What do you do?

You do more then me

I live at my parents BUT in saying that I do the dishes when needed empty dishwasher do laundry if I can be bothered.

Dad is retired now so he is here and sometimes does things sometimes doesn't. Told me off for turning the dishwasher on the other arvo because he had already turned it on. Yep ok I won't help anymore then lol. I cook dinner when I can be bothered but as we don't do our own grocery shopping alot of the time I have to wait till DP gets home to buy food for dinner. I wouldn't even dare venture to mow the lawn its ridiculously hilly. The boys even struggle with it.

Other then that I take DD swimming, to the park, go for a walk (very rare), and just generally look after DD

I think you do more than enough!...I know that as SAHM's the tasks we do can seem mediocre.....but hey it's a 24 hour 7 day a week job that doesn't pay up! lolz...I do the majority of everything in our place too....on top of that I study full time, so I do twice as much "work" then DP. You deserve to put your feet up Missy!

You put me to shame too!

I see my job as "running the house" and more importantly being Callum's Mum. I think I am comfortable with it as I hadn't worked full time for quite a while before I even got pregnant. My days are really full, mostly with taking C out to do fun things (swimming, the zoo, the Gardens, playdates or just going for walks) and I have a lot of friends in the same boat so I don't feel "different" for being at home either.

I expect a fair bit from DH too - he clears up if I cook and he gets C up in the mornings (that's "their" time as they don't see each other in the evening).

Like Flake, this is the life that DH and I wanted for our family. So even if I have a day (or a week or even a month!) when I'm feeling a bit worthless I try and remember that, and DH reminds me of it too.

Look at it this way - being a Mum is your full time job. If you were in paid employment you would be entitled to lunch breaks, coffee breaks and you would get to leave at the end of the day too! That's how I "justify" having a break to myself

Good lord, you do plenty!!

Besides looking after the girls and ensuring they are fed through the day (which takes over an hour and a half itself just to feed them), I put the dishes in the dishwasher, and we turn it on at night and I empty it during the day (when I get round to it), I make sure there is always clean clothes for DH and the girls, even if it isn't folded (it's rarely folded), I vacuum (but not every day!) and I pull something out for tea, but DH cooks a lot of the time while I take care of the girls. We both bath the girls (cos we do it at the same time) and quite often DH gets sole responsibility at night for the girls, unless they're both playing up, then both of us have a go...that's also because at night they seem to want DH and just won't settle for me.

Mind you, I also study full-time and work part-time...anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 days a week. And I don't clean up after DH.

For me DH is away for the majority of the summer and then for long stints in the winter too. I do pretty much everything, all housework and gardening and lawns, plus full time Mum to 14 month old DD. When DH is home he sometimes does the dinner dishes the following morning and also does all of the reno work that is needed on our home, which is ALOT! folds the washing for me while he watches sport on TV plus helps out with DD. The only things I do not do is put DH's clothes away I just don't like going into his drawers.

For me I feel that DH brings in the money and slowly but surely makes our home liveable and so therefore I run the house and keep things ticking along nicely BUT I am by no means the best housekeeper, especially living in a major do-up, so sometimes things do not get done, but as long as there is yummy food to eat, a cold beer in the fridge and a happy wife at home DH is more than happy! I am in the process of becoming self employed so once I am working here & there, things will just have wait sometimes at home.

Yeah I guess I feel like DP brings in the money so I have to contribute somehow.
He is self employed and it's not the easiest life to live on a financial basis.

I like the idea Flake put forward about knitting. I should get back into my knitting. I did it a lot at the beginning of my pregnancy but I knitted all girls stuff.
Then I found out we were having a boy and never got around to making any boy stuff.

Without wanting to put DP down, he doesn't really give me any reassurances that what I'm doing is ok or sufficient. I don't think that's intentional on his part, probably just not something he has thought of doing.
I'm actually too scared to ask if he thinks I'm doing enough in case he says I'm not. LOL.

I'm hoping to get into some study soon but I'm not sure how I'm going to go about it. I want to do the Playcentre courses but I feel Mac is still too young to go to Playcentre. I might find another short course to do along those lines though.

I think I'm just the kind of person who needs to keep going and going, to be occupied and if I find myself unoccupied I feel lazy. Does that make sense?

I'm glad to know that you ladies think I'm doing enough. Might go chat to DP about it, he probably doesn't even know I'm worried about it.

Exactly.
And if this is how you both want it to be, I'm sure he'll be more then happy to help 'build you up' and let you know what you're doing wonderful.

And heck, if he has some ideas for improvement, no harm in taking them on board! You sure do plenty, but knowing you are working on the things he really notices/appreciates will help make you feel better too

You do more than your fair share IMO.. good on you, and you shouldnt' doubt yourself either.

I do washing every couple of days, fold it every other day. Clean up the kitchen, empty the dishwasher, throw toilet duck down the toilet every so often.... ummmmm cook dinner every other night (we share). Entertain the 2yr old while the others are at school..I think thats about it really.

I also make sure I have "me" time, usually when Cooper is in bed, I'll catch up on my recordings..

it reminds me of that joke about the man who comes home and the kitchen has food all over the floor, dishes on the table, spilled drinks, the hallway has clothes strewn up it, the kids are naked in the backyard, in short the house is a shambles... his wife is in bed with curtains shut and when he comes in and says what happens she said ... well you know every day when you come home and ask what i did - today i didnt do it!

Bizzy wrote: it reminds me of that joke about the man who comes home and the kitchen has food all over the floor, dishes on the table, spilled drinks, the hallway has clothes strewn up it, the kids are naked in the backyard, in short the house is a shambles... his wife is in bed with curtains shut and when he comes in and says what happens she said ... well you know every day when you come home and ask what i did - today i didnt do it!

BAAAAHAHAHAHA! So going to try that oneday!
I'll wait til Mac gets to that age where he can get into stuff and cause mayhem and I'll just leave him to it oneday.

Oh, AandCsmum, I've just filled out my application form with PORSE to do my Level 3 ECE so I can start looking after a kid or something to bring in some money.


Caitlynsmygirl - I think you're right when you say we feel guilty cause we aren't earning money anymore. I think thats how it is for me.

Edited by Mum2Mac