Stay at home moms....do you feel like you work all the time, and never get it all done?

Question

So many people think that being a Stay at home mom is a breeze. I feel like a work all day and there is always something else to do. Anyone else feel the same???

Answer 1

absolutely... my boyfriend always complains that i'm home 'sitting on my butt' while he's at work... i try to explain to him that i have a 24/7 job, while his is 8 hours...the dishes need to be done, the laundry needs to be done, baby needs a bath and to eat of course, diaper changing, feed the pets, clean the cat litter, walk the dog.. oh it never ends

Answer 2

LOL  Working moms feel it twice over.  We work at a normal job 8-10 hours a day, then come home and try to clean house, run errands, do laundry, cook dinner, etc.  We never get it all done, and many of us do without much needed sleep.  Try cramming all your housework into about 4 hours in the evening.

Answer 3

Yes! I would challenge  the working moms who insult SAHMs to Try It.

I combine the two -- I work for myself from home so especially in the summertime I have all the SAHM stuff and work stuff. Luckily my oldest two are 15 and 12 and pretty self sufficient. They will be at Grandmas for a week starting tomorrow so I hope to get caught up on either work or housework or something!

Answer 4

Like many jobs, it can be hard or easy depending on how well you want to do it.  I think for some moms staying at home is a breeze, because they pretty much ignore the kids and the state of the house and sit around watching tv (just as some working moms do the very minimum required not to get fired).  

If you want to do the job well, though, yes, it certainly is working all the time and never getting it all done!

Answer 5

Sure! I feel like I am always doing something and there is always something to do. Parenting (in an effective and loving way) takes lots of unpaid time and unpaid effort. That is what we bargained for by choosing to be stay at home moms. We could easily shove our delicate and precious children in with a bunch of daycare babies who's parents value the dollar more than the development of their young humans that they created. It is very difficult to manage the entire growth, as opposed to pay someone to babysit while we get paid to work. The "payment" of a well adjusted, well nurtured, and independent child who will carry these traits into adulthood is far more important for me than getting a paycheck every two weeks so that I can pay off a new car or tv or whatever it is that money can buy. Money can't buy good parenting or the organiztional skills to be a competent and loving parent.

With all the work that has to be done it is a wonder that some stay at home mom's are obese. Why is that? Maybe that is what is giving working men and women that being a stay at home mom is a breeze. Maybe it is a variety of factors that society refuses to admit is a problem and must be remedied. Why do so many people have such lavish lifestyles that a famliy can't live off of one income anymore? There are so many reasons why we are discriminated against as stay at home moms that we (the ones who see this as a serious investment of time and energy) don't need the acceptance of know-it-alls to tell us what $ our time is worth. I challenge any parent to be with their child 24-7, I bettcha there ain't that many who would do it.

SO good for you for taking on the challenge of being an ACTIVE stay at home mom. Running a household isn't easy, and for people who just contribute to the mess, their opinion doesn't really matter anyway!

Answer 6

I don't believe anyone thinks it's a breeze.  I have 3 kids, and having spent a week or two here and there as a stay-at-home dad... of course the work is never done.  If you've got kids who aren't in school, you're lucky to get a half minute alone to pee.

Thank you for reminding me, as my teens drive me bananas, how lucky I am that my kids are older now!

Answer 7

YES!  I became a SAHM for the first time when at almost 40 years old and already having two teens I had twins!  Wow, this is actually the hardest job I've ever had.  I had a friend who stayed home years ago that I criticized because her house was always messy.  I thought since she was home all the time it should be clean.  I now know why it wasn't.

Answer 8

i know the feeling  and its never done realy although  iamnot a stay at home mom i wish i was  as aim a singel mom of a ten year old girl if you think you have it bad  try working 8 hours a day then come home work another 8 hours just to have your home look as if you where a stay at home mom now that a nevering ending  work load and still bethere for your childern

Answer 9

Yes there is always something that needs to be done here.. from dishes to toys being picked up to mom needing her hair done to the boys need new shoes for school ...eye docs. doc appts., dentist it is quite a chore but i love my life and wouldnt change it for the world...

Answer 10

there's ALWAYS something else to do. period.

i've got 4 hours a day to do everything--it seems like NOTHING gets done.

Answer 11

Of Course!  

My daughter works part time... and still feels the same way.  

"A Dad works from sun up to sun down.  But a Mom's work is never done."

Answer 12

Yes!  I feel like being a stay at home mom is the hardest job i've ever had.  Not to mention the most enjoyable and rewarding.  It's just incredibly frustrating when others assume they can just ladle more onto your plate because you "stay at home all day and do nothing"!  

I find that the laundry and dishes never end.  You just finish it all to start all over again!  So frustrating at times!

Answer 13

I feel that way everyday. From 5-6am to 12pm I am on the go. Even when my daughter takes her nap during the day I am still trying to get things done (especially now we just bought a house that needs remodeling). It's like there is never enough time in the day or days of the week to take care of my daughters needs my husbands needs the house needs the dog's needs or h**l even my needs. Even when the house is spotless, supper is on the table, the baby is fed, the dog was just let out and the bills are paid it never fails just when I think 'hey I can relax for 2 minutes' something always comes up. I don't know a moms work is never done I guess no matter how hard you (I) try. But I just suck it up and wait for the next day to come. Oh well

Answer 14

LOL tell me about it girls! I am a SAHM to 4 ( have 6 kids total) And work p/t too. I feel as if I can never catch up with anything. I must clean the same areas of the house 20 times a day!! And DH thinks I got it made because I get to stay home and lounge in the AC and take naps all day while he's at work. Who is he kidding!! If it were only that easy! I am looking forward to when school starts back. Three in school one more to go! Then and only then will I likely be able to get my house in order.

Answer 15

I totally feel the same, that pile of washing never goes away. It's much tougher than any job i've ever had.

Answer 16

It's true, being a stay at home mom

is really hard and tiring, its really a full time job. My mom is a full time nurse and after a 12 hour shift, she comes home

cleans, cooks and does everything for us. And once shes done all that she has like 3 hours of sleep and has to go back to work and do everything again, basically everyday. And she never complains, so i don't think you should either.

Answer 17

I have been a stay at home mom for 3 years....except I rarely "stay at home". there is 2x a week speech therapy, avon orders to deliver, staples to pick up at the grocery because my 8 year old washed down the last slice of bread with the last glass of milk, activities to drop the kids at, doctor's appointments  for the oldest and youngest. PLUS all the "since you stay at home can you..." errands to do.

Plus the laundry, the dishes, the cooking, cleaning, the tushie wiping, the toy picking up. and if the baby (almost 3) takes a late nap, I get to stay up til the wee hours of the morning to keep him company while his hard working father goes to bed at 10 pm after spending 2 hours dozing on the couch.

Answer 18

It's never "done". There's always a dirty dish, a meal to be prepared or load of laundry. The secret is to make a schedule for chores AND fun. When it's time for fun, drop the work and go! Another secret is to arrange downtime where you just relax, read, watch a movie. What is your main goal when it comes to being a wife and mother? Figure that out and you're halfway there. My goal is to raise self sufficient, well educated kids that know how to get involved in the things they love to do. I also love spending time with my husband so that's a huge priority. I like to have things "done" when he has time to relax so we can do it together. Get yourself focused and organized and if it doesn't work towards your goals, let it go. Teach the kids how to pitch in and don't think you have to cook a gourmet meal every night of the week. Get out and ride bikes with the kids, go to the park, enjoy them! Good luck :)

Answer 19

The amount of work to do always expands to fill the available time.  At different times, I've been an employed and a stay at home mom, and I've never, ever gotten it all done.  Never will.  But usually what has to get done does. Don't stress over it.  Enjoy being able to stay home with your kids.  It goes by so fast.

Answer 20

I raised my Son on my own. He was 7 at the time and it was no problem keeping the place up and working outside the home. He was in school and I had arranged for him to go to his friends home after school until I got off work. I paid his friends Mother to watch him for 2 to 3 hours a day during the week. When you are home all day, of course the house will need constant attention because you are using it 24/7. Get out of the rut and find an outside job. You will appreciate it and so will your children. Soap operas and game shows are not part of the jjob description of a days work for a stay at home mom.

Answer 21

OH, YES!  I am right there with you.  I have been a stay-at-home Mom for 13 years and I have always felt this way.

Answer 22

Being a stay at home Mom is only easy for my brother's wife.. SHe REALLY doesnt DO ANYTHING.. NO COOKING, CLEANING, LAUNDRY..

just watches tv, so he does it all when he gets home from working a 10 hr shift..

Im not a stay at home mom, but i know that on days when i am off from work... it is very hard to get things accomplished..or as much as you want to get done..

Answer 23

My wife is a "stay at home" mom.  She is that way because her last job did a lot of travelling from store to store to do display set-ups.  With the rising cost of gas compared to what she was bringing home every week, it was sort of a break even type job, so it was better for her to stay home.

Routine:  Get up, get child ready for school (unless it's vacation or summer), go do a 1 hour workout, sort and start laundry, go shopping, clean house, take a nap (usually before child gets home from school), start getting dinner ready, help child with homework (if applicable), fold final load of laundry from dryer.

Pretty time consuming, so it's no breeze.

Answer 24

Yes, It's a never ending cycle of cleaning, taking care of the finances, training the dogs, taking care of the Baby, taking care of my husband( he does help out, I just have to remind him), keeping track of appt, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

I steal sometime for myself to play around on the web.

Answer 25

Yes.  All day everyday.  My husband is currently deployed, so I literally have to do EVERYTHING.  I can't seem to keep the house clean, there are always dirty dishes, the laundry is never all done at once, the yard work usually falls behind..... but my kids are taken care of.  That's the most important thing.

I've been both a working mom and a stay-at-home mom.  Although both have their difficulties, I can honestly say that from my own personal experience, staying home is just as hard as working an 8+ hour shift.  I worked in a nursing home, caring for the elderly all day (worked the evening shift) then came home and cared for my husband and child.  I still don't feel like I worked as hard then as I do now staying home full-time with all three children.  At least I got breaks and vacation and sick days and other benefits while I was working.  lol

Answer 26

Yes! I swear I just did all the laundry yesterday and now there is another load to do. I always hate hearing "Well you get to stay home all day...." Yes but that doesn't mean I'm on my butt in front of the television day in and day out.

Answer 27

i feel the same too! sometimes i never even get the respect i give everyone else,ooh i don't like that!!and we never get a day off too