gramacheri

Have a quilting friend come over for coffee (or tea) and just chat. It just may turn into the spark you need to get started again. I always do better with a friend!

Kris P

When my oldest was beyond taking an afternoon nap, we still had 'quiet time' from 1-3 p.m. During this time she was expected to be in her room playing or reading quietly while her little sister napped and Mommy had some time to herself. Once both children were beyond napping, we kept quiet time, because it was good for them to have some down time during the day. it also taught them to entertain themselves and not need constant intervention.
My girls are 9 and 11 now, so official quiet time is long gone, but they've come to view their rooms as a place of solace and frequently head there themselves when they need to relax or get away during the day. I even notice them heading into the camper in the afternoons when we camp with other families, just to decompress a little bit.
I hope you'll give it a try. It has benefits for everyone involved.

qwkslver

Just remember they grow up fast. I didn't sew much when my kids were little. Now I wish they were still little. You can find a little me time if you work at it. Maybe when they're playing games or watching tv.

DebbieG

I use to quilt with my SIL's when we lived in Wisconsin. We would have weekend marathon sews and I got so much done and enjoyed the visiting....and help if I needed it. Then we moved 800 miles away. I was so worried that I wouldn't sew without the company of someone. So what I did to get me started was set the timer on my microwave for 1 hr. I would make myself go in the sewing room for 1 hr and I could come out when the timer went off...didn't take me long before I had to set the time to make myself QUIT!!

gardnergal970

From your one post it sounds like you need the time more for taking care of yourself than quilting at this point....quilting is still more like work. Don't force yourself. It will become enjoyable again after you've given yourself time to rest and recharge. Like others have said, raising children is hard work.

damaquilts

I have to go along with others. Your kids are only this age for a little while .I wish I had spent more time with my kids when they were small but there was always something that needed to be done "perfectly" . 5 is old enough to spend time teaching to sew small things. Do they still make those cards that can be sewn with shoelaces? Maybe there is another mom that wants an hour or two to herself and you all can trade playdates. I know its harder today then it use to be.

mtnma52

I have 4 daughters (grown now). When they were little and I wanted to sew and have some "me time", I would wear an old dixie cup sailor's hat. When the hat was on, they were trained to think I was invisible and could only talk to me if there was an emergency. Most of the time they would run in and say: "Oh, mom has the hat on." There was one time though one's comment was: "Mom, I think this is an emergency- Kimmy cut her thumb off." They are all in their late 30's/early 40's and still talk about that hat.

quiltmom04

Make something small - a pot holder or zipper bag. Something you can do quickly usually helps get me going again.

Skratchie

I started quilting when my kids were 6 & 7, and I was a single mom working & going to school full time. I set a strict bedtime for the kids (8 pm) and once they were in bed, that was my time to quilt. I would pick them up from day care around 5:30, take them home and do homework with them while cooking dinner, eat, they would bathe while I cleaned up the kitchen, and then we'd watch some tv for an hour or so before bedtime.

If I had been a SAHM, I would have set them up as someone else suggested with coloring books or some other quiet activity and set the kitchen timer for 30 min of "quiet time" during the day. What mother doesn't need a break every once in a while? I know I did, even though I worked outside the home. ;-)

MargeD

Having little ones around can be challenging at times, been there, done that. Having a specific place for sewing helps, but you would be surprised at how much you can get done even when you only sew for 5-15 minutes at a time. It doesn't seem like it at the time, but the time does add up. So sorry about your accident, I can relate having recovered from a ruptured C-4-5 disk in my neck, 5 months of rehab, then 6 weeks ago had surgery for a torn rotator cuff in my right arm (of course-I'm right-handed). Today the Dr. told me I could get rid of the sling, so maybe I can start small in small amounts of time to get back in the groove. Hope you feel better soon.