SAHM'S Do You Ever Get BORED?

I'd love to bored some days!!! I have a 2 year old and a newborn and boredom is not the word that comes to mind. Exhaustion, frustration, busy all the time. That is a little more like it. Between entertaining a toddler and keeping up with housework and trying to get out as much as possible, I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day most times. Everytime we are ready to leave, the baby is starving and we are then behind another half hour because he needs to nurse and then he poops and you get the picture. Tell us your tricks to being bored!!!!

I am a SAHM and I wish I had your problem!! :-)

Im a SAHM to a 20mo son and 6week old daughter. Two doesn't fix the boredom or sense of isolation. The isolation can feel a little worse though because it's so much harder to get out of the house with a second baby. The monotony of feedings, diaper changings, and house cleaning etc can become so automatic that you don't notice it anymore. I was talking to a girlfriend (no kids) on IM the other day and she asked what I was doing, and once I wrote it out, I got tired just looking at it, and my son was napping even. I didn't realize or even notice just how much I can accomplish in two hours. I also try to get out of the house every day, though with the new baby it's harder, we at least walk to the park every nice day. I try to get in playdates with friends who also have kids. One of my girlfriends and I meet with the kids once every other week for a "Coffee date" and let the kids entertain eachother so that we can at least have some adult conversation. Were talking about starting a M. and tots book club for extra stimulation. Like a previous poster its hard to be excited about a puzzle you've put together 100 times. So no you're not alone in this feeling.

Other activities....
*Make playdough,
*sidewalk chalk (it's getting nice so it can be fun),
*Nature walks-collecting leaves, sticks and rocks and using them in an art project at home - We have buckets in the garage where my son keeps his collections from our walks, and when it's rainy we take the buckets and sort them out and use the contents to make things.
*Building forts is always fun.
*Story time at library's and Barnes and Noble.
*gardening - my son loves to dig in my garden so I bought him his own shovel and gloves

These are a few things we do to break up the week. Hope it helps.

There is a difference between being busy and being intellectually stimulated. Of course there will be days that are boring for you! What is stimulating for a toddler isn't necessarily stimulating for M. (and vise versa). Try to get out of the house as often as possible. With the nicer weather it gets better. A morning out at the park and little chit-chat with other moms always helps. If you can, try to do something just for you. Take a class, read a book, work on a hobby when you can.

Here are some suggestions to help you get out of the house:
Most Borders or Barnes and Noble have weekly storytimes
Check dates for Free Days at musuems
Wonder Works Children Museum in Oak Park
Chicago Botanic Gardens
Kohl's Children's Museum in Glenview
Pump It Up in Glenview (check for open play dates and times)
Lincoln Park or Garfield Park Conservatory
Lincoln Park farm in the zoo sing-a-longs Wednesday mornings (storytime on Monday mornings)
My Corner Playroom
Fantasy Kingdom
Visit a variety of parks

I don't get bored because of lack of activity but more because of lack of social or intellectual stimulation. I can only be excited about puzzles, books, crayons, or any other toy so many times. Sometimes I just zone out when I am doing puzzles with my son, puzzles we have done a 100 times before. I LOVE staying at home but yeah I get bored. I try to stay busy, do things that I like (that would also interest a toddler), and see other M. friends at least every other day. I think summer will bring on more "stuff" to do and will help the monotony.

Some ideas:
Exploritorium (Skokie)
Children's Museum (Glenview or Navy Pier)
Zoo
Parks
Pools with toddler swim areas
Playgroups
Classes (Gymboree, etc)

I was very bored sometimes when I was a SAHM. The pace for everything was different than when I was working and focusing on myself all the time. I forget which celebrity was on tv recently saying that being a M. was boring until her boys were old enough to have a real conversation. She took a lot of flack for it, but her honesty helped me to understand that being bored as a mother is normal, especially when the kids are young. Have you considered spending a few hours a week away from your son so that you can do some adult things that interest you? That might reduce your boredom and give you something new to look forward to. Good luck!