My Time as a SAHM

So an enormous benefit of working as an educator is summer break. This summer happens to be a particularly long one... 11 GLORIOUS weeks. It's no secret to those nearest and dearest to me that my biggest wish is that we could afford for me to be a SAHM. I take comfort in the fact that my job at least affords me some serious time off to be at home with my little angel. 10-11 weeks in the summer, all the normal holidays, 1.5-2 weeks at Christmas, and a week for spring break equals a LOT of vacation time at home, much more vacation than a typical 9-5 working mama is likely to get. I know in that regard that I am very, very lucky. So how goes my summer as a SAHM? Pretty amazing and surprising.

I was home with my daughter last summer too but she was much younger, 6-7 months, and it's pretty much a blur at this point. This summer, my little darling is 18 months and a full-fledged toddler. Walking, climbing, running, exerting her independence every chance she gets, saying her favorite word "NO!" and yelling it quite a bit as well. To say that she's more challenging this summer would be a HUGE understatement. I have a new appreciation for full-time SAHMs because it can definitely be mentally draining because if you're like me and you have a bad sleeper, you are on almost all the time. My daughter will only sleep in her crib for maybe 1.5 hours before I have to move her into my bed and since our bed is high off the ground, I end up going to bed with her for safety. That means that out of every single day, I'm only getting after showering and all that, maybe an hour to spend with my husband just being me. Of course, the time with my husband is even LESS during the school year because there's all the preparing for the next workday stuff like packing bags and lunches and all that jazz but I feel like I get a little bit more of a "kid break" during the year.

I think it definitely surprised me to see how draining it can feel to always be "on". I love my daughter more than life itself but I definitely cherish that hour of time before she wakes up, way more than I cherish it during the school year. I also find being home can get a tad bit lonely... sure, I get to wear yoga pants every day and can watch TV when I want, but you can definitely miss interaction with people who are over 3 feet tall.

All that being said, I would stay home in an INSTANT because it's so much easier being a SAHM for me than it is being a working mom. We struggle so much during the school year because everyone is stressed, time is so compressed, weekends end up being all about errands and chores, and the working mom guilt can be absolutely crushing. While it's nice to be out of the house and have some other types of interaction, it really can't compare with getting to spend every day watching your child grow up and experience the world. The toddler age is so fun because they are constantly learning and changing... it's truly incredible.

It's only been 4 weeks but my favorite things right now about being home:

• Getting to be there for every moment is priceless
• Morning trips to the park! Afternoon time it is PACKED
• Napping in the afternoon with my girl, she is the best snuggler
• No work clothes! Bra? If I feel like it! Yoga pants? Check!
• More time to get housework done... my house is pure sketch during the school year
• Grocery trips/errands while others are at work... SO much better than weekend shopping!
• SO much easier to cook at home when I can prep in the afternoon
• No commute! Goodbye, traffic!
• SO MUCH LESS STRESS
• Lots of playtime with my girl, love our summer bond

There are so many more but you get the point. While it's not all roses, I still much prefer our summer way of life. One downside is that finding time to blog is so difficult! I have soooo many reviews to post, it's insane. Cause another perk? Yup. This mama has actually had time to read. I hope all of you are having as wonderful a summer as I am. Here's hoping the next 6.5 weeks go sloooooowly. Cheers!