Are there any Mom's that enjoy being a SAHM? Or evin a home schooling SAHM?

West - posted on 05/09/2012

Thank you Darlene I will be fine

West - posted on 05/09/2012

I'm going back in two weeks im really scared and confused they're saying I'm six weeks and five days but they didn't see anything but the sac. It's painful and I just want it to be over.

Darlene - posted on 05/08/2012

Oh my goodness! Are you alright? Have you gone to your Dr.? My goodness girl...We will certainly pray for you. Please let me know how you are. I hope you have someone to come help you.

West - posted on 05/08/2012

It's been hard this week cause I'm having somewhat of a miscarriage and they places me on bed rest but everyone relies on me do it's not really possible. It's painful but I hide it from my girls

Darlene - posted on 05/07/2012

Hi Amanda,
Sorry, did not mean to ignore you. It sounds like you have a wonderful life going on with your children. Sorry you have to go back to work, but you have laid a foundation for your children and that is the most important thing for them. I am so thankful for what time I have with mine. My mom was always home with my sisters and I and that is a memory I will always cherish.

So, how do you manage doing all you have to do in a day? There are days I am so over whelmed, feeling like I won't get everything done...then I tell myself that there is always tomorrow, well, I'm still waiting...lol...

Darlene - posted on 05/07/2012

Hi West, Pretty much, I make a menu for each week. I will ask every one what they want then I plan my menu. If I didn't, I would loose my mind on what to fix every night. And it helps me to save money on my grocerie bill.

West - posted on 05/04/2012

No I don't make the shells from scratch ( I'm not that talented yet) but the fry bread sounds like something I'd try making. Do you have certain dinner nights every week?

Darlene - posted on 05/04/2012

That sounds yummy, how do you make your stuffed shells, do you make them from scratch? My sister in law lived on a Navajo reservation for a few years and she makes a wonderful fry bread:

5 Cups (wheat or white) flour
2 tsp salt
1 Tblsp baking powder
1/2 Cup dry milk
2 Tblsp Crisco
1 1/2 Cup warm water

Mix dry ingredients, add crisco and crumble into flour. Add 1 Cup water & kneed dough. Add remaining 1/2 Cup of water, kneed until dough is no longer sticky...if dough is sticky, add a little flour until you can handle the dough without it sticking.

On floured surface, pull off some dough, about the size of a large golf ball. Roll out flat. In a skillet, heat enough vegetable or canola oil to cover shell, cook until golden brown and flip to do the same on the other side. Place each shell between paper towels. Fill with what ever and enjoy.

These are so wonderful, we have them every Friday for taco night.

Darlene - posted on 05/04/2012

Hey Erin, what you just described sounds wonderful. That is the way your home should look like with small children. When I first left my Job, I had my daughter (9) months, my little nephew (2 1/2), and my friends 6 week old. I had my hands full, my husband never said anything about how the house looked. We now have 2 playrooms, one of our smaller bedrooms is a video play room. They have their Wii, TV, DVD/VCR and all of their movies and Wii games. In our basement we have our class room and they have a huge playroom where all of their toys are. The best part, like you I enjoyed them and we did all sorts of things, I did that for 3 years. Still doing it with Madison (almost 8) & Ryan who just turned 10.

It is a tough job yet so rewarding. Enjoy your time with them, they grow up so very fast.

Darlene - posted on 05/03/2012

Hey Brittany, you make it sound so easy...I will try to make it. My husband won't know what to think (smile). Thank you for the recipe, it sounds delicious, that I know I will try.

My favorite foods are Italian, Mexican & Asian. If you are interested, I would be happy to share some of my dishes to any one who would like them. I make Navajo fry bread (perfect for taco's), Pizza dough that is actually better than Boboli, Egg roll wraps, crab rangoon wraps, Sio Pao (sweet steemed dough), all sorts of condements....choc. syrup, BBQ sauce, Mayo, sour cream, cream cheese, salad dressings, Maple syrup, corn syrup, cole slaw dressing...(creamy and vinagre) both awesome. I have made a book of all my recipes to pass on to my daughter, she told me it was way too big of a book...

West - posted on 05/03/2012

I love to make pasta dishes. They always seem to be a good fall back. My favorite thing to make are jumbo stuffed shells. I use ground beef, spicy Italian sausage, crushed tomatoes, ricotta cheese, mozzerlla cheese, white onion and green bell peppers and green onions. I add a little pesto sauce to my crushed tomatoes and it's tasty

West - posted on 05/03/2012

Brittany brought up an excellent point. My girls seem to hit a new milestone every few days sometimes daily, I would be sad to miss that moment. I just took my girls to some relatives to visit, and although they did fine the situation reminded me how no one can care for your kids quite as good as you can. I'm convinced we're doing the right thing.

Erin - posted on 05/03/2012

Thank you Darlene!

While my oldest loves to help out with cooking and baking I am not fond of it. I am one of those people that burn box brownies. ( my mother used to burn them too). My sister told me once that I was a great mom. I told her that while that may be true I am a horrible homemaker. I do the day to day stuff (dishes, laundry, vaccuming, etc) but I probably only deep clean the house twice a month if that. My husband will come home to toys all over the place and in every room. If it is a nice day out we will spend most of the day outside. If not we still spend most of our day just playing.

We are in the middle of turning an extra room into a toy room for the boys, so I haven't seen much sense in getting the house organized lately. Once that is done it will be a lot easier to keep the house picked up.

When my 10 month old is down for a nap, I will take my 2 year old into the kitchen and he will help me clean the floor. I just get a bucket and a couple of rags and we go to town getting the floor, and ourselves soaked. We make a mess but at the same time the floor is getting cleaned. Then to clean up all of the water I get out a big towel, turn the radio on, and we stand on the towel and dance to mop up all of the water on the floor.

Brittany - posted on 05/03/2012

Thank you Darlene.

Homemade pasta is a lot easier than people often think. The first time I made some, it took me over an hour. But by the 3rd time it took me only 20 minutes. Now depending on how much I make it takes anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.

Like with pie and bread dough the amount of liquid changes depending on the weather. Where I am, most of the time I use 3 eggs with 1 1/2 cups flour. That makes enough for my husband, my daughter, and myself, plus a bit of leftovers. So it would be around 3-4 servings. If the dough it just a bit too dry I add oil over another egg, I also flour the pasta a lot while rolling it out to prevent it from sticking. A pastry scraper is awesome for helping to pick up pasta that has started to stick to the counter.

I make a Moroccan-esqe chicken and lentil dish. It is 4 chicken breasts cut in half, 1 cup lentils, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup diced carrot, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp turmeric (I've also used yellow curry powder), 1/2 tsp cayenne powder. I put it all in a crock pot on low for 7 hours then on high for 2 or until the water is gone. I then add the salt and pepper to taste.

Darlene - posted on 05/02/2012

Brittany, that is wonderful. You sound like an outstanding Mother and homemaker. I have never tried to make my own pasta, but I would love to learn. Care to share some tips? Our children love to help in the kitchen, our daughter is a natural. They are already planning what they are going to cook for me on mothers day,,,pancakes is what I believe they are making. We make most every thing from scratch. We make an Indian fried bread for taco's, fresh vegies from our garden, and a variety of different cultural foods.

We take field trips to anyplace here in Indy, including local farms and anyplace local where they can have fun and learn. We have a fairly large back yard with a pool, swings, trampoline, fire pit for camping, veggie garden and a fruit tree which we use the berries to make jam in the fall....Thanks for sharing.

Darlene - posted on 05/02/2012

I kind of do the same, but since my husband is home on the weekends and takes the children out side then I get busy inside. I pick 1 room and deep clean, if time allows, I go to another room. During the week I do all I can to maintain...(smile)...

My thing is cooking. I taught myself how to cook and I have played so much in the kitchen that my husband actually asked me..."What ever happened to meat & potatoes?" I just laughed. I used to work for a Phillipino Dentist, her family made a sweet steemed bread filled w/ chicken or pork called "Sio Pao (sho pow). I missed the flavor so much that I went on a quest to get the recipe. It took me 4 tries and I got it it right. They are so good, if you would like the recipe, I can give it to you. I also love Chineese food, but hate the MSG, so I have been making my own egg rolls, stir fry, crab rangoon and so much more...that's how I got my family to like Chineese food. I have an Italian heritage and I have been making my own spaghetti sauce from my garden veggies for years. I have also learned to can food the old fashioned way. I worked for a Dentist that is Italian, his mom was born in Italy and she has made some to die for dishes which I copied. One of my friends is Hispanic and lives across the street from me and she has been teaching me how to cook authentic Mexican food...What I have learned is so true..."Less is more". We as americans tend to add more ingredients than are necessary. Sorry, I can talk food all day long, it is a wonder I am not as big as a house. My daughter will watch cooking shows with me, she and my nephew love to cook and I encourage it.

We also love to decorate, we will often watch shows on home decor and do it yourself shows. We can actually design on a dime, it is so much fun when we do it together, sort of an art class I guess. Well, I have shared my joy, what makes you happy?

Brittany - posted on 05/02/2012

Staying at home is awesome. It helps for me that we can't afford for me to work. My daughter is almost 2 1/2 and my son is 4 months. It is a blast to watch them go from one stage to the next. My daughter blows me away daily on all that she has learned and how polite she is.

With the schooling side, we don't do a lot of structural learning yet. My daughter seems to be doing so well with just talking about letters, numbers, colors, shapes, etc. She has puzzles, helps me cook and clean, we talk about everything. I'm a big space junky I love learning about it, so that passion has been passed on to her. She is constantly asking about stars and the moon.

Her grandfather takes one Friday a month off and takes her to the library for the toddler reading time. She has swimming lessons each week. Although my husband (who is a certified instructor) could just teach her on her own, we wanted her to have a chance to meet other children and play. Often times he ends up being the instructor anyway.

As for cooking, I love making homemade pasta. I have my daughter help by counting out how many eggs and cups of flour I need. She also loves pushing the button on the food processor. I double the servings for dinners than what I know we could eat, so that my husband can take it to work for lunch. It saves us on having to buy lunch meats and so much bread for sandwiches.

West - posted on 05/02/2012

I don't have any shortcuts to housework but I do concentrate on deep cleaning a different room different days of the week. It's overwhelming to deep clean an entire house daily. The only things I do daily are dishes and vacuuming. Any other chore I have to do I rotate them ie dusting on Monday, bathrooms Tuesday and Thursday sometimes a quick clean.. I mop only twice a week unless there is a spill. That's the only shortcuts I do is one at a time

Darlene - posted on 05/02/2012

Erin, your story was not long, I love to hear stories like yours. I never tho't I would be blessed with a child, let alone be home schooling. It is the hardest job, being a mother, but the rewards are great.

The kids & I love to cook, bake, do science projects, we do house work, laundry and they are rewarded for what they do to help me and at the same time they are learning lifes lessons.

Does any one have any short cuts to housework, good kid recipes you want to share, I have several...I Love to Cook...I don't like house work but decorating is fun.

Erin - posted on 04/26/2012

I love being a sahm. My husband and i decided that I would stay home long before we ever had kids. I didn't really give up a career. It was just an assembling job, that on occasion they call me and send work home for me. So it really didn't bother me to leave. I do miss some of the adult interaction. But I do try to get over to my dad's house and my inlaws house once a week. I know this sounds bad but being a mother is what defines me. Everything I do revolves around my kids (they are 2 boys, 2.5 and 10 months and just found out I am pregnant with #3). My husband and i would rather do something that the whole family can go and do rather than do something without the boys. I love the fact that I haven't missed one milestone. I think I would be up set that someone else got to see my sons first steps.

I also feel sorry for those who don't enjoy staying at home with their kids and I do feel for the ones who would like to stay at home who can't.

At the ages my boys are we enjoy playing outside on the swing set and running around, going for walks, playing in the dirt, and playing "catch" (we haven't quite made it to actually catching the ball). We build forts out of pillows and blankets, race around the house, and playing with all of the trucks and cars. My 2year old loves to help me clean and bake. While i don't intend to home school I do work with him as much as possible to learn stuff that will prepare him for starting school. He loves to learn. My son does know his letters and numbers, shapes and colors. So I do try to find games to play that encourage learning.

I know this is really long. I am sorry. I love what I do and wouldn't have it any other way.

Amanda - posted on 04/25/2012

I love being home with my 2 as well. Its damn hard work but I love that I still get to do what I want to do, even with kids in tow, just takes abit more preparation.
I go to the gym, playgroups, shopping, I love baking and I get to do all those things and get the kids involved too. On the downside I hate housework.

My son will be starting school Jan/Feb next year so I will begrudgingly look to go back to work then, even though I may drag it out for as long as possible

West - posted on 04/25/2012

I'm having a haed time just trying to get my 21 month old to learn her alphabet I pray i become a good teacher

Darlene - posted on 04/25/2012

West, you are sweet to say so....I make my fair share of mistakes.Being an older mom may not always be the best, but I do the best I can. Some day's it is very trying and I could pull my hair out...lol...but I take a 5 minute breather and laugh it off. My nephew is turning 10 tomorrow (4-26) and he is ADHD...A great kid, but he has his moments. I had to study up on the condition, but now that I understand what makes him do the things he does, it makes it easier for me to deal with him and his quirky little ways. He was given a raw deal in public school and that is what prompted me to decide to home school him and my daughter. We started her in a Christian school, it came highly recommended by my Sister in law. She sent her two daughters there and they had a great education. After 1st grade ended, we decided to home school my nephew and our daughter wanted to stay home too. The year is almost over and they have both done so well. Can't say the same for me...It has been tough, but so very worth it. I have a whole new respect for the teachers.

I believe I would not have made it if it were not for God's help. I thank him every day for the chance to be a Mother, Aunt and home teacher...not to mention my husband for taking such good care of us financially and giving me the opportunity to do what I am doing.

You and every other parent that is able to do what we are doing is a blessing indeed. Even the parents that are not able to stay home, they have such a huge burden to care for the home, children and financial support, I commend them all. It is not easy to be all the above.

West - posted on 04/24/2012

It's also a blessing for you to be an older mom because you arent still making mistakes a younger person might you have more wisdom

West - posted on 04/24/2012

Hey Darlene I have been a stay at home mom since july,2011. I was kind of forced too due to health conditions but I guess it was god's way of telling me where I belong for the time being. I do enjoy cooking but I don't have any special recipies to share sorry (lol). My girls are pretty young ( three under 4) so I mostly focus on teaching the basics. We love to sing and dance, we love music all together. I enjoy reading to my kids to encourage literacy. I feel my t.v is on more than it should be but it's more for ambiance sound. I am very interested in homeschooling but I admit I'm not the most patient person. Me and the kids find all kinds of adventures cause my entire family has a great sense of humor. We laugh and laugh all day and my kids are really happy and so am I. We get compliments wherever we go.

Darlene - posted on 04/23/2012

I worked for the 9 months after my daughter was born, it broke my heart each time I had to leave her and I could not wait for my day to be over so I could go pick her up. The only difference is, I had planned all along to leave my job once I found out that we were going to have a child. It just took a little longer than I tho't.

I know how you feel, I love staying home and I love home school. We have a great program. I cannot really speak from experience, but I know of several mom's that work and they are doing very well. I wish I could offer some advice or some comforting words, possibly someone on COM's can offer some encouraging words for you.

I wish you all the best.

Helen - posted on 04/22/2012

i love it... its my dream job :D i have been a (single)sahm since day one my son is 6 in 3 weeks and i have loved every second of it, i have learnt so much specially patience and understanding :) i have never missed anything every milestone he acheived was more of a miricle then the last :) we do so much together we cook, bake and clean (yes i do mean housework he loves getting involved and being mummys little helper) we go to the park when weather permits he loves dancing as do i so we are often court dancing around the house singing :) he is facinated with scooters and skaters now he is older i take him down the skate park and let him ride free he loves watching the teenagers do their tricks and often tries to copy wich is really comical :) he loves swimming (he used to be petrified and cling to me there was no reason for it but i kept going as i belived its a life skill that is useful and eventually after 4 years he started to like it) i cant get him out of the water now, we do lots of arts and crafts and now he is learning to read a write he makes me cards and puts little notes in them so precious, he can be shy in person until he gets to no you but no matter what if he sees a camera he instantly gets washed of his fears and strikes a pose lol and loves the camera weather he is in front of it or behind it im often finding pics of his tv shows or plants or pics of him self on my cameras, i have a few sahm friends and im the only one that truely enjoys my role i no one of my friends (although she loves her children dearly) hates being a sahm :( my friends from the past thought i was throwing my life away getting pregnant so young (i was 16 and 17 when he was born) but my life was just begining and what a beautiful one at that :) i worked from the age of 13 and went to collage at 16 aswel, but gave it up just after he was born (my son was born in may i gave up collage in june after my final exam), i do however have to go back to work now by law im uneasy about it not because i dont want to work i have no problem with that my problem is financial and the time im going to have to stay away from him if i could afford to work between school hours i would not have an issue but financially i would have to work about 50+ hrs a week just to get by, i dont want my son to feel abandoned by me and i dont want my time at home with him consumed by housework and shopping, so dose any one that has worked while having children have any tips on keeping it balanced specially if you are a single mum :)

Darlene - posted on 04/17/2012

I do not feel that it was over nothing. I felt that you were a little negative and that is not why I posted my question. If I mis read you, then I'm sorry.

I guess that people do have children later in life, but I could not, so I guess I do get a little defensive. My intention was to share knowledge about things we enjoy with the children. There are so many Mom's that hate it and it breaks my heart.. I guess I tho't that other Mom's would share their stories and possibly change the minds of some or give them more of a possitive way of thinking when it comes to being a SAHM.

Again, I am sorry if I mis-judged you.

Medic - posted on 04/16/2012

I NEVER turned it into a debate....I thought what you had to say was interesting and simply tried to share my point of view and why. My bad for thinking one could read someone elses opinion and ideas without feeling attacked.



Some people have children late by choice...as did my parents. I was trying to show the good in both but you got all defensive over nothing.

Darlene - posted on 04/16/2012

Hi West, don't worry about mis spelling words, we all do. How long have you been a stay at home Mom? Do you like to cook? Have any good recipes you want to share? (smile) The kids and I have cooking class, craft class, science fun and anything else I can do to make our day more enjoyable. They love learning and I enjoy doing the things we all can do together. I try to keep them busy with things other than TV and video games as much as I can. My husband is a great craftsman and we now have a play ground in our back yard. 12 years ago I would have not tho't it possible, but thankfully, now we do. We enjoy the pool quite a bit in summer. What all do you and your children do?

Darlene - posted on 04/16/2012

Medic Mommy...This is not a debate as to who is bigger, badder or better, just an honest question to Mom's who enjoy doing what we do. This is not a debate, so please don't turn it into one.

Yes, I am an older Mom, and I would have traded places with anyone if I could of had a child when I was younger, but I could not. I had severe medical problems and I was never able to have a child. My daughter is a blessing and a true gift from God. So, please do not ever judge a book by the cover until you have read it. You are 26, how would you feel if you were not able to have a child of your own? I had no choice but to move on with life and have job that I worked because I loved what I did, but when the opportunity came along for me to have the chance to be a Mom, something that I had wanted all my life...darn right I gave that up for my daughter. So, do not judge me for wanting a family and I would appreciate it if you would not comment on this post. Thank You.

West - posted on 04/16/2012

Two things, first I noticed I spelled remember wrong and second I live in Charlotte NC.My husband supports me staying at home because we don't have to worry about neglectful strangers and we don't have to pay for child care. I do miss my old co workers at times but I manage to keep in contact.

Medic - posted on 04/16/2012

I think there is a big difference between older moms and younger moms in that older moms get to have the careers, the life before children and you get to enjoy it so when you do decide to have kids that can easilly be your main focus. Whereas being a young mom there is still that drive to make something of yourself in this world and become something other than just mom.

I am 26 been a stay at home mom for the past few years and I have loved being with my kids but hated not working. I am about to graduate school and thankfully my job will allow me to only work 12-14 days a month and that is full time.

We do homeschool our oldest right now and will continue to do so, and we will start with our youngest when she is older.

I do not feel that my children are any less of a blessing from whomever you believe blesses us than yours but I also think that I am more than just a SAHM. I hate house work, I hate cooking, hubs is much better at all of that than I am and with him being exmilitary he likes it done a certain way so he just does it.

Darlene - posted on 04/16/2012

I am so very happy to hear that! You sound like me...I love having a life outside of the work force. I feel so very fortunate to have a husband that is understanding to the needs of his wife and mother of his child. He did not always used to be like that, but is sooooo much better now.

What city do you live in ...West?

West - posted on 04/16/2012

I really enjoy it. I get to make sure I'm the person shaping my children's character. It helps me grow as a person because I have to make sure i'm a good role model. it's a lot of work to be a SAHM so i feel satisfied. To balance I have outside activities for myself, but in general I love it. I remamber being at work wishing i could be home with my babies. I am only 25 so I don't know hoe i will feel 5 to 10 years from now, but for now it's perfect.