time management

csarina

When I was working full time and had 4 chidlren, I found doing one big job each weekend day plus a couple of smaller ones helped, so Saturday I did the main washing, and cleaned a couple of the bedrooms Sunday After cooking the lunch I would clean the kitchen. and clean the final bedroom and bathroom. Baking was done whilst I had the oven on............whilst cooking the sunday lunch or cooking supper. A couple of nights a week I put any washing in and hung it out in the morning.
I was nursing so also worked split shifts which was useful as I could pull in jobs on my days off...................when I was on lates, I did a few jobs before I went out, earlies gave me the opportunity to multitask and clean a room whilst I was cooking supper.................
An evening in the week I did the ironing whilst watching TV, Each night before we went to bed I made sure the kitchen was tidy and straightened the lounge, Friday evening was lounge cleaning with the children helping............
Ironing was kept to a minimum, I folded and put away as much as I could, vests etc were put away, just shirts etc were ironed, although I always ironed bed linen....I alternated changing the beds, so I did not have 5 lots of sheets at once. Towels were foldewd and put in the airing cupboard.
It did take some organising but you ca do it.........................

potsofmoney_(I_wish)

Thank you for all your replies, I think that being almost regimental in my organisation is definitely the key. I was pretty much like that when the boys were tiny ( I have twins) but I think I've got out of the habit now they're that much bigger.

I think the 10minute system sounded great as well as having specific days for different tasks and cooking.

It's fitting in baking that I find hardest as so much of my day is spent rescuing climbing boys and keeping them out of trouble, and general entertainment. The amount of times I can be found running across a room with flour and gunk covered fingers is comically frequent but they won't be little forever as my mother keeps reminding me. Anyway I went off on one a bit there
what I was saying is thankyou!!:T :T :T

findingmyownway

Hi guys

I was on this board early in the year but have let things slip over the last 10 months or so (just as i was getting into it aswell :mad: )

Anyway, i'd really like to get back into the OS way of life (not that i was ever very good at it, but i would like to be).

Bit of background - i'm 24, i work full time (9-5) and live with OH who is selfemployed and works very long hours. His 3 daughters stay with us sunday-wednesday every week.

I also have a PhD thesis to write in the next 6 months (a massive task for those who don't know what i mean, i really need to find at least 15 hours a week to work on it. It should be a full time task but i was offered the job of my dreams and couldn't turn it down).

So my problem at the moment is a massive lack of time. I seem to get home from work, spend an hour making kids tea, tidying up, nagging about homework etc. They go to bed between 8-9pm and by then i'm far too knackered to think about sitting down to PhD work - plus have tidying/washing up etc to do.

At the moment i iron kids uniforms on a sunday night. Need to get into the habit of doing my weeks clothes too then i don't get up in a morning and realise i have nothing to wear! The girls make their own lunches before they go to bed. Morning routine is a orderly (ish) queue for the bathroom, force some breakfast down the kids neck and run out of the door!

I guess i'm just struggling a bit and i read about all you domestic goddesses on here and wonder how you fit it all in. I do have a few child-free nights while they are with their Mum but they seem to be taken up by food shopping and stuff like that.

The food shopping is an issue i need to tackle. What kind of things are good for batch cooking? Maybe i could get the girls making things at the weekends (they like cooking and baking). We currently easily spend £60 on a main shop and even then seem to end up at Tesco express a couple of times a week for an evil readymeal. Really would love to cut the cost and improve the quality!

Does anyone have any suggestions? Idon't think i can continue as things are - i am getting no PhD work done at all and am going to get myself in an even bigger hole

whatatwit

Hi, :hello:

Do you have a slow cooker, this could provide a hot meal with little effort.

Thriftlady did a thread on frozen meal building blocks, on the days when your slow cooker isn't making your main meal, it could be cooking something ready to be cooled/portioned and then frozen.

I think you need to start by making a note of what is in your cupboards and freezer and then meal planning for the week. Maybe you could then double up when cooking and start filling the freezer. If you involve the children, they are more likely to enjoy the food.

It will take time to get into the routine, but it will be worth it.

Good luck with the Phd.

stefejb

Well I haven't ironed in years so could you give that up? if the girls are old enough then maybe they could be taught to do their own ironing and personal care.

set aside some proper time for doing your phd for example saturday morning or a couple of hours each day which is your time that no one else can make demands on you in. Leave the hosue if you have to and work in the library. You will need to be quite strict with yourself and not worry about the washing up etc.

I do feel for you - I graduated at age 30 with two girls. I set aside the hours between 10pm and 1am for study and just ignored the housework. By the end when I was doing my dissertation we were living on ready meals for about 6 weeks and all felt really ill after. i think the building blocks idea is a good one - there is a thread on her somewhere

good luck

sammy_kaye18

Hi hun

I agree i dont tend to iron either unless it is something like a shirt for an interview or for going out etc.

I echo the 'slow cooker' statement too. They are a god send, i use mine which is only tiny to make a casserole which seems to feed two of us ok or one main big meal for bf when he comes in at night.

Could you not do your food shop online and that way then everytime you log in it will be there (i know this works on tesco not sure of others though) so you would jsut need to adapt it a little for that month, or write a list and let one fo the girls do it - im sure if they are old enough they are pretty computer savvy.

ceridwen

How old are OHs daughters?

6 months isnt forever - so you dont have to have a long-term plan for that time - just an interim one.

Maybe an interim one could be that as regards food - as long as you all get enough nutrients in your food (ie enough protein/enough vitamin C/etc) and your stomachs are full - then blow "proper" meals for 6 months.

"Proper" meals as such arent actually necessary - just a cultural requirement. For myself - I could think for instance:

1. ploughmans lunch (cheese for protein/salad for Vit c/bread for filling my stomach up)

2. muesli (good-quality bought muesli, topped up with dried fruit/fresh fruit/live yogurt) and bread to fill up my stomach

3. crudites (fresh veg chopped up and dipped in hummus. Hummus made from canned chickpeas) and pitta bread to fill my stomach.

You get the idea. Stuff like that I would have thought was easy enough for even children to do for themselves - even for a man to do (whoops - sexism!) for himself.

thriftmonster

I agree with Ceridwen - ATM you need a plan for the next 6 months to get that thesis written and cope. Great news about the job - is it in another area or is it based on the idea that you will get your doctorate in the next year (dh has had students get jobs on this basis with firms - more pressure)? If your job is semi dependent on your writing up then you have to be ruthless.

Meals in the freezer are great for emergencies, as are a list of quick pasta meals that everyone eats - my standard one is olive oil, garlic and grated cheese on spaghetti - takes 5 mins and everyone eats it.

Good luck

ceridwen

:money: Note to MSE martin to start with......WHEW....what a job and a half to get back into the site. Minutes for stage 1, minutes for stage 2.......etc. Are we under attack again?:money:

Now....

further thoughts:
filler food for your stomach:
- couscous (boil water/put couscous in . takes 4 minutes)
- rice done in an electric steamer
- noodles
- real (ie fresh - shopbought!) pasta with quick sauce (boursin cheese/tomatoes/olives/etc/etc)
- baked potatoes
- nice bread

Fast cookbook - believe its called "Real Fast Food" - Nigel Slater. ie real food in minutes.

Try putting something like 10 minute meals/instant meals in google and see what comes up.

How much housework is OH doing? Note your reference to ironing his daughters clothes.

belfastgirl23

I can give you some thesis advice that worked for me.

In the end I started getting up at 6am before anyone else. I found this was a really good time to concentrate. I would literally get up, get a glass of water and start work. No tea. No unloading the dishwasher. No ANYTHING just work. I promised myself this 90 minute slot per day to work on the phd and if I did this then I didn't feel guilty about not doing anything else. Often this time was spent thinking and editing since the computer was also in the bedroom and I didn't want to disturb DH. I would sometimes do another half hour in the evening but it would be mostly typing up edits from earlier, not brain work. I found that my mind was in great shape first thing. The other thing was that I found the dreading of it was much worse than the doing of it if you see what I mean. So if I did it first thing I didn't have time to dread it/talk myself out of it. I just did it.

I know it sounds hard and depressing but it is only for six months! And I can't tell you the relief/pleasure/sheer exhileration of the day you get rid of it!

You've done really well getting this far, time for the final push! And don't be afraid to go easy on yourself in other areas of your life. If finishing the phd means pasta dinners or the house not being as clean as you'd like, remember it's only short term, don't feel guilty about it.