I'm as close as I can get to being a SAHM and still working.. so I am as lucky as can be I guess!

I teach piano from home - work for myself - and work in the afternoons from 3pm - 6.30pm Mon to Fri. (And 3 mornings a week I go to some elderly peoples houses when Luke is at school)

I was lucky that I started back with students when Luke was 4 months old... he had a bouncer and a bassinett next to me, next to the piano

Everyone says I have the dream job, but there are pros and cons to everything

My dream job is to be a SAHM where I'm not teaching... not because I don't love it, but because the hours are really the worst possible ones for raising a 10yr old!!!

Between 3 and 6.30pm is when soccer training happens, homework, baths, dinner, guitar lessons, etc etc - I may be here, but I'm absolutely no help to him - I'm downstairs and concentrating on other kids (ironic really!!!)

I love teaching, and I love the kids (well most of them ) - but I have started to drop a few because as Luke is getting older, I feel he needs my attention more - homework is harder, and I hate relying on other mums to pick him up and drop him off at training etc.

Last term was a real eye opener for me... I was working solidly from 3 til 7pm during the week, and Luke got chosen to be in a special training program for soccer that is coached by members of the Mariners soccer team (The A league team for the Central Coast for those non football fans )

It was a brilliant opportunity for him, but since opening our business in April, & DH going back to working nights, I no longer had him to take Luke where he needed to be.
The place where they train is about 25mins away, so for Luke to have the opportunity, I had to drop a few kids, move a few kids and take Wednesdays off.

I didn't hesitate to do it, but I tell you it was very strange for a while.. I'm not sure if it was guilt or what, but it felt 'wrong' to not be working at 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon after always doing so!!!

It felt like other people were judging me - crazy, but I guess you slip into a way of thinking after doing the same thing for such a long time IYKWIM????

I love my Wednesdays - and DH & I have already made the decision that when I finally fall pg from any future IVF cycles, I will be a SAHM once I have more than one... its always been my dream to have lots of little ones to look after - and I really should have been born decades before I was - the idea of keeping house, cooking everynight (& baking), running kids around & being the SAHM sounds perfect to me!!

My SIL is a SAHM to a 3yr old & a 1yr old... and has been DYING to get back to work since giving birth to her first... BIL wanted her to stay at home as DH & BIL grew up with 2 parents that ran a restaurant & were basically at work 24/7.
She's starting back a few days next week after months & months of negotiation with her DH.

SIL thinks my situation is perfect - I think hers is

Who can say???!!!!!!!