see if there is a MOPs near you. The closest one for me is 15 mins away but so worth it!
What you are going through, we all go through it.
Try this website,No time for flashcards, for some great ideas to do with your kids.
Also, remember, its winter. We all hate being cooped up in the house. Once its warm enough outside, I notice a huge difference in my kids. They are so happy to be outside they forget to argue with each other!! Its like the sunshine and warm breeze washes the stink off them and they are happy!
I know how you feel! It just sounds like you have to get out more. My kids are 4 and 18 months and are always running around, playing loud, pushing, biting etc and it can get stressful. So we visit grandma alot lol. It helps me to get out. Do you have family or friends you could visit more often? It's hard in the winter too, everybody is stuck inside all day.
You need to teach them some independant play skills, and it is normal for young children to get bored easily. They need something that will keep them occupied. Do you have Lincoln Logs? Legos or Brio blocks? What about play-dough? A 4-year-old can occupy themselves for about 40 minutes to an hour, but the two-year-old is a baby still, and not only has a short attention span, but wants mommy. This is what it's like being a SAHM. The 4-year-old will be going to school in a year. The 2-year-old won't be 2 forever. It only feels that way. The worse your attitude about it is, the more the kids are going to misbehave. Perhaps you should look for a full-time job if you're not adjusted to being at home by now.
You are welcome! Anything to help out another mama! We all need to stick together!!
Quoting lilfishbigocean:I checked out the MOPs website, and I don't have any close to me.. It did say that I could start my own - but I think that would be taking on too much for me right now. My littlest one is autistic, and she has teachers coming in and out all week long. Definitely something to think about though!
The other website, No Time For Flashcards, is AMAZING. I already found quite a few things that my LO can do with her teachers! Thanks again!! :)
Quoting starbuckmom03:
You're welcome!
I know what its like to be in the OPs position. Its not fun. Thats why I found my MOPs group or well, they found me through my friend! But its so worth getting out of the house and meeting with other moms who totally understand what you are going through. To be able to vent or even getting a reasuring hug from time to time is huge!
Another poster mentioned getting someone to watch your dd's so you can have some time for yourself. Please look into that! Even 2 hours a week is big. Time to wander around Target, or sit at a park and read a book, go get a coffee or soda or even have lunch by yourself <----- HUGE deal for me!!
OP: Another thought. Do you have any extra money to be used for childcare? The reason I say this is there are programs called Parents day out or Moms day out. Google those for your area. I was able to put my oldest in a program, one day a week for 6 hours for, at the time, $20 a day. I was able to go to dr appt, shop, clean my house, or just be refreshed and ready to go again and be a mom again when I picked up my ds.
Quoting lilfishbigocean:
Good advice, and awesome links!! Thanks!
Quoting starbuckmom03:
Sounds like you need to get out of the house more.
I get the arguing and screaming and squabbling over toys. I have 3 boys who do this daily. I have two 4yr olds who are still trying to negotiate playing and having their turn and verbalizing this with each other and older brother so I am usually in the midst of it all referining (sp) it all.
Do you have a MOPs group near you? MOPs( link)is Mothers with Preschoolers. My old group, which I might start back up this fall, met 2 times a month for 2 hours. My kids were taken care of and I got to relax and talk with other mamas and have a snack and talk about so many things. Check the link I shared. You can see if there is a MOPs near you. The closest one for me is 15 mins away but so worth it!
What you are going through, we all go through it.
Try this website,No time for flashcards, for some great ideas to do with your kids.
Also, remember, its winter. We all hate being cooped up in the house. Once its warm enough outside, I notice a huge difference in my kids. They are so happy to be outside they forget to argue with each other!! Its like the sunshine and warm breeze washes the stink off them and they are happy!
No, you're not a bad mom. You've got some cabin fever going on and small children don't make life easy. I have a 3, 2, and 1 year old whom I'm home with all day. I've given up on the thought of doing anything for me during the day--I'm lucky if I can get some house work done (folding laundry, sweeping, washing dishes, etc) when my kids are awake.
Do you have a routine for your kids? I've found it helps keep the fighting, shouting/screaming down if I stick to a routine. A rough outline of our routine is: Wake up between 6:30 and 7:00 AM, eat breakfast, get dressed. I give them free play time until about 10AM (I do turn on the TV but they don't necessarily watch it, it's there if they want to watch). I put my baby down for her first nap at 10AM and that's when my 2 and 3 year old get some constructive play time (coloring, reading with me, or working on our ABC's and numbers by writing on paper or finding them in books or around the house) sometimes I will get a baking sheet out and sprinkles a thin layer of flour on it and they'll draw pictures in the flour. During their free play time and before baby's nap is when I try to get house work done. Lunch is between 12 and 12:30 then they get more free play time or a bath. They generally get a nap (all three) around 2PM. During their nap I try to get housework done or bills paid. My 9 year old gets home about 3:15 from school, and after my little ones get up from nap it's pretty much free time until dinner. All four kids start getting ready for bed at 7PM and the three little ones are in bed by 8PM and my 9 year old is in bed no later than 9 (generally by 8:30). After that is when I get my me time.
Do my kids still fight? Absolutely, but we use time outs and I will make them play in seperate rooms (set one up at the kitchen table with a coloring book and one up on the floor in the living room with a coloring book). You just have to find what works best for you. I know some moms who have to get out of the house every day with their little ones to keep their sanity.
are you ok with another woman calling your husband "hun" or "babe"