how much time a day do you spend without your kids? (Poll)

Laughing Bag!

Wed, Jan 07 2015, 8:22 pm

I have no time alone until everyone is asleep at night and then I stay up late just because I can finally do things (if my baby doesn't cry then)
I'm a SAHM with my 2 year old and newborn always with me. They nap but I often end up napping along with them because I stay up late. 😃

michal817

Wed, Jan 07 2015, 10:24 pm

I work part-time at the moment so I often have a lot of time at home alone while my 3yo is at school. But I'm due in about 5 weeks, so that's going to change pretty soon... Smile

amother

Wed, Jan 07 2015, 10:36 pm

We homeschool! And I have little ones not school age yet. I don't have any time in my house with no one. Maybe like once every 4-6 months dh will take all of them out somewhere, but that is very rare. It's actually strange when they are all out!

In order to get any time alone, I need to leave the house. I go to yoga classes a few times a week, a book club once a month, and grocery shopping once a week.

LiLIsraeli

Wed, Jan 07 2015, 10:44 pm

bookworm10 wrote:

Zero. I take my kids to school, go to work... finish work and pick them up.

The hours that you're at work are not considered child-free?

I have the same situation - I drop off the kids, go to work, and pick them up on the way home. So I'm never home without them, but I at least have a few hours interacting with adults only.

eschaya

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 1:19 am

Every day is different. I work overnight, so while I technically have the mornings while kids are at school, I am sleeping so I don't really count it. So on days before/after shifts I don't really have any time without kids since DS 2 comes home at 12:45 (others at 4:30). But, the benefit of nursing is that I don't have to work 5 days a week, so I usually have at least 1 morning at home that I'm not asleep (at least the whole time) so occasionally I have a few hours alone. Maybe only once a week (since I'm in school and that eats up an additional day), but I do value that one morning.

chani8

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 2:58 am

It will help you in the long run to learn to make 'me' time with the kids around. Just tune them out or put headphones on. Make them take 'quiet time' where they read on their beds or play in their room.

luppamom

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 3:34 am

chani8 wrote:

This will only work w/ older kids. If she has a baby, she can't do this.

Iymnok

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 4:33 am

I put 4, I'm a sahm and the baby naps for most of the morning. My made time is 9-11pm when DH is in shul and all the kids are asleep. I just have to be home, that's fine though.

sunny90

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 4:50 am

I have 3 kids, my 14 mo is home with me so the only time I have to myself is when he's sleeping about an hour in the morning. During his afternoon nap my 3 yo is home so it's not really free time. I usually have to get stuff done when they're all in bed after 7 pm

chavs

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 9:06 am

I homeschool, so do the maths :-D
To make it easy, essentially none. I do go out once a week without kids in the evening and when dh comes home from work in the evening I have a lovely hot bath usually.
Other me time includes a lunch break when baby is asleep (if he sleeps) and the kids watch a dvd or something on the tv.

buzz

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 9:08 am

Working full time this year, so will drop all kids on way to work at 8 and pick them up when I finish at 4.

I LOVE my work, but it is full on (teaching) so I have to figure out how I will get that alone "quiet" time after the kids go to bed and besides preparing and exercising.

Until this year, about 1/2/3 hour(s) a day because then my 2 yr old came home at 1. It just depended what time of the day I taught.

lfab

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 11:38 am

I leave the house before my kids go to school and pick them up on my way home so the only time I am home without my kids is on the rare days when I have off from work and they don't have off from school. I think all moms (SAH and working) wish they could have at least a few hours a week to get stuff done without their children around. Don't know about others but I know it takes me much longer to do stuff with the kids home.

If it would be difficult to pay a babysitter for financial reasons you can try teaming up with another mom in your area. You take her baby a few hours a week and she takes yours in return. This way you each get some alone time for errands or chores without the cost.

chatz

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 11:58 am

wife2 wrote:

...He thinks most people don't have that time every day. ...

He may be right, but my house is a wreck, I cook the bare minimum and so many nonurgent things are neglected. There are some stuff that can be done with kids underfoot, but other stuff are near impossible:
http://crappypictures.com/clea.....room/

For some reason, I found your poll very confusing. Maybe my brain is sleep deprived. Anyways, I voted zero, although if my babies take a nap at the same time before the babysitter comes, I have that time to find my floor under the mess. Once she comes, I need to work.

amother

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 1:30 pm

My husband insists on me having 3 hours twice a week of "me time" where a sitter comes to the house and I could go out and do what I wamt. I'm a SAHM. Sometimes I use it to do errands without kids in tow amd sometimes I chill at the mall or go to a shiur.

sky

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 2:13 pm

I answered 4+. But I'm working straight. When I'm not working I always have them (I even work with all of them home, which is NUTS).

Maya

Thu, Jan 08 2015, 3:02 pm

I don't currently work, and both my kids are in school. I have about seven hours alone time Monday thru Thursday, three hours on Friday. On Sundays the kids are out for a few hours, but I spend the time with my husband.