old style family?

debtfreehopeful_2

Monday - carbonara
Tuesday – chicken, roast potatoes, roast parsnip? Steamed veggies
Wednesday - risotto
Thursday – pork chops and mash
Friday – grilled fish, chips and beans
Saturday - Pizza
Sunday – jacket potato and salad


i think thats varied and achievable, its all stuff i can do or have simple recipes for. can i use any veg in rissotto as the recip i have is pea and bean and i know dh wont touch it

thanks

inkie

Don't push yourself when the cast comes off - it will take a while for the limb to get back to normal. I had 10 weeks in cast at the begining of the year, and expected that as soon as it came off then I would be back to normal straight away - how wrong I was!

dronid

It sounds like you're doing superbly. With a broken arm and two young children doubly so!:T :T :T

Do you have space where the kids don’t go? Or do you restrict the things they play with in a space, like the living room. Frankly you need to remember that mess is not dirt and so long as your living room can be tidied quickly by moving a couple of things you still have a clean and tidy living space. Same with the kitchen really. Those are probably your core rooms.;)

Your bedroom, if it’s not already, should be off limits. It really is your refuge and you don’t want to have to tidy anything you haven’t done.

So long as you can keep these rooms ‘sorted’ to start with you’ll be in a good place. Certainly, once the household is used to that you’ll be in a better position to tackle the other areas.

I have never run into one parent who doesn’t have rules like that that didn’t end up A) :eek: frazzled:eek: from continuous cleaning and having a messy house.:eek: :eek:

Toddlers are a great distraction. They particularly demand attention – particularly when you’re giving it to something else – and they use it mercilessly! This is not bad. Just normal.

I would second the comment about the Flylady thread where they break down tasks into 15 minute jobs. I find it a little restrictive myself, but then my standards maybe a little lower! You could certainly give yourself an edited highlights version of it. And a plan gives you a starting point. You can then look at it and make it more efficient!

Once your arm is healed and up to full strength you’ll be fine. And as for embarrassing:o your OH when you’re posted somewhere, really, I wouldn’t set yourself up for a fall and a lot of heartache. If there’s a parent in the world with children with normal behaviour who has a perfect house she’ll either be :eek: Anthea Turner:eek: , and then likely to be someone who you won’t want to mix with unless you like constant disapproval at how messy life is, or so regimented that her children have been indoctrinated to never move_pale_ , not touch anything_pale_ and be invisible._pale_

And you wouldn’t want that for your kids would you?:D

orchid-96

Hi all, I don't want to hijack this thread but it is sooo nice to see someone else on here with the same sort of concerns as me, I have a 5yr old son and twin girls a 16 moths and I am struggling to get anything done!! I just about manage to keep them fed and clean etc. and today I did manage to clean the bathroom......I come on here when I can to try and get tips for keeping to a budget, but my children are just such a handful ...they are gorgeous as well but a handful..

My youngest twin Olivia can just about climb out of anything (her cot and the travel cot we have been using as a playpen...the only time I get any time at all is when they have a morning kip for about an hour...

dh leaves for work before everyone is up (around 6.30) and is home around 5pm 6 days a week so most of it is up to me...

I appreciate your replies to this post as it makes me feel a bit better (especially the bit about getting to the end of the day with them clean and fed) but I must admit to finding life very hard at the moment....

Don't get me wrong I wouldn't swap my family for the world, but hopefully you will know what I mean...

:A

Churchmouse

Congratulations debtfreehopeful! You've done something I still can't manage - a menu plan:o :rotfl:

In answer to your question, yes use whatever veg you like in your rissotto. You'll have to adjust the size you cut them into, depending on what you use. Lots of people use it as a chance to clear the bottom of the fridge:D

I think it sounds like you're doing fine. You have clean, happy, fed children and that's the most important thing. If your kitchen and bathroom are clean it really doesn't matter if they're a bit messy. And don't forget, your children will never remember whether or not you ironed their pyjamas or the furniture was always dust-free, but they will remember if you played with them;)

Just start small, and don't try to change/do too much at a time. One small success will be a boost, three big failures because you try to do too much will just discourage you. And please try not to compare yourself to anyone else. No two families are the same, each will have their own dynamics. Besides which, one persons *mess* is someone elses *immaculate*:rotfl: You have children who need a home not a showroom. That was always my excuse, and still is and my kids are all grown:o

Good luck, and I bet within a few months you'll be the one offering advice to other mums;)

CMxx

mae

Sounds like you are a perfectionist and if you can't achieve perfection then you think there is no point and that is how things then slide and you are in a viscious circle. Does that make any sense?

sharronloves2spend

Hello debtfreehopeful and a very big welcome!!! I am mostly a sahm and it took years to be the perfect housewife(only joking) but you shouldn't beat yourself up your girls are still very young and you still are a realtivly new mum.Iwould start by putting some routine into your day, does your toddler have a nap? If so i would use this time to tackle a few of your worst areas, or perhaps at the weekend when your husband is at home to take care of your girls. Have a major de-clutter and have a storage place for everything, then your daily chores would not take so long, as someone said earlier have rooms that LO's can't go in such as your bedroom or maybe you have two living rooms use one for relaxing and the other for kids to play in. Start small and take a look at the flylady thread as others have said. I was not brought up old style at all and learnt everything as i went along, making mistakes and keeping a sense of humour!!! As far as gadget buying goes, next time you feel the urge, start a thread on here and ask advice, im sure many people would be willing to give you advice!!!!HTH Sharron

mae

orchid-96 wrote: »

Hi all, I don't want to hijack this thread but it is sooo nice to see someone else on here with the same sort of concerns as me, I have a 5yr old son and twin girls a 16 moths and I am struggling to get anything done!! I just about manage to keep them fed and clean etc. and today I did manage to clean the bathroom......I come on here when I can to try and get tips for keeping to a budget, but my children are just such a handful ...they are gorgeous as well but a handful..

My youngest twin Olivia can just about climb out of anything (her cot and the travel cot we have been using as a playpen...the only time I get any time at all is when they have a morning kip for about an hour...

dh leaves for work before everyone is up (around 6.30) and is home around 5pm 6 days a week so most of it is up to me...

I appreciate your replies to this post as it makes me feel a bit better (especially the bit about getting to the end of the day with them clean and fed) but I must admit to finding life very hard at the moment....

Don't get me wrong I wouldn't swap my family for the world, but hopefully you will know what I mean...

:A

It sounds like you are completely human. No wonder you find it hard, one 16 mth old can be enough to stop anything else getting done but two and a 5 year old is sheer hard work. Keep on the way you are going and things will get easier, you will pick up tips along the way from this site but just remember you can only do what you can do you are no different to the rest of us.

Churchmouse

Think sharron has it 100% right about the gadgets!!! Be prepared for loads of differences of opinion:rotfl: But it would give you all sides of the argument:D I'm a little bit susceptible to gadgets myself, but luckily sheer laziness, and the tiniest house you can imagine means I don't actually get round to buying that many:o

lil_me

Hello, firstly, please allow yourself to get back to 'normal' gradually, you'll only end up doing yourself more of an injury if you do too much straight away! Oh yes and you lucky devil having a DH that can cook swap? :rotfl:

Kaz mentioned the flylady thread, more than welcome to join us if you think it will help you can of course just give it a go, it's all about little steps often. Many find it useful, of course some don't, I think personally what helps is the support, other people knowing how you feel, making those yakky housework tasks 99% of us hate (there is some weird people who like housework :rotfl:) something achievable!
Sorry I forgot to add the link, the last weeks thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=520417 new one will be up on Monday, but the link to it will be on there.

Focus on what you have achieved each day, rather than what you haven't!

Admitting that without a cleaner, nanny etc etc you're home will not be 'perfect' I think is the first step. You're one person not many, you aren't and don't ever need to be superwoman. You're most definately not alone. Dusty's signature who uses the Flylady thread used to have this signature, I have it on a fridge magnet

Cleaning the house whilst kids are still growing. Is like shovelling the path before it stops snowing