Do you have "you" time??

This is my me time - an hour or 2 after lunch while Hannah has a sleep. Its not really me time tho as I cant leave the house. I am lucky tho that my mum and MIL both live here so can take Hannah for a few hours while I go do something like get my hair cut. I have thought about taking Han to daycare for one morning a week, but just decided I couldnt do it!

Funny you should post this. Last week I put DD in care for the first time, just for two mornings a week. It was something we had always planned on doing, to give me a bit of 'me time' as well as preparing her for childcare before I go back to work.
I didn't enjoy it at all! I didn't realise how much I loved being a SAHM and after the two mornings I felt like it was such a big waste of money because I didn't feel like I got anything out of it. I get a couple of hours of 'non baby time' during the day when she's asleep, and that works for me so far.

My 'me' time is going to work and sitting in a relatively quiet office with no noisy toys!!! Unfortunately, I have to look after a bunch of 'kids' there too that can't think for themselves When I start my new job, I'm putting Ashlee into care, and it has to be a minimum number of hours, so I've had to put her in for more time than I'd planned. Some of that will end up being my 'me' time.

i put james in day care at 8 months old he goes for 12 hours a week and i love it and so does he james gets his playing with his friends time and i get my time it relly is up to you some people love it and some people dont it does help that james taechers are relly kool and he loves going though

I put Rico into a private kindy one morning a week, when he was about 2 yrs 4 mths, so a bit older than your boy. He was very active & loved interacting with other children so I knew he'd get a lot out of it, while I managed to have time to go & do things without him which was more relaxing. I still had a newborn to look after as well though.

I think for the child they really get a lot out of it, but it can make you feel a little uneasy for a while. I don't think I'd put my children in care younger than 2, but that's just me.

Having "you" time is great & needed once in a while that's for sure.

I don't. We are planning to homeschool (you could sorta say we do "home preschool" for the moment ) so I can't see much point in putting the girls in care before taking them out to stay home for school - confusing!! But in saying that, my older two girls both sleep after lunch so I do get an hour to myself, except when Krystiana decides to hog it!

What I have done though, is to get involved with a couple of friends and visit them/they visit me etc, and Hannah has sometimes gone to a friend's place by herself or that friend come around here - gives me or the other mum a bit of a break. I've once had her younger child too and next time we are talking about me leaving both my older girls and seeing how that goes (Briona has been clingy lately but I think she will be ok cause of the new toys LOL). It's good for me to have backups like that in place (my MIL and M are not often available) for when I need to go for pg scans or anything like that, and just for a free afternoon, even though I still have 1 or 2 to look after. But it also builds some good friendships for my older DDs which I think is very valuable too.

In saying all that though, I didn't leave either of my children (except with their dad) until they were 18mos. Apart from Hannah's recent playdates, I have left them only for births, broken foot, and moving house.

PS I love the way you have written this post, it's so open and non-judgmental on anyone!

I never used to have "me" time until i spoke to a few friends. Now every saturday we are free, me and one of my girlfriends go out for lunch and leave our kids with our dh's. And also on tuesdays and Wednesdays me and another girlfriend to turn about on looking after each others kids, which is fantastic. Plus its free childcare.

Well Char, I think it's a GREAT idea!  And because it's for the purpose of you getting a break, if it turns out that you don't like it, you can always just take them out of daycare - it's not like you're stuck with it for the year or anything.  And a few hours in daycare provides a great opportunity for kids to socialise and do some serious playing.  I don't speak from experience though, I should say.  But it's certainly something I'd consider later on. 

Jake goes for 12 hours a week, which dosen't give me "me time" as such, but does give Char and I time together, as he requires so much of my attention, she tends to get left out. Also, I really need it for my mental health some days. I will be swapping one of those sessions with charlotte though, so I can take him swimming, and that will be our mummy and Jake time. My "me" time tends to be parents centre meetings or on here at night time or when they are asleep during the day.

OK, so I'm not in the same boat as most of you coz I work so am not strictly a SAHM but up until last week I had the gremlins 24-7 with me except the odd escape when I left them with Willie.
I've just got a nanny who comes in 2 days a week, and I don't even use the time she is here to work, I can do that when the kids are sleeping. I use it to get out of the house sans gremlins and just do stuff like go to the post office and the supermarket and for coffee without having to pack up half the house and drag the kids with me. And I am loving the freedom. I am enjoying being home with the gremlins, something I missed out on with Maya as she was in full time care from 5 months, but I also need my "out" time, time to just be on my own away from everything and know that my kids are still safe and well cared for.