SAHM Tips About Preschool

My oldest starts preschool tomorrow. He's doing a two-day-a-week program during the summer. He'll do a three-day program starting in the fall. I'm very excited for him to start for a few reasons.

First, I think he'll really like the school aspect of it. He's a pretty inquisitive kid, so I think the learning side of preschool will really appeal to him. I can already envision him telling me all the cool things they did as soon as I walk in the door after work.

I'm also excited to see how he does in the program. He's a fairly advanced 3 year old (of course, all parents say that), but I'm curious how he'll do. I'm really looking forward to seeing him progressive with his gross motor skills like writing, using scissors, etc.

And for me, it's just cool to see him growing up and moving on to the next phase of life. Since he's the oldest, he gets to meet all of these milestones before his sister and brother. So everything is new to him and to us as parents. I like moving forward and seeing what lies in front of us.

But, at the same time, I have no idea what I'm doing here. Is there a certain preschool protocol that I need to know? What do you all, as SAHMS, think I need to know as my son heads to preschool? And don't worry about thinking your advice is too silly or too minimal. At this point, I need all the help I can get.

What Does Your Husband Do That Pisses You Off?

Part of my rationale for this blog is be a better husband to my SAHM wife. How can this blog help? Well, honestly, that's where my readers (all 3 of you!) come in.

Today I'm trying to figure out what your husbands that annoy you as a SAHM. All husbands do stupid things that drive their wives crazy, but I'm talking about SAHM-specific stuff here. It could be not appreciating the amount of work you do. Maybe they pass off all of the kid-related work to you even when they're home.

Whatever it is, I (and my fellow dads) want to know. We can only fix it if we know what we're doing wrong. So don't hold back. Come out with both barrels blasting.

The Power of the Garage Sale

Garage sale season is kicking into high gear all across the country, and SAHMS are ready to find those great deals. We buy all kinds of stuff for our kids at garage sales: cribs, toys, clothes, bedroom furniture, strollers. It amazes me the kind of deals you can find with a minimal amount of work.

So I want to hear about your amazing deals. Ever find a perfectly good crib for $25? A full set of toy cars for a quarter? Share with others your bargaining skills. Maybe we can all get some good ideas of things to look for.

What is a SAHM's Time Worth?

What is your time worth as a SAHM? How much should you get "compensated" for doing laundry? What about picking up toys? Making lunch?

They may sound like silly questions to ask, but someone does just that every year. Salary.com, a website dedicated to compensation analysis, annually tries to place a dollar figure on the work of stay-at-home moms. Cleverly released just prior to Mother's Day every year, the report determines the time SAHMs spend on the 10 most popular "Mom job functions" and tries to equate a dollar figure.

The 2009 report determined an average annual salary of $122,732, up 5% from 2008's $116,805 (but still way shy of 2007's $138,094 figure). A good chunk of the salary came from an exorbinant amount of overtime. The typical SAHM, according to the report, spends 94.4 hours performing "mom duties."

The survey designates a percentage of the salary to the Top 10 SAHM duties. For instance, housekeeper comes in at #7 on the Mom's Duties list and accounts for 7.7% of the salary. Chief Executive Officer ranks #1 on the list accounting for 19.9% of a SAHMs salary.

You can even customize your salary based on how much time you spend on certain tasks with the Mom Salary Wizard. Or print yourself a paycheck. But I don't suggest trying to cash it. Most banks really frown upon fraud.

Don't worry dads, there is a Dad Salary Wizard too. Just in case you thought they forgot about your contribution to the family.

The Dora Uproar

If your kids like Dora the Explorer and you've spent any time on the internet recently, then you have probably heard the uproar over Mattel and Nickelodeon's decision to "age" Dora. The new version of Dora was supposed to be marketed to 10 year olds. Unfortunately, parents that saw a silhouette of the new Dora were outraged.

They called her a tramp. And that was the nice version. Parents felt the new doll was too sexualized, an Explorer Bratz doll. A far cry from the tomboy little girl that millions of toddlers have loved over the years.

The toymaker and kid's television giant have responded in an attempt to quell the fears of parents across the country. They promise that the "updated" Dora will not look like Lindsay Lohan (she's not wearing a short dress or makeup). Just as importantly, the original Dora isn't going anywhere. This new version is really just an extension, just an addition to the Dora brand.

On a down note, Boots, Map, Backpack and the crew are not making the leap. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. You can find the story about the response to the uproar here.

I think the moral of this story is: Do Not Mess With SAHMs!