Going back to work

Jolinar

charlies-aunt wrote: »

My advice would be ---- be prepared to lower your standards and concentrate your energy on what matters - your children will remember bedtime stories, playing cards together, walks to the park for all their lives....they won't remember nicely ironed PJ's and sheets, expensive presents/clothes, elaborate meals and an immaculate house.

Clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy

I have worked part and full time - since leaving school 40 yeas ago, married, two children, looked after elderly parents, allotment, have multiple pets - and have learned the hard way not to try and do it all.....

Totally agree with the above! Ditch any ideas about perfection and doing it all, you'll drive yourself nuts.

I work fulltime too one thing thats helped me is online grocery shopping, I do click and collect from asda I nip in get it on my way home from work. I do the ordering in my lunch breaks on my phone app so it doesn't eat into family time.

Totally clean the bathroom whilst my son is in the bath, he even helps out now whilst he's in there after watching me swish around lol. Definitely get the kids involved early with helping out, even if they don't do a perfect job it's still done.

If I'm outside hanging washing out or cleaning up after the dog I'll pull up a few weeds, not all of them just a few, keeps on top of that job whilst not feeling like a huge chore.

On Sunday evenings me and the hubster have a division of labour, you get a choice, bath the kiddo and clean the bathroom or do the ironing. We just iron the essentials and tend to choose clothes that don't require it or just need a quick run over with the iron.

Laundry, I chuck a load in when I get home, hang it up after dinner while hubby loads the dishwasher.

Other chores get fitted in as and when there's time but no more than 10-15 mins spent per chore.

And finally I bought a dyson cordless handheld, it's great for quick clean-ups and the place keeps looking reasonably decent until we have time to break out the big hoover.



HTH.

ostrichnomore_2

Do you have an OH? Then it's time to talk to him about it - who will do what and when. I can't stand all this 'helps with housework' rubbish (and even less the doesn't do any/much housework, rubbish). Two adults live there. Two adults work full time. Two adults are equally responsible for the housework.

My tips:
instead of tackling a room at a time, tackle a job and do it in all the rooms. So hoover everywhere. Or wash all the hard floors. Or go round with the polish and duster. Or go round with the feather duster and do all the ceiling corners/tops of doors/lightshades. That keeps everywhere ticking over at a reasonable level and saves time faffing about getting cleaning stuff out and packed up constantly. And each job doesn't take all that long, it's not as daunting.

School age kids can make and change their own beds and keep own rooms tidy, and maybe do other chores according to age. Including their ironing once they are older than about 9 or 10.

Everyone can clean the bath/shower immediately when they've used it.

Batch cook - it doesn't really take any longer and saves loads of time when you can just defrost another night's meals.

Don't go for perfection. I don't think it can be done, without sacrificing something else. Your kids would rather you have time and energy to play with them/take them out, than a sparkling kitchen floor.

Don't give a **** what any visitors think.

Dozey_crow

Thank you all so much for your replies... Some great ideas there which will help me a great deal. Making better use of my time would be of great benefit. I noticed today that I had drifted into 'thinking mode, whilst the kettle was boiling and I could have been putting the pots away.

There is a lot to digest here and I take my hat off to you all for being so organised. I will get there. I made a bit of a start today by making two big trays of cauliflower cheese for the freezer and making some bread.

I do have a DH, who is lovely, kind and wonderful but unfortunately he is also unwell with a life limiting but not threatening illness. We have always shared house work well to be honest he does more than me when he is well. When he has a flare up though he really struggles to stand or walk and so I take over. So yes there are two of us but I am thinking that if devise a system that I can manage, DH can carry on whilst well but I can take over and cope if he isn't.

Thanks again everyone x