Working mums, How do you do it?

bouncydog1

Always worked full time - one child now 17. Cleaner and ironing lady in early years so I could have weekends off. Now too mean to pay! Have dishwasher and tumble dryer and do at least one load of washing each day during economy 12 time. Then in TD overnight on E12 and iron when I get up in the morning. Have one of those pressure steam iron things (does dry jeans with one sweep up the leg and worth every penny).

(DH works 7-4 so we are up at 6). He does lunches and I do school drop. He finishes at 4 and goes home to sort out dogs, then off to do the horses with DD. Share school pickups with a friend.

First one home therafter starts the dinner and DD will also help with the cooking. We have always worked as a partnership and he will often do the housework if he has time to spare or I will do it - alternatively we do together on a Thursday evening. Grocery shopping shared between us so we can do things as a family at weekends. DD has responsibility for her room and her bathroom so if she has friends round and it is a candidate for "How clean is your house" it's nothing to do with me!:rotfl:

Any one of the three of us will put on a load of washing or drying or sorting and folding. Everything is ironed apart from underwear, socks and towels. Can't bear unironed sheets!

My home is always very tidy, but not necessarily always dust free behind the sofas and beds!!

I always used to worry about my house being pristine (my mum and mil are v houseproud) but as I have got older I have realised that as long as the kitchen and bathrooms are spotless the rest doesn't matter so much. I would rather have time with my family than be a slave to my home!

Ms_Piggy_2

coco1980 wrote: »

I have seen lots of advice on these forums for stay at home mums etc and was just wondering for all other mums that work, what are your ways of coping/managing with everything that needs done:D
I always find that I spend my weekends doing everything that I couldnt manage during the week, and would love to be more organised so was really looking for hints and advice on how yous do it:)

ORGANISATION - in theory anyway!

I try and do stuff during the week as I don't want to spend all w/e clearing up, so I'll put a wash on in the morning and then hang it to dry when I get it. It can then be put away the next night.
I always try and leave the house relatively clean and tidy each evening so it's nice in the morning and also to clear up after breakfast so it's nice when we come in.

jennihen

Declutter as much as possible - that way you can see who has left what where. Make the kids stop what they are doing and put away the offending article immediately - they soon get fed up and learn to put things away without asking!!
Train them all to do housework - they'll need to know how to do it one day so start young.
We all muck in together for a manic 20 mins rather than one person do it all - I pick a time about 1/2 and hour before their favourite TV progrmme - amazing how quick they can be!

frostyspice

Courgette wrote: »

I try to treat the job like a M-F 9-6 job, as in I do everything I can do at school, don't work at weekends unless it's an emergency (coursework marking time for example). The best decision I ever made for our family was not to bring work home especially at weekends. I'm fairly new too, M2

However, regarding the original question I don't feel like I do manage to balance everything (especially at the mo as I'm 10 weeks pregnant and knackered). I think it's a question of priorities - as long as we're fed and clean and happy then that's enough for me

Thanks to you and teacherandmum for your replies. I'm M2 too, upper KS2, have two primary-age children and too much to do... tips on this thread are fab though.

mummy_Jay

I'm another one avocating decluttering, my DS has bit plastic toys boxes, he knows to put his toy away after dinner.

Morning : are very short in our house as I have to get my DS to the CM by 7:15, so I always lay his (and my) clothes out the night before and stick to a tight schedule.

Evenings: are again always short on time, by the time we are home 4:40, get changed make dinner is about half an hour but I have taken to making up his pack luch whilst making dinner and putting it in the fridge for the following morning. By the time dinners over its normally after 6, so time to sitdown quietly and do his nightly reading from school, then time to have a little quite play (hopefully) before bedtime routine kicks in at 7 with a bath and a few chapters of his current bedtime book, buy the time he's settled its normally 8. The its washing up and tidy up time. I will not do anything unnecessary whilst he's up as I always feel like I just don't get enough time with him.

My DS has been taught to put away his toys (since he was 2), set the table, but his plate after meals in the kitchen, dust (which he does when I hoover at the weekends), put his laundry straight into the washing machine and always helps with the weekly shop.

The weekend got a bit harder to get things done (now he's in yr 1) as we have swimming on a saturday morning and all sunday morning seems to get swallowed up by homework, add housework and I always end up feeling like I haven't had any quality time with him.

If you want tips, its routine and planning. Always plan your meals up front so you know what you need to buy, keep to a routine when your short on time much easier and get the little ones to help (every little helps).

claireac

I work 32 hours a week, but every day. I have a 3yr old dd at play school and child minder, 18yr old ds who does his own thing but is at college and pt work and a sd aged 11 who comes on a Friday after work.

I prioritise and do what I have to during the week! I've recently bought a slow cooker and now batch cooking in that, and that makes a huge difference for when dh or I get in at 6 and something easy is defrosted and just need rice/pasta/potatoes cooking.

I have a td although I minimise the use of that, and a dishwasher but it's a half size one so there's some washing up to do :(.

I put the dishwasher and washing machine on before I go to work and then unload during the week. We have woodend floors so a quick sweep round only takes a few mins and I hoover the rug when it needs it.

Everything else I catch up on a the weekend! I would luuuurve a cleaner........

frannyann

Until daughter was 8, I had a cleaner once a week, who also did my ironing! Was a total godsend, as worked full time since daughter was 2 and single parent! It meant that I didn't spend each evening stressing about the housework but enjoyed time with my daughter. Now daughter is older she can help around the house and I taught her to iron at 10 (I just bribe her to do mine as well as her own )

CaroLondon

I'm single with no kids and only have a small one bedroom flat and I struggle, I usually leave the house around 7.30 and 9/10 times i'm not home before 21.00 then usually in bed by 22.30 but the amount of mess I seem to make in that short time is unreal!

I swore 2010 was going to be different and I had a huge clear out before coming back to work after Christmas but looking around last night it is as bad as ever, I just cant seem to motivate myself at the weekends.

I have tried writing down everything I have to do , I just end up with lists everywhere!

coco1980

CaroLondon I am the same done big clear out before new year but its piling up again, I will have to do another one this weekend as I'm getting central heating in soon, hopefully house will stay tidy longer

Blackpool_Saver

If I were working full time again I would have a person come in and "do".

I don't do ironing either, never need to, after clothes have dried on airer, I blow them in dryer for 5 mins and hang up, no ironing.