How to pass the the time as a stay at home mother with a toddler?

Ms. Pingui

I'm a 23 year old single mother, living with my parents at the moment. I can't work or study at the moment due to lack of money and childcare. This means that I spend all day alone in the house with my 2 year old.
I feel like I'm going crazy with loneliness and boredom. I live in the middle of nowhere and I don't have much money for petrol money to leave the area. Everyone I know is in college or working and I'm so jealous!
Is there any ways I can pass the time during the day before I go loopy?

homeless student

you should apply to a college that has a creche and apply for the bte allowance

Moonbeam

Check if you have a local community creche,it would be subsidised for anyone on social welfare.

mozattack

Nice complaint.

wandatowell

I find being bord is a state of mind. Rather obvious I know, but if you refuse to let yourself get bogged down and keep yourself active then you will find your time passes quickly.

pwurple

Library!

Join every nearby library. They are usually either free or very cheap for kids (50c). Some of them have toy libraries as well as books. Get can get ten books out at a time in our city one, and 4 in the town one... so we get 14 books every saturday, and go through them all week.

There are piles of websites with suggestions of things to do at home very cheaply. Paper airplanes, hopscotch, finger painting, playdoough, baking.


http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/101-fun-easy-and-cheap-indoor-activites.html

Carboard shop here
http://www.ikatbag.com/2011/10/greengrocer-etc.html

If you join pinterest and look up play ideas you will find loads!

toshsat

Ms. Pingui wrote: »

I'm a 23 year old single mother, living with my parents at the moment. I can't work or study at the moment due to lack of money and childcare. This means that I spend all day alone in the house with my 2 year old.
I feel like I'm going crazy with loneliness and boredom. I live in the middle of nowhere and I don't have much money for petrol money to leave the area. Everyone I know is in college or working and I'm so jealous!
Is there any ways I can pass the time during the day before I go loopy?

Get yourself a boyfriend,let him spoil you lol

pickarooney

Read, watch television, learn a language, teach your kid a language, write a book, cook... I can't imagine ever being bored, especially with a toddler. Is it actual boredom or more the sense of not having any adults to talk to?

Ms. Pingui

pickarooney wrote: »

Read, watch television, learn a language, teach your kid a language, write a book, cook... I can't imagine ever being bored, especially with a toddler. Is it actual boredom or more the sense of not having any adults to talk to?

Ya you're right, Physically I'm busy but mentally I'm bored off my head. It's lack of adult conversations, friends and life choices that's getting me down really.

toshsat

Ms. Pingui wrote: »

Ya you're right, Physically I'm busy but mentally I'm bored off my head. It's lack of adult conversations, friends and life choices that's getting me down really.

What part of the country?Help us help you, im sure there are activites around you,Groups,social nights etc....

January

Is there a local parent and toddler group? (Your PHN should have info if there is) I go to one on a Wednesday and it's brilliant for a bit of conversation! It can be scary at the start putting yourself out there like that but don't be too scared.

dudmis

One thing you have to your advantage is that you have your parents there with you - would they be happy to babysit for you at night?

I find that if I get out at night to meet friends/other adults, it makes being at home during the day so much easier.

Ms. Pingui

toshsat wrote: »

What part of the country?Help us help you, im sure there are activites around you,Groups,social nights etc....

I live in Tipperary.

I have been to mother and baby groups before but I was the only young mother. The atmosphere was really cliquish and the older women were not that friendly towards me, even though I did really try to fit in.

Ms. Pingui

dudmis wrote: »

One thing you have to your advantage is that you have your parents there with you - would they be happy to babysit for you at night?

I find that if I get out at night to meet friends/other adults, it makes being at home during the day so much easier.

They will sometimes but they let me know they are not happy about it so I don't really enjoy myself if I do go out.

MissFlitworth

Are you registered with Fás? They have online courses that you could at your own pace if you are

http://www.fas.ie/en/Training/Programmes/Online.htm

Alternatively you could try something like Lynda.com ($25 a month, hundreds of different technical type courses/software training etc. that you can do. So you could brush up on excel skills, learn photoshop etc. without the sort of costs that come with the Open University)

Rasmus

The resources are there for you to do whatever you want to do. You can go to college, get subsidised childcare, move out of your parents (if you want to) and/or retrain to do something else. You just need to spend some time researching how to get the grants, allowances and subsidies.

You could spend your free time at the moment figuring out all your options - it can actually be fun. FAS even offers online courses which when completed, can help you get into a third level course you really want.

There are bunch of other stuff that you can teach yourself while at home with a young one. Patio planting (or gardening if you have the space), a language, a computer program, cooking, a handicraft. You can become an expert at something random by reading and researching.

When you do return to the adult workforce/college society, you will have something really valuable to contribute!

Good luck : )

One solution:

Try planting and maintaining some vegetables and herbs and baking your own bread and so forth and get your toddler involved helping stir, mix, dig, plant and watering.

There is a financial outlay to all of this up front but over time it saves you money too so over time you will feel it not just hit the boredom problem but also hit the financial problem in your pocket.

From there you can start asking yourself what other things could save you money if you not only do them yourself but involve your child in them to keep you both occupied.

In the meantime look for ways to start social groups in your area, or join one already existing, for stay at home parents in a similar position to you.

Rosy Posy

Would you consider taking up a craft like knitting or crochet? I know that this keeps me sane during the day. Even if you haven't the first clue now its a steep learning curve. Get yourself onto ravelry.com and have a look at all the lovely things you could make for yourself and your child.

Another poster also mentioned baking and gardening, and getting back to education.

Also it helps to remember that your child will only be young for such a short time, and this is such a lovely time for making memories. I know it seems like forever when you're in it but once its past it will have flown by. Saying that its so important for you to have adult company and time for yourself. Please take up your parents on babysitting and get out with your friends, even if it may seem like you don't have much in common with them now that you're a mother.

Daffodil.d

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/returning_to_education/vocational_training_opportunities_scheme.html. I hope this can be read. I am doing one of these. great so far and worth lookin into.

ger vallely

Tis very true what Rosy Posy says-the time flies.Do try to enjoy the special time with your toddler. A lot of parents feel terribly guilty about having to be out,away from them, at work all day.Getting out in the air is always a good idea.Walking through the country side is fantastic with a toddler,probably even better in the rain,wellies and waterproofs on,upside down umbrella to catch rain. Find your inner child!You'll love it. Arts and craft activities are never ending.Most little ones love sticking,learning to use a scissors and creating their own art.Decorate a room. Not necessarily at any great expense. Move things about,you have a little helper!Find material in charity shops to make cushions or bed throws. Try stencilling on walls,wardrobes and doors.Or is it possible to take in another toddler to mind? I find it's usually easier if there's two. You will also make a bit of money that way. But always do bear in mind that this time will be gone before you know it. You will be happier to look back at it with fond memories.Best of luck.

Sulla Felix

Ms. Pingui wrote: »

I'm a 23 year old single mother, living with my parents at the moment. I can't work or study at the moment due to lack of money and childcare. This means that I spend all day alone in the house with my 2 year old.
I feel like I'm going crazy with loneliness and boredom. I live in the middle of nowhere and I don't have much money for petrol money to leave the area. Everyone I know is in college or working and I'm so jealous!
Is there any ways I can pass the time during the day before I go loopy?

Put an audiobook on. Most libraries have a selection. If you have access to a pc try iTunes for podcasts aswell as university lectures. If you can stretch to a few hundred you could dip your toes into uni style study with the open university.

Sulla Felix

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Ms. Pingui wrote: »

I'm a 23 year old single mother, living with my parents at the moment. I can't work or study at the moment due to lack of money and childcare. This means that I spend all day alone in the house with my 2 year old.
I feel like I'm going crazy with loneliness and boredom. I live in the middle of nowhere and I don't have much money for petrol money to leave the area. Everyone I know is in college or working and I'm so jealous!
Is there any ways I can pass the time during the day before I go loopy?

Put an audiobook on. Most libraries have a selection. If you have access to a pc try iTunes for podcasts aswell as university lectures. If you can stretch to a few hundred you could dip your toes into uni style study with the open university.

Forgot to mention coursera.com and openculture.com aswell.

milkandsugar

OP are you in north or south tipp? I know how hard it can be to have no adult conversation during the day. It's very tough. If you could even join a night class to get out for one evening a week and have a true break form the house/kids/parents it might help. When i'm at home we do baking, painting/arts and crafts and whatever i've found on pintrest that looks good to me. Rainy days we build tents or have a picnic upstairs in bed. I try to get out for a walk in the evening for my break/time off. ( This doesn't happen every day but i try)