Becoming a house husband

shadow4

Hiya my hubby lost his job and was out of work from Jan-Aug last year so became a house husband.

He got up in the morning with me and made breakfast for me and the kids then went back to bed for a couple of hours while I dropped the kids off at school on the way to work.

He bunged piles of washing into the machine, all different colours mixed together, so many things the door hardly shut then tumble dried everything - amazingly there were no mishaps.

He would then do a quick hoover around the house, hoovering round everything in the way including the dog lol.

When the kids came home from school he would dump all the stuff they left lying around downstairs in their beds coz he was sick of picking up after them - I wish I had thought of that.

At first he would cook super noodles every day but he got better and turned out to be a really good cook.

During his time off we all sat down and ate dinner together every night, he spent a lot more time with the kids and we had lots of cheap days out, picnics and bike rides ect but it is a lot harder to manage with just one wage coming in.

He said he found it really hard and that it is the most thankless job ever, now he has gone back to work he helps more around the house then he ever used to.

I would say you need to have a hobby or do a college course (he was going to do plumbing before he got a job) as he was sick of no adult company.

affordmylife

im sure it can be done. id say go for it and totally enjoy it.

i would love to do it and am hoping to retire at 50 (6 years time) and then will rely on hubbies wages - hope he will share with me lol.

we would have to be more careful too but with more time to plan i think its very doable.

loads of luck to you xx

Peter999_2

Thanks for your kind words. Really hope it works out for you too - would be great to retire at 50.

I've done a budget and it is definately do-able, however I guess you just don't know until you try. If it doesn't work out I'll just get a job again, just not one as stressful again (hopefully!)

However, I quite fancy the idea of actually having some time to myself. I've got a motorbike so I won't spend all the time by myself in the house. I'm planning on going on long walks etc. - also there are very good cycle routes where I live, well away from roads so hopefully I'll get into that as well.

Savvy_Sue

Peter999 wrote: »

it can never be as bad as my job became.

having spent 8 weeks on sick leave and 4 working from home recently, make sure you have something to go out for. The walls close in ...

shadow4 wrote: »

He said he found it really hard and that it is the most thankless job ever, now he has gone back to work he helps more around the house then he ever used to.

very true. As someone said, "no-one sees what I don't do until I don't do it!"

AnnaLicious_2

My husband is a house husband. I agree with what a lot of people have said - make regular plans for adult company. Before my husband started going to toddler groups twice a week, he found it hard. You'll be amazed how important that time to yourself as an adult is.

You'll find your own pace and rhythm in time. When I first moved to this country, it was about 6 months before I was legal to work. It took awhile before I found a routine and rhythm to my days and weeks. As I didn't have a child then, I had loads of free time. I did volunteer work 3 days a week, which was lovely. I also cooked and baked in batches, found time to go shopping at local green grocers and butchers, go to the library, go for walks, do lots of home crafts, and take the bus out for random day trips (I wasn't legal to drive).

Don't let yourself get sucked into the endless parent groups. They take over your life. It's important to be involved in your child's life, but not to be on a committee for every event at school/brownies/football/swimming and so on. You'll lose your identity as a human being.

Nimeth

sillygoose wrote: »

Start by clearing out all her old clothes, just leave the sexy stuff. Put the other stuff on ebay along with all those excessive shoes and jewellery. When you have made some cash look in the local paper for ironing services - £10 for a bin bag full usually, ironing must be avoided at all costs.

:rotfl::rotfl: My OH would do this if he could, but all my clothes are trousers, jeans, t-shirts and the odd dressy work shirt. If he cleared out my clothes, I'd have to go around nearly nude.:D

As for cooking, easiest thing in the world is a stir-fry. Slice and fry up some meat, vegetables, add some soy sauce, a little spice and some egg noodles and you're good to go.:cool:

Do try the OS board for budgeting tips and recipe ideas, really helpful lot they are!

And if you don't fancy daytime TV, do what I do and collect a pile of DVDs or record films off the TV. I've got quite a collection doing that and am never short of something to watch, especially when I have to do the dreaded pile of ironing (seriously don't let it build up).

Margaret52129

Lucky you! It may take some time to get into a routine and like others say - don't let it pile up thinking there is always tomorrow as it often piles up quicker than you think and often tomorrow brings on it's own extras!

I think I'd like to retire at 60 (18 months to go) but not so sure if I'd be able to cope with all the extra time on my hands! Part time would suit me better.

Learning to cook would be a good experience and an important one. There is always the chance you will enjoy it! Meal planning/shopping is another thing that I think is pretty important too.

Cleaning is something that is best done a bit of every day - not the whole house at once - a room at a time makes it not too hard.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy yourself - although you may miss your work, or at least regularity of it, more than you think.

Darren_G

Peter999 wrote: »

Well, after 15 months of working in a job that I hate I'm finally realising my dream of becoming a house husband

My wife is going full time assistant teaching, so I'm leaving my job on 6th May and will be a man of leisure. Can't wait.

Does mean I have to learn to cook, clean, wash and everything else but I can't wait - it can never be as bad as my job became.

Anyone got any tips?,

Well, Peter, I think it is you who needs to be dishing out the tips on how you wangled that one!

My wife and I both work full time, but because I get home earlier (apparently, it doesn't count that I also start earlier and have to travel longer to work & back ), everything that I can't get the kids to do falls on me (with the exception of everyone's ironing but my own..)

Luckily, my kids are now at the age that they are capable of quite a few chores - though I have to redo some of them - and how much they do determines how much pocket money and/or mobile top up they receive, so all the dusting and vacuuming through the week is done when they get in from school as a bare minimum. Other icky tasks like cleaning the bathrooms are done on a rota between the three of them. This has only started happening with any consistency for the last few months though!

On a serious note, there are some jobs that you need to do automatically, otherwise they will soon become overpowering! My lot generate at least 15 loads of washing a week. My routine is generally that I will put a load on first thing before I take the dog out. I then feed the hoardes, by which time, the first load is done and I hang it out if there is time, otherwise me eldest does it before school. The second load is either put on before I set off to work, or as soon as I get in, then I put a last quick wash on at bedtime. This generally means I get at least part of the weekend to myself!

Now if only I can think of a way to convince the wife I should stop working......

Mojisola

Peter999 wrote: »

Well, after 15 months of working in a job that I hate I'm finally realising my dream of becoming a house husband

My wife is going full time assistant teaching, so I'm leaving my job on 6th May and will be a man of leisure. Can't wait.

Does mean I have to learn to cook, clean, wash and everything else but I can't wait - it can never be as bad as my job became.

Peter999 wrote: »

I have one daughter, 6 years old so is now in full time school.

She's a great girl, and is pretty much very tidy. I will need to drop her off at school and then pick her up at three.

To be honest I can't wait, I've been working 13 to 14 hour days for the last 14 years so I'm sure I won't find it as tiring.

As you haven't got children at home during the day, it will be easy!

Get yourself into some kind of routine so that all the jobs get done without taking up all your time - you know that saying about jobs expanding to fill the time you have?

As you've been working such long hours, I'll bet there's all sorts of jobs around the house that you've been putting off. Give yourself an easy few weeks to get into the swing of looking after the home and then start working your way through the jobs.

After that, you're probably going to want something else to fill your time and to get out and meet people. There are lots of small charities who need volunteers. See if anything takes your fancy.

As you'll have your wife and daughter home for all the school holidays, make plans for great things you can do together.

Good luck and enjoy yourself!

[Deleted User]

Peter999 wrote: »

Well, after 15 months of working in a job that I hate I'm finally realising my dream of becoming a house husband

Does mean I have to learn to cook, clean, wash and everything else but I can't wait - it can never be as bad as my job became.

Anyone got any tips?,

Get a (nice Brazilian) cleaner to do the ironing and the cleaning. :rotfl:I'll do the rest. That includes washing the clothes/hang to dry, washing dishes and sometimes cooking. Thank God for restaurants.:o I also do most of the shopping, (My OH writes the list though):cool: