For those with kids...when do you sew?
 

We have a 3 year old little girl so my time is limited. I try to sew on one of the two days she is at Mother's Day Out, the other one I try to do most of my cleaning. Hubby works all day and doesn't want to come straight home to "babysit" so normally it is later in the evening before I even attempt to sew and even then it is a stop and go type sewing since Little Bit won't let me sit for long.

I am really itching to sit and sew for hours. I have several quilts I want to start (though 2 I have to wait to order some more fabric on payday) but no time.

So do you just sew late at night or what?

Thanks!

some times I say the hell with house work on a saturday and I will sew all day, so my house cleaning does not happen and my 5 year old son runs a muck and if I get alot of sewing done, then it turns into a Sunday as well... other times I stay up til midnight, then I am grumpy at work... well some one has to suffer.. why not the guys at work!

lol...my little one doesn't run a muck when I am trying to do something, she wants to be right in the middle. So it is either when she is not home, or asleep. Even when Hubby is home, she seems to "get away" from him and "finds" me. I guess the late nights are an option, though Little Bit is usually up by 6:30am!

I have a 2.5 year old. He still naps during the day for about an hour or 2. I try to get some cleaning done and dinner started while he naps so that after he goes to bed for the night, I can sew until I'm too tired to do any more.
Also, I think it's important for daddy to spend some time with him, so, they usually do dinner at the family pizza place one night a week, and sometimes go out on Saturdays when I can have sewing time.
I hope you get some time behind your machine soon!

Thanks! I think part of my itching is because I had surgery on Jan 18th and it limited me from climbing stairs for a few days and then I still couldn't sit for too long.

Hubby has drill this weekend but he said he will try to give me some time Sunday if he gets out early enough. So we shall see.

Thats tough, I must admit things that now take me one day to make used to take me a year.
But I would not trade it for the world.

I usually sew in the evening when my kids are in bed. I don't mind to sew during the day, but I don't want to iron when they are underfoot, so I tend to just sew in the evening. They do like to 'help' me though!

When my kids were small, I would sew while they napped or when they went to bed. I would also sew on the weekends. I also started training them early (in small doses at first) how to amuse themselves and play without me being attached to them 24-7. BTW, just my 2 cents worth, but when a man is watching his own children, it is not "babysitting" and I made sure my DH knew that from the start. If you are home with your daughter all day, you are working just as hard as your DH is. OK, off my soapbox now.

My boys are all in school now so I have all day to sew. My DH is amazing and when he comes home from work (1 PM) if I am in the middle of something he works with the kids homework, does laundry, cooks dinner and then cleans the kitchen. However, he is AD Coast Guard so I am a single mother a lot of the time so when he is home he spends as much time as he can with the boys and helping me around the house. I love him:o

When my kids were little I would give them the play dough, they could only play with it on the kitchen floor so I sewing at the table, kept them occupied for hours.

My Mom sewed and we played on the floor right beside her. What fun when she used up a spool of thread! It became ours to play with! Scraps of fabric fell to the floor when she was cutting out patterns......Oh Boy!!! Scraps of yarn......we were playing the whole time and never left Mom's side. Hmmmmmmmm and one wonders why I love fabric so much....LOL!

When I first started quilting, my youngest daughter was 2 years old. I put a little table and chair in my quilt room and I then provided her with lots of age appropriate craft supplies, playdoh, coloring books and a crayons, etc. I just mixed it up day to day. She would spend at least an hour or more with the stuff I gave her and it gave me time to work on my quilts. Besides that time, I would quilt while she napped and again when my hubby got home and took over toddler duty.:)

I guess I was fortunate...when mine were little they played with each other or by themselves if I was sewing...so I usually got a lot done. Can't believe how much time kids take now!

When my husband is home after work, or when I really need time, thats what grandparents are for, just drop them off, nap time is a good time. Although when hubby is home she still wants to be with me sometime so just whenever you grab a chance

What a neat idea, I might have to use that

What if Grandma wants to be sewing? sometimes I begrudgingly take my step grandkids even thought I have plans, yes we have fun but sometimes it disrupts what I wanted to. Grandparents should not be babysitters, We take them when we have time to enjoy them the most!! After all we all ready raised our kids! Off my soapbox now. OOPs

I took care of twins from time they were l until they were 4. They played on the floor right behind me--often with fabric scraps. I guess I was lucky because they entertained each other. I sewed at night when my kids were growing up. I worked away from home and after supper dishes were done, I sewed and the kids and their dad did whatever--usually watched TV. I remember the youngest boy spent one winter sitting on the corner of my sewing desk, watching me and playing with his tiny toy trucks. (It was a 5 ft oak office desk, sturdy as could be.)

Thanks everyone. I do give her fabric and a marker so she can "measure" like Mommy but then she wants to sew. Lol. She is a mommy's girl through and through. Hubby was deployed her first year so we built a bond that is pretty tight. And she is also not one to sit for too long. She gets that from her daddy. But I might try to find her a small table to put upstairs. She has some toys up there but not much.

When my kids were little I couldn't sew because there 9 of them and one would always be ding something they should't in normal kid fashion we also owned our farm so had to help there But I am making up for lost time now and if the grad kids come over I just put it up and play with them

When my daughter was very little she sat in her pumkin seat(now car seats) right beside me or in the clothes basket. When she was fussy I put one of my husbands stretch belts around me and her and she would fall asleep on my shoulder area sort of. As a toddler it did become more difficult. I did give her fabric scraps and construction paper and kids glue stick. She made pretty art work. I would also give her child safety scissors and fabric. Her favorite was plastic canvas and plastic needle threaded with yarn and she could make a big mess. (But she was sewing like mommy)
I taught elementary school at this time so my sewing was after school with her, or on weekends and summers. My husband was also a teacher and coach so he had longer hours than I did. But I was lucky b/c I taught fifth grade in a little community.So once a week a parent would let me bring her daughter home with me for a couple hours to play with my daughter who was in heaven with a big girl to play with. The fifth grader liked being a suprise for my daughter so it was great. Many times I also sewed late at night. So try different things and eventually one of these ideas will help. Teresa

Good ideas. I too, hate the idea that a man who watches and interacts and plays with his child is "babysitting". Instead, he should think that he is spending quality time with his child!

But, I think that teaching your child that you can do something like sew while she is doing something else quietly would be well worth your time. Unfortunately, however, until she gets quite a bit older, your chance to sit at the machine for hours like you want are probably nonexistent! It was probably my biggest struggle--as I didn't sew very much when all of mine were young. However, now that mine are older (we have 5), I can sew and sew--but the youngest is now 14. I think in a way, it is helpful to have more than one at a time at home, so they can play together.

But uninterrupted time to focus on anything when you have a small child at home just doesn't exist for most moms.

I have 3 kids, ages almost 8, 5 1/2 and 3. I would never have time to sew if I wasn't a night owl. I stay up after everyone else is in bed so I can sew. I should add that I homeschool, so my kids are always around and our days are very busy.

Last Saturday, I was up until 3am after putting the kids to bed. I paid for it the next few days due to lack of sleep but I got something done! :)

I have 5 kids at home; but all except 1 are in school during the day. So, on weekdays, I usually try to do during naptime. Also, I usually give myself 1 day off a week of doing any housework, and so I'll sew more often then. I tend to have more time on the weekends, since hubby is home to help with all the kids/house stuff.

I just need to point out how lucky all of you are that have the sweet little darlings that will sit and play with anything for longer than 30 seconds!
No amount of teaching is going to make my boy want to sit still, though he has no problem entertaining himself. I can't take my eyes off him for more than 30 seconds or I will regret it when I see the mess I have to clean up. I keep telling myself he is curious because he is smart. LOL

My little one has days where she can play alone just wonderfully and I can get some stuff done, but they are rare. I had one day this past week where she played all day and made the scarves for her teachers. But like I said those are very rare days. Usually I sit and about 5 seconds later she is trying to climb in my lap or trying to turn all the knobs on the machine while I am sewing so I have to get up and go play for a whle and try again later, which usually turns out the same.

I raised 3 children, worked 5 days a week, keept a clean house, laundry done twice a week, weekend activities for children (horse shows, fishing, camping, 4-H, Scouts) DH worked nights. When I wanted to sew my 3 were right there with me, toys on floor,cutting area (when I wasn't cutting) painting, coloring, or if they wanted, sewing, never took them to a sitter or to grand parents. At that time we did't have time off from being a Mom LOL my three learned to leave the sewing machine and Iron alone! Untill I taught them how to use it. Then never complained about waiting for me to pick fabric, or doing anything else. If they started fussing or screaming I just stoped what I was doing and took them home, we live out in the country, going to town was a treat for all of us. Only had to do that twice, child #3 learned by watching . LOL Nap time and after bed time were for suprise sewing.

She is getting somewhat better but there are days when I can't sew because she won't play alone, even with the fabric, marker, rulers, etc. Just wondered how others do it. Most seem to be night owls but I still tire easily after my surgery almost a month later...I don't thing getting a sinus infection helped any. Maybe once we all get better, things will calm down and I can sew more while she plays. I do let her "sew", but I do it all while she sits in my lap. It is usually the piece of fabric she has been playing with.

I think we lived the same life! LOL
when my kids were small my machine was set up in the dining room. the kids played around me, and occasionally one would be in my lap as i sewed. In the evening i would do handwork while they had a snack and watched TV before bed. My DH worked nights at the time and I worked early mornings so we had to coordinate our activities so one of us was always home for the kids. If there was a big project I needed to get done-say Easter outfits- he would be on "Dad duty" all day so i could sew. If he needed extra time to work on something, I would do the same-kids knew who to go to and who not to interrupt

My son is 3 and a whirlwind. He goes to pre-school two days a week for 2.5 hours. I try to get my housework done during school and then when he comes home and naps I sew for a little bit. Or I sew in the evenings after dinner. My husband doesn't care for that too much but, oh well. I need my sewing time.

I like the idea that the previous poster had about having Daddy take the kidlet out for some one on one time. We may have to get that started here.

We babysit 4 grandsons 5 days a week...starts at 6:30 A.M. nothing sewing wise gets done during those hours...diapers potty training, snacks, diapers, running, diapers, picking up, diapers and to and from school for the oldest...dr appts etc...too much life going on during those hours and when they leave we are exhausted...after a few hours to rejuvenate we can usually get to some sewing at about 9, if we are lucky because we still have to have fixed dinner, clean up and get rested for the next day of more of the same....we can usually work out a sunday for some good sewing time...even hard to get kids picked up a few minutes early to get to quilt club every other week...but glad we are able to help out our kids by babysitting and the time we get to share with our 4 grandsons

My kiddo has a 7pm bedtime.. as soon as shes down Im off in my quilting room... 7pm-12pm is my quilting time 7 days a week if i want or need it..

Now I know why my mom fixed me up with an old hand crank sewing machine. Unfortunately I vaccinated myself... - might leave out the needle or put on a needle guard and no thread - give them some paper mazes or dot to dot to 'sew'???

My kids are grown now and have their own babies. I think it is a matter of training them not to get into things when Mommy is sewing/reading/baking cookies/using the computer, etc... I think early on they saw that I was doing things for them and were quite fascinated by what came out. I did best when they were sleeping or were busy nearby. I have to admit I ripped out a lot more when I was distracted by them. Looking back, I think they don't need to be entertained so much as they need to be fascinated by doing things. Ways too much entertaining going on...

I sewed a lot when my kids were little, I made them clothing.
We had our basement as a playroom. I sewed in there as they played. It worked out well.
Make a batch of homemade playdough and the children can craft while you sew.

Have you tried to get the kids to help you? They could line up pieces for you to sew. The attention span on a 3 year old is limited but with time you might have another quilter in the family.

I am lucky. I just started sewing/quilting. I have a 13 year old boy, 9 year old girl, and a 16 month old boy. The two older ones watch the baby for me if I promise to teach them as I learn. Which was a pleasant surprise coming from the older boy but yay! So we all clean together, then take turns on the sewing machine. Then, every now and then, the hubby will take everyone to the park or his mom's and I get time all to myself. You just gotta take it as it comes, whether it's a few minutes or days at a time, lol

As a Grammy, I think your husband needs a "heads up" coming home from work and taking care of his child is not "baby sitting," it is called being a "father." You have been "working all day - and will continue all evening - and taking care of your child being a "mother." I guess he thinks his job is harder than yours and he deserves a break while you keep on working till bedtime? Maybe it would be "fun" to gift him with your job for a week? It sure changed my SIL's tune when he had to do it while mommy was in the hospital and Grammy wasn't there. He was begging to go back to "work!"

One thing that might help is if you have a room dedicated to sewing. You can make your mess and drop everything at once if needed and then just go back and pick up from where you left off. If you can only sew at the kitchen table, (BTDT!) then your sewing seems in vain. I am lucky to have two such rooms! One on the main floor and one in the basement. The basement is where I make my mess and I can just walk away when I have to then come back and....tada!....it's nice not to have to clean up in the middle of a project because you need the space for dinner or kids doing homework, etc. And the sewing room on the main floor stays (somewhat...LOL) presentable....not my usual chaotic mess. Good luck to you, hope you can find a solution and sew the day away!

My husband and I take turns giving each other a little bit of alone time away from kids and chores. I will take the kids out to the park or on an excursion so he can have a few hours of quiet when he gets home from work, then he will give me a few hours of uninterrupted sewing time downstairs. Unfortunately, I really don't do well when interrupted while sewing so my kids are not allowed to play in my sewing room. It really is my private space. I stopped watching TV in the evening and that has freed up a lot of sewing time but I don't always have the mental energy to sew in the evenings. My favorite time is on the weekend early to mid-day so I arrange that with a little give and take with hubby.

Some good suggestions here.

Ditto that, Up North! Love my daughter, love my granddaughter, but I sew to bust the stress from my job - my sewing room is my safety haven and if I have to babysit, then I can't go into my sewing room. AND, babysitting right now is VERY stressful because little one is only 6 months old. She crys - LOTS AND LOTS!!

Grandmothers are NOT the drop-off depot for grandchildren!