Stay at home mums getting organised in 2010

ragz_2

All this baby care talk -- I don't see why people think babies need constant attention. The baby won't spontaneously combust if you leave it alone in another room while you do the washing up! If you give them constant attention they'll get used to and expect it, then you're setting yourself up for a really demanding child. People used to have 4,5 or 6 kids and manage fine. Either by leaving older ones playing with the baby or just letting baby roll around on the floor with some toys for a while. If you're worried about older children/animals then a travel cot in the living room is really useful. In goes baby and some toys, all safe!

Baby is not in charge!!!!!
I may sound cruel but I now have 2 very well behaved toddlers who will entertain themselves happily for ages while I do other things, like wash up, cook etc... because I didn't train them to think they need me around all the time.


It's just started snowing again here this morning, we've had another inch at least and it's coming down thick and fast. We'd planned to go visit my parents today as it was my little sister's 14th on Monday and I haven't got her present to her yet, but not sure we'll risk it now. Arrrgh I was hoping it would all be melting today!

Jobs for today
Dress kids
Dress me
Flylady list
Wash Up
Defrost something for dinner
Tidy Utility Room (yes, I know it's been on here for days but it's sooo cold - 4 degrees - in there I keep putting it off).

money_saving_diva

Hi I agree about not entertaining your child all day. I have friends who only showered etc when baby/toddler was asleep. I use to put baby/toddler in his cot while I had a shower. It wasn't nap time but he had to learn that he had to have times he had to be alone. He was fine. He was in a safe place and he never use to cry for me. Once he was old enough to look at books etc I put books in his cot for him to look at.

My ds entertains himself in the living room while I do jobs around the house. Of course I play with him and we go out to lots of groups etc but there are times that they have to learn to entertain themselves - it is an important part of growing up i think. I also find my ds plays nicer when I am not in the room. For example if I am in the room and he is playing with his train set each time a carriage falls off the track all I hear is 'mummy help!!!!!' but if I am not in the room he puts it back on the track, no fuss and gets on with playing nice and happy!

When the baby comes I am going to be so pleased that I know ds is use to being in a room on his own for a little while because I am going to have to feed, change baby etc and I would like to be able to change the baby etc without my 2 yr old clinging round me the whole time. Also the baby is going to have to get use to me sorting out ds.

Anyway saying all that I am having a useless morning lol! I came on the internet to check weather and haven't got off it yet. Ds smeared jam up the wall! :rolleyes: and I have a million and one housework jobs I need to do but can't be bothered. I wanted to feel full of energy today because I had 20 wk scan yesterday and so I wanted to be really relieved today and start to enjoy this pregnancy (I had a mmc found at 12wk scan in april) but the baby wasn't in a very good postition at the scan so she said it was all ok as far as she could see. She also had no people skills but that is a long story (it just wasn't a very good experience) I just wanted to have a really confiendent scan so we could get more excited. But baby has a heart beat and is measuring ok so I should be very very happy.

I better go and do some jobs! I need a big kick up the bum! :rotfl:

SugarSpun

Glad the scan went well - so many ultrasound technicians have no people skills whatsoever. I'm not sure if it's because they spend all day in dark rooms looking at greyish images, or if they're drawn to the job because a dark room's the best place for them.

I shower while the baby's asleep because it gives me the time to enjoy my shower without wondering if she's managed to tip herself over onto her face or done something. She gets alone time while I do other stuff, but showering is me-time and she needs to be asleep for it

Work meeting today I've just finished preparing for, then home to feed the baby and to continue writing this paper. Householdy stuff for today involves more tidying away the nine shipping boxes that turned up on Monday - tons more stuff but I'm officially completely moved out of my parents' house and all my stuff is here now. We need more bookshelves.

chazsucks

Hey can I join this thread?? I'm stay at home mum with a baby who is 8 months called Jakob. I have a big furry black haired dog that ruins my carpets every day lol. I'm also doing a distance course which is HARD!! my house is constantly messy / unorganised which i hope to try to change this year.. oh and i attempt flylady, used to be good at it and loved the way my house looked but now i can't seem to do it as Jakob just cries whenever I leave him to do stuff!

and I agree what the people before me posted about leaving the baby alone, but as I said Jakob has started screaming as soon as I even walk towards the door of the room we're in... it's ok when other people are around as long as there's at least one person he's fine, but as soon as he's alone he screams like mad... and constantly... it doesn't stop. I had family round before and they were saying 'oh he just wants attention leave him and he'll stop after a while' and while i agree that it is the attention i think he wants he just did not stop.
I don't know why he suddenly wants more attention though?
We wake up at 7, I feed him.. then about 7.30 i put him on the floor to play while i pick up any bits around the room etc.. at about 8 i play with him till 9 when he has breakfast... then i attempt to leave him to do some washing etc but end up going back up there about half 9 because he is screaming so much.. play with him till 10 which is nap time so i run and shower, do any leftover washing up, put a load of washing in, hoover etc etc
but it's just driving me crazy not being able to do much while he is awake!!! i got a playpen off ebay and picked it up the other day... so i know he is perfectly safe but yeah, i don't know.. it's just weird because he used to be fine and now suddenly i can't do anything

ANYWAY sorry for long post... today i have to...
[STRIKE]-Wash up leftover washing up[/STRIKE]
-Put a fresh load of clothes to wash
[STRIKE] -Take all dry clothes to airing cubhoard
-Hoover living room + Jakobs room
[/STRIKE]-Organise paperwork that's all over the living room
-FINISH biology unit 3
[STRIKE] -Give Jakob a bath
-Pick up medical textbooks that I got from freecycle ( in the rush hour )
[/STRIKE]

georgiepig

Hi Chazsucks, I'm new to all this too, so welcome from another newbie
When my ds was little (hes nearly 2) I struggled with what to do when showering ect.. I found the best thing for me was to put him in his bouncy chair in the bathroom and he watched me have a shower. I wasn't stressed as I could see him and know he wasnt getting upset in another room. I would always worry that he might be crying and I couldn't hear him. Now DS is nearly two I leave the bathroom door open and he can wonder in and out of the bathroom if he likes and sometimes he stands next to the bath playing with him bath toys.

Today I have done 20 minutes of my fitness dvd and I will also...
1) do my hair and make up to start looking half decent
2) wash up and tidy up house
3) do some washing
4) take ds for a walk somewhere
5) make something nice for dinner later
6) go to town and buy some bits and bobs

Lotus-eater

OK, today and yesterday DS laid on a blanket in the bathroom whilst I had a shower and he sat in his chair next to me in the kitchen while I fixed the coffee maker, all went fine and he doesn't mind being on his own as long as you are there and he doesn't get bored.
How long that takes depends on his mood, 10 mins is the usual.

He also hates laying down most of the time, has done since he was born, so that can cause problems, he has a terrific baby gym, but doesn't like it very often.

I'm also struggling with a very messy, disorganised house, but am turning it around and making it easier to keep tidy, starting with the kitchen!

RoxieW

If anyone uses a mac like me - I've started using the ical function which has a to do list that you can prioritise as well as a calender - am finding it really useful

Triggles

Hiya and welcome to all the new peoples!! It's nice to see everyone joining! And always good to have more to offer good tips and ideas, as well as commiserate! :rotfl:

moneysavingdiva - I know it can be incredibly difficult to relax and enjoy pregnancy when you've had a previous loss. We had 4 losses between DS2 and DS3, and I was a bundle of nerves until after about 25 weeks of pregnancy with DS3, and then I was able to unwind just a little bit. Hopefully, you will soon be able to enjoy it more and be nervous about it less. Some scan techs can be really lacking in bedside manner, while others I think may adopt a bit of a distant attitude to avoid being upset at every loss that comes through their office. From that aspect, I don't think it's a job I could do.

We had a little bit of snow overnight, but while we were told heavy snow today, now weather report is saying rain. It's awfuly cold for rain, but I guess we'll see. It's freezing and miserable, either way, so I'm staying indoors.

I finished yesterday's list and managed to get all the DMP letters typed, printed, and posted last night. Now I need to go through paperwork and double check that we're on track for our monthly budget, as well as a quick update for our online grocery shop, as DH tells me Sainsburys is currently running their 1/3 off baby supplies, so I'll stock up a bit. No big list today, as I've already done my regular morning stuff. So just a few things I NEED to get done (already mentioned above) and then just relax today.

rainbow81

chazsucks wrote: »

Hey can I join this thread?? I'm stay at home mum with a baby who is 8 months called Jakob.

my house is constantly messy / unorganised which i hope to try to change this year.. oh and i attempt flylady, used to be good at it and loved the way my house looked but now i can't seem to do it as Jakob just cries whenever I leave him to do stuff!

Hi there,

Isn't 8 months the age when separation anxiety is supposed to start? (I didn't get it till age 3 but that's another story).

Welcome to the new people. Just writing my to-do list in public seems to keep me motivated.

Today's list:

- [STRIKE]put a load of washing on[/STRIKE]
- yoga class cancelled due to snow
- [STRIKE]hang up wet washing and put dry washing away[/STRIKE]
- take in tax credits cheque to the bank not going to town now so it can wait
- [STRIKE]post Lovefilm DVD[/STRIKE]
- go to Mr M's for supplies ex-OH said he will do it as my car is frozen solid
- [STRIKE]15 minutes tackling paperwork[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]clean out the fridge and throw old food out[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]clean filter in fish tank[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]hoover the bathroom[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]clean bathroom windows[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]1/2 hour on the Wii fit to make up for no yoga[/STRIKE] :j
- [STRIKE]washing up[/STRIKE]



There, that's enough I think!

Have a good day everyone! The snow is coming down again, boo hiss!

x

mumOf2wonderfulkids

Morning everyone and Hello to everyone joining

just wanted to agree with triggles about pregnancy loss, it is very hard to relax, i had a missed miscarriage before DD and a miscarriage before DS. and i also agree about the technicians lacking manner, I had my 18 week scan with the preg before DD, and he told me with no emotion whatsoever ''this pregnancy has terminated itself, you need to decide whether you want a d&c or naturally'' i was absolutely devastated.
but on a positive note i do have 2 healthy bouncing children. With DS i fell down the stairs at 40+1 i broke my back at the same time, but DS was perfectly fine and even extended his stay to arrive 8 days late

anyway i can go on and on about preg baby stories but i dont want to bore you hehe.


well today for me is a little more productive, DS is being so good today, we are making a game of him helping me do the housework and he loves it. So i'm giving him little tasks (is putting shoes away, rubbish in bin etc etc) he loves the responsibility. im trying to be positive today and aim to get all my list done, if i dont please kick my behind!!

[STRIKE]tidy front room
[/STRIKE]

• tidy kitchen
• [STRIKE]hoover front room done[/STRIKE]
• hoover kitchen
• [STRIKE]wash front room floor [/STRIKE]
• wash kitchen floor
• sort out pc desk and take pc upstairs
• [STRIKE]sort out toys in living room[/STRIKE]
• hoover stairs
• do enough washing to empty 3 baskets, dry then fold/put away getting there 1 down 2 to go!
• sort out stuff for dinner / tea
• make food inventory / create dinner plan for next week
• pay credit cards
• fluffed / hoover sofas one down, one to go!

edit to add * what is this flylady everyone keeps talking about? can someone enlighten me please