For the SAHM - What Do You Do All Day?

I would suggest that you look into local community colleges for an associate's degree and then maybe FIU or someplace like that to finish up. Doing it that way will be much more valuable than an online program and probably cheaper too.

I was never the sit around the house type. So after I had my children, we did a lot of hiking, playgrounds, watching sports together, walking through malls to window shop, and anything else I could think of. I just learned to take them with me where I went and make it fun for them as well. Good Luck!

Okay on the grant thing if your husband makes too much he makes too much. You could divorce him but that seems a bit much for a little financial aid, ya know? :p

When my kids were younger I had them in playgroups. Not the ones I see discussed here where you pick a friends house, nah the formal ones like at the YMCA. Then all us moms would hang out and drink coffee.

When they got older I did a lot of volunteer work, especially at their school and through the church. They also played a lot of sports which pretty much ate up all the evenings so I cleaned during the part of the day I wasn't up at the school working.

Then I got divorced, now I work all day and try to fend off the dust bunnies at night.

Oh yeah, find a craft you are good at. The skills will come in handy when they kids are in school and all the moms are clueless as to how to create a project for the kids to do. Knitting is good if you plan to have kids in sports. It takes just enough of your brain to keep you from noticing when the refs aren't doing their job causing you to yell. :)

Well....there are the bon bons....and the soap operas......LOL
Just kidding!

Seriously, it seems like by the time I do some cleaning, laundry and eat a cheese sandwich for lunch it's time to start dinner--and mine is in school most of the day!

Ebay can generate some funds for you. Why not take a loan to pay for your degree?

here is some basic info about grants. You can google more info:
www.studentgrants.org/back-to-school/

You live Florida... GET OUTSIDE LOL I'm jealous, it's pretty chilly here right now and rainy so we've been housebound for awhile!

While you're figuring out school, take up walking, biking, mom's groups etc

I opened a preschool from my house this last September and now I work 9-1230 Monday through Friday. Even though this allowed me to quit my night job, I never realized how nice it was to have every day to myself. Don't get me wrong, I love my preschool and I am happy to have a job that I love, but you realize that being bored sometimes is awesome! We are still on Xmas break this week and it is so nice feeling like I have NOTHING that I HAVE to do. The kids are playing and I am on my butt on the computer, still in jammies. So I would say, enjoy your time that you have and if nothing else, sit on mamapedia all day and watch other people's drama LOL (Never knew it got so heated on here until recently haha). Maybe not very productive but it certainly is a time-sucker.

What would you like to do? Do you have a hobby you enjoy? Maybe you can turn your hobby into extra income. I homeschool, clean, teach dance in my home, and make ballet skirts. I also read A LOT!! I do fun things so I don't get bored. If I just had a book all day, I'd be fine...LOL

Does your library offer any weekly story times? I think someone else mentioned a YMCA or something too as a great option. I am a FT working Mom and would love to be home more, but not all the time. I know that I would go a little batty dealing with what you are.

Maybe finding out certain activities that you can count on (the library/YMCA) type of things that will allow you to have your own 'scheduled' time too where you can catch up with friends or do school work.

You don't say how old your kids are, but I've always volunteered a lot--preschool, school, church, etc. I go to the YMCA often. They have great childcare and great classes for the kids. We've always had memberships to the local zoo, children's museum and science museum. We didn't "stay at home" that often when my kids were little. We attended classes, tried out new playgrounds, went swimming, went to the library (they often have free kids programs), etc. We made homemade playdough (much better than the stuff you buy). My kids are now older and I work part time, but my days fly by. I don't know where the time goes and I don't get to all of the cleaning and organization projects that have been on my to do list forever!

You definitely need to do something to give you intellectual/artistic stimulation. What stimulates your young children simply isn't enough for you, and that's normal.

It really depends on what you love doing. If school is what you really want, I would go with that. If you love art, music, or whatever, do that. When my kids were very little and nursing constantly, I had a bit too much TV, and now I pretty much don't watch it at all.

They key is really finding something you LOVE, something that makes the day great every single day. I'd also look for people online or in your city/town who share your interest(s).

Join a playgroup!Look up meetup.com I am a member of the South Florida Playgroup (in meetup.com) & you get to hang out w/ other moms & your kids get to make new friends.. We have meetups all over South Fl..
Check out the library, they have story time for your kids depending on their ages. Check out indoor playgrounds (you'll like these in the summer!) There are also local free magazines you can find at libraries giving out tons of info on local events you can take your kids too..
Like some have stated here, do you have a hobby? Sharpen it & maybe find a way to make money out of it.. I love to sew & sell my stuff online.
I say if you can go to school online, that would be cool too!

Fill out a FAFSA online and go from there. I do think you have to choose a college to attend first.

I am finishing off my schooling from 7 years ago online. At least my first step an associates degree. Thinking of going on from that if I find a degree that I enjoy and pays enough to make the cost of college worth it. I pay little to nothing to go to classes part time. Maybe a couple hundred in the end if books cost too much!

Ah, do you want to come clean out and organize my house?? A friend of mine who is a SAHM complained last night that she was going to stay home and organize closets while everyone else got to go to work. The grass is ALWAYS greener. Some days I wish I could stay home and clean, play with the kids, and watch TV. When I get days like that, sometimes I want to be at work and away from the chaos of home. Nothing is ever perfect :). So just don't feel bad either way is what I'm saying.

And you should still be able to get financial aid. Unless your husband is making over $200k, you should be able to get some help. Even then, go to the school you want to attend and ask their financial aid department to help you. There are so many options out there.

My husband and I make pretty good money and I'm starting the last 5 classes of my MBA program and he is starting his BS. You can definitely still get help.

Join a moms club. Look for one in your area www.momsclub.org I have 3 in school full time (baby is still home) and I still feel like I'm busy all day nearly every day between errands, cleaning, homework, dinner prep, activities for baby, etc.

Personally, I enjoy making things...

I am not officially a SAHM yet, but my last day of work is Thursday... Can anyone say YAAAHHHHOOOOO!!

Anyhow, I digress. With my spare time, I enjoy making things. And those things change from time to time, depending on my interests. I love photography, so that is something I like to toy with. For a while, I was into making jewelry - sterling silver and crystal name bracelets, lovely little things for gifts, etc. I may get back into that after baby comes... For a while, I was into painting. Not that I'm an artist, I'm surely not. But I found lots of neat things that I could replicate. Lately, I'm into crocheting, and sewing. Got a new sewing machine for Christmas. I get interested in some kind of projects, and I'll do them for a while, until something else catches my fancy.

If you haven't seen or tried it, www.pinterest.com is a great place to find every kind of creatable thing under the sun. I have lots of ideas stored there for when I need new ideas! If you are interested in a 'making things' hobby, I'd definitely subscribe to pinterest. It's free.

I don't know how old your kids are and how much "me time" you are able to have due to their ages, if they nap etc. But as of July, I am also a stay at homne mom (also not by choice.) When my son napped I used that time to get into a new TV show and watched the entire series on netflix, I have also been working on my son's scrapbook which has been fun and something I have been needing to get done. And of course all of those organizing type projects I could never get done while working full time.