SAHM No More: My SAHM Schedule Was Busy, But Doesn’t Compare To My Working Mom Schedule

SAHM No More explores the the ups-and-downs of navigating a new world of parenting, transitioning from married stay-at-home motherhood to a full-time working, divorced motherhood. And there are a lot of adjustments being made—a lot of adjustments and not a lot of sleep.

My mother always used to say to me, “Make sure you find time for yourself, sweetie. It’s so important to take care of yourself, too. Not just the kids.” Being the mature and receptive adult that I am, I would usually roll my eyes at her and say, “Well, yeah. Obviously. I’m fine.”

I was not the kind of mother who took the advice that dictated, “Take a nap when your baby does” or “Always take time to pamper yourself with a bubble bath or manicure.” Screw that, I always thought. I have plenty of time to do what I need to take care of my children and take care of myself. No problem. I was so smug and certain that other parents just didn’t schedule their time correctly, that other parents just weren’t as efficient as I was. To sum up, I was an ass.

This is a little bit what my schedule looked like when I was a SAHM:

7:00 – Both boys jump on my bed around now, like warm puppies who want to play. In this case, though, these warm puppies just want breakfast.
7:30 – Walk the actual warm puppy. Question the intelligence of having a dog in New York City. Look at how excited the dog gets at every skittering squirrel, stray leaf, and errant plastic bag that we come across. Realize that I love the dog even though she’s somewhat simple.

8:30 – Walk kids to school. Stop and chat with other parents as we all head back home.
9:00 – Yoga. Feel amazing after.
10:30 – Take a shower, have coffee, answer emails.

12:00 – Think about what I want for lunch. Make lunch.
1:00 – Read the current issue of The New Yorker.
3:00 – Pick up kids from school, drop one off at piano, start homework with the other.

6:00 – Make dinner. Every food group is represented.
9:00 – Put kids to bed. Spend the rest of the night doing whatever I feel like. Really. Frequently this involved watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix. So, basically heaven.

With a schedule like that, it’s no wonder that I never felt like I needed a break. I had a break built into my day. And even on the days when I was doing freelance work, I almost always managed to fit it in while they were in school. So, I wasn’t really prepared for what my working mom schedule would become.

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