Stay at home mums getting organised in 2010

Triggles

Originally Posted by Lotus-eater
I'm a new SAHD and am confused where you get all the time to do things.

I have a 5 month old to look after and after doing the dishwasher/kitchen and looking after him, I'm lucky if I get time to have lunch myself and to browse here for 10 mins with a cup of tea, while my OH is at work.

So how do you do it?

Sorry, missed that post initially. We have a 3yo (DS2) and 5 month old (DS3)at home, and I will say that this comes in soooo handy now that DS3 is finally big enough for it:rotfl::
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-Playzone-Take-Along-Activity-Centre/dp/B0002VZ2IW

I can set it up in the living room or kitchen, and he will happily play in it long enough for me to quickly do the washing up or do a little spot cleaning. This is usually during DS2's nap time.

A lot of it comes down to prep work. For example, DH takes over with the kids for about an hour in the morning. During this time, I can:
-change the steriliser fluid
-wash, sterilise (30 min) bottles and make them up for the day
-do the washing up
-get the laundry started washing (including prewash if need be)
-put together any snacks or lunch stuff I might need for later in the day, just in case chaos ensues and I can't do it later (like mixing tuna mayo and putting it in container in fridge, or boiling eggs and mashing with mayo for egg mayo and put in fridge, cutting up grapes and putting in covered container, slicing up banana bread and putting in covered container). Then all I have to do later is walk out to the kitchen, grab container, and it's all ready to go. Or just make the sandwiches, which only takes a few seconds.
-make breakfast for DS2 and DH and myself, then we eat together.
It's a busy hour for me, but it just makes things easier for me, plus DH gets some time with the boys in the morning.

Lotus-eater

Thanks guys for all the ideas, I feel a bit daunted and alone here, no one else with a baby locally, I want to do it all the right way and pull my weight around the house.
It just seems that I spend most of the time with DS and not the time spent tidying/cleaning up the house which I had planned. Maybe a grabbed moment.

But it seems most of you have the same problem

rainbow81

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Thanks guys for all the ideas, I feel a bit daunted and alone here, no one else with a baby locally, I want to do it all the right way and pull my weight around the house.
It just seems that I spend most of the time with DS and not the time spent tidying/cleaning up the house which I had planned. Maybe a grabbed moment.

But it seems most of you have the same problem

Hey there.

From what I remember my OH (ex) was just happy that I'd managed to keep me and the baby (also ex, lol, he's a big'un now) fed and if we got dressed it was a bonus!

I think you just need to decide what you need to do everyday and get a little rhythm going, and then decide what you need to do once a week and write it down to remind you. Most jobs round the house do only take about 10 minutes really if you just zoom around. Then the rest of the time is for playing :T

I used to be the same especially when the little one was a toddler though, I felt like I should be playing with him all day but it's good for them to explore on their own too.

Good luck x

jimjams_mommy

hi everyone, haven't done what I needed but had 2 appointments 2day at the hospital. All ok with bumps saw an anethestics ( think thats how it spelt ) today just incase I need a eppidrual. I didn't have one last time with a 9lb 8 baby who was back to back. As he said just in case and at least you know the option is there. Keeping an open mind about labour day.

Just need a big big kick up the bum to get organised as I will be living on take aways, no clean clothes and have a dirty house. My spd is so bad at times I want to cry with the pain and I feel like everything is such an effort.

I will do stuff 2mow. If not kick my big bum !!!!!

huston_kw

Very pleased today as I got most stuff done (but it is just my first day at this so hopefully I can keep it up) morning should be easy tomorrow as I done the preparation already so I may be able to have breakie with family and put a little make up on. I did do this today but it was after I took them to school / nursery. Tomorrow my ds is 4 (how times fly)

Tuesday's To Do List – Red is what I did do


cleanse / moisture put hand cream on
make up / hair – make up after kids at school
have breakfast – after took kids to school
make breadbuns
wash up breckie dishes / put away did when tea towels dried
do flylady list - kitchen done
lunch
wash up lunch dishes / put away did when tea towels dried
iron clothes for tomorrow
sort paperwork - shread old stuff, filing left but do it another day
Make packlunches for tomorrow
tea
wash up tea dishes / put away no tea towels, some on washing
S&S kitchen
S&S Bathroom
have a relaxing bath – straighten hair
cleanse / witch hazel / moisture use cocoa butter for body
have ovaltine
early to bed – going to watch a movie with oh then off to bed at 11pm so early night should be had

3KIDSNOMONEY

Hi everyone, hope it is OK for me to join in. I have four children, 13, 11, 6 and 1 and i have come to the conclusion, finally, the i am never going to get organised. I am a SAHM and have tried to organise myself but I just don't think it is meant to be. Hope you are all being more successful than me.

mumOf2wonderfulkids

jimjams_mommy wrote: »

I didn't have one last time with a 9lb 8 baby who was back to back.

Mucho respecto! i had an epi with dd ( topped up 3 times lol) she was back to back but didnt feel a thing

but with DS i got to the hospital too late so didnt have anything, he was back to back and only 7lb5 and i screamed like a banshee throughout! i think if DS was any bigger i would have died!!

well i have really haven't got done as much as i wanted to today but managed to get up dentist for our app this avo ( right in the middle of the crappy not quite rain, not quite snow slush) and started to write up some stuff i had to do for work, i've been putting it off for months and months, it's taken me 2 hours but at least its done



Oh and DD's school have fixed their heating so its back to school for DD tomorrow yay :j

does anyone know any good 30th birthday ideas? its DH's in july and we have very little extra cash. i want to do something nice as it is also our wedding anniversay on the same day, i have been looking around at ''romantic breaks'' but at £300 for one night that is just rediculous! virgin do hot air ballon flights which would be £200 for both of us which is a possibility,

Iheart2poundcoins

rainbow81 wrote: »

How is the papering? Looking good?

I don't know how you cope staying up so late, I really need my sleep. I woke up before my alarm this morning which was a bit shocking (I still didn't get out of bed though! :rolleyes:)

How old is your daughter??


Right, now for my list:

- [STRIKE]look behind the washing machine and try and sort out the leak[/STRIKE] (Done, for now!)
- [STRIKE]put washing on[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]throw papers and loo rolls out for recycling[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]change DS's bed[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]clean mould in bathroom[/STRIKE] - yuk!
- [STRIKE]hang washing out and put dry washing away[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]washing up[/STRIKE]I just washed up at 10pm, normally I wouldn't e bothered and would leave it till the morning but I am enjoying this cleaner more organised house :j
- [STRIKE]put DS's old games on Freecycle[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]spend 15 minutes doing something "pampering"[/STRIKE] - painted my nails while I watched the 1st hour of The Holiday. The girliness of that sentence makes me feel a bit sick lol!

Hope everyone's getting on ok!

x

She's nearly 7 months. I love her to bits :j
On a morning she might wake up say 7.30am and I just say it's not 9 o clock yet go back to sleep and she just talks to herself then goes back to sleep! She's good like that so it means I can dictate when we get up.

Anyhoo I had such an easy day today. I just said to her dad he had to look after her this morning as I was just too shattered, so I got to lie in till... 1.30pm!! I hardly did any bottles and just really had cuddles, and he put her to bed, I just did a midnight feed.
I did do some shopping and nearly fell a few times but I havnt washed any dishes or bottles and I'm going to go to bed before 2am tonight, whoopy!

Iheart2poundcoins

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Thanks guys for all the ideas, I feel a bit daunted and alone here, no one else with a baby locally, I want to do it all the right way and pull my weight around the house.
It just seems that I spend most of the time with DS and not the time spent tidying/cleaning up the house which I had planned. Maybe a grabbed moment.

But it seems most of you have the same problem

I'm with you.
I'm sure there are people out there who can manage it all but maybe it's a knack! You know those with immaculate homes, they are done up to the 9's and the baby gets all the attention too.
FOr me getting the housework done during her waking hours would mean compromising on her care - if i am in the kitchen it can only be for seconds and she has to go in her walker. It is freezing in my kitchen so I cant have her in there in her walker, so the only practical day stuff I could get done is the sitting room or the bedroom.

I'm going to try not to beat myself up so much in future about it. maybe I believe i need to do stuff that I dont have to do. Maybe a mucky kitchen floor is ok for a week - what harm would it do anyone?

Ok i think i need to prioritise - cats need their litter and food/water -- baby needs her nappies/clothes/milk and food -- I need clothes and food, everything else is secondary.

Oh and the wallpaper looks great when I came down. I have cream painted walls and it just brings the room together having a patterend chimney main wall :beer: looks cosy.

Iheart2poundcoins

SugarSpun wrote: »

I have a 5-month-old too - the trick is to entertain the baby while you do something else. We have a baby chair in the kitchen with hanging toys that make noise, so when I'm in sole charge I drop her in there while I do dishes/load laundry/make and eat breakfast etc, then during naptime I shower and eat lunch and the rest of the day is a combination of playtime, food time, naptime and inserting the baby into the sort of toy that gives me five/ten/fifteen minutes to get something done.

I htink thats where I went wrong - nap times. i never put her in her cot, I always had her on me at first and now I just tuck her up on the settee next to me - so for that 45mins or so I am tied to the seat.
I think i might try putting her in her cot and who knows she might actually get a couple of hours if I am lucky