I'm spread a little thin these days - how do you do it?

Gingham_Ribbon

There are other threads about organising our time and I'd be a quivering wreck without flylady but I'd appreciate some more specific advice if you don't mind!

My baby has upped his game. He wants to be standing most of the time and that involves me holding him up. My toddler is really very good but he obviously wants to play too. Cooking has always been something I've managed just fine but now I'm making meals for the baby too, obviously seperate to the rest of us. The house is messier, there are more dishes to wash up (especially as my husband now works from home) there's more laundry, it takes SO much longer to get out of the house...how do you all DO it?! :eek:

I am trying to take everyone's advice. Last night when the children were asleep I prepared a huge pan of soup ready to cook today, peeled some potatoes to make tattie scones later, most of the baby's food is in portions in the freezer, I have a friend I'm trying to organise some babysitting swaps with so I can get a decent go at the housework once a week, I can live with a bit of a mess as the most important thing to me is playing with the children and being with my husband. My husband pulls his weight in the house and is great with the kids but he has to earn a living!

Some specifics then:

toddler wants to read a book
baby is complaining that he wants to be standing up
if I don't get the dinner made everyone will be hungry and grumpy
What should I do?! :rolleyes:

Baby is being breastfed, toddler shouts that he needs help to wipe his bum the cat has just been sick. :rolleyes:

How do those of you with little ones get out of the house in a reasonable order in reasonable time for anything?!

I KNOW I can do this without everything falling into chaos, but how?!

nearlyrich

Do you know what I can't remember how I did it but I have been there, pehaps the brain wipes out the chaos and exhaustion and leaves just the happy memories of long hot summers playing in the garden with two perfectly clean happy children, or is that just the photos in the album LOL.

I am sure you are doing a fantastic job and your children will grow up with memories of a mum who was always around to play. It does get easier as they get more independant so enjoy the moment and don't be too hard on yourself if dinner is a little late or you can't do an immediate photoshoot for homes and gardens.

Dumyat

I remember it well. you just have to go with the flow, and let the housework standards slip a bit. dont be trying to be superwoman. And if it all gets too much get the coats on and get some fresh air down the park!

Gingham_Ribbon

Ah, the park. That's the other thing. I haven't dared venture there without a friend or my husband along too. My toddler likes me to charge round with him if he doesn't have a friend there too. I can't leave the baby just sitting in his pram. That just seems so unfair...and he's too heavy to lug about with me.

Hardup_Hester

Hi
2 things that worked for me, I always wore a skirt, when mine were trying to walk they found it easier to grab & hold on to a skirt than jeans, they would hang on to my skirt while I shuffled round doing chores.
When I was breastfeeding, as soon as the baby started to show signs of wanting feeding, I'd say to the toddler, do you need the toilet? then say go & get and book the baby is hungry, I would then feed baby with toddler snuggled next to me having a story read to him/her. It stopped the child feeling excluded.
I was also helped that I had very low standards of housework, the only thing I always did was cook & I quickly realised that I could cook Spag Bol, one handed.
Hester

susank

I seem to remember for the second child I stripped my house of all but the basics and put things away - not just for the children but for the cleaning purposes I still left things down low as I believe they should learn not to touch things at home and then when out they dont do it either. Put up with a bit of mess - they really are only young once and mine are both over 30 now and I am desperate to be a granny already!!

Bambywamby

I wouldn't have been without a play pen when my DS was a tiddler.

For an hour a day he would sit in the play pen with toys and his drinking bottle and play. If he wanted to stand up he would pull him self up using the sides of the pen.

This gave me that valuable hour to tidy up, start dinner, wash the floor or what ever few jobs needed doing.

He could always see me and I him and this worked well for me. I stopped getting so frazzled and stressed as I knew I had that hour to utilise to do everything that was building up.

However try not to sweat too much over the house or the the mound of pots that's breeding in the kitchen. You will be tidying and washing pots into your 80s, but childrens toddling years are fleeting. Enjoy them without the pressure of trying to be Mary Poppins/Delia Smith/Kim & Aggie rolled into one...aka Superwoman.

Have a great weekend X x X

Dumyat

I used a playpen (well it was a travel cot) in the lounge. both of my kids were more than happy to sit in there while I did the dangerous stuff like ironing and cooking. or nipped to the loo. they could see through the sides and quite often would just crash out and have a nap. and after they had gone to bed, I used to throw all the toys etc in there and the livingroom became mine again

they loved it to the point where my older son used to climb in to join his little sister lol

thriftmonster

Gingham_Ribbon wrote: »

Ah, the park. That's the other thing. I haven't dared venture there without a friend or my husband along too. My toddler likes me to charge round with him if he doesn't have a friend there too. I can't leave the baby just sitting in his pram. That just seems so unfair...and he's too heavy to lug about with me.

I wouldn't worry about the baby too much ie about sitting in his pram. They seem to appreciate the change of scenery as much as anything. My two are 8 and 11 now - but I've spent quite a bit of time with my nephew this summer who is at exactly the same stage as your baby and he was happy to sit and watch my 2 and his 3yo sister career round. When we lifted him out, he often tried to climb back in to the pushchair - maybe for a better view!

AussieLass

Invest in a swing. I had one of those one's you wound up and back and forth it went. It was amazing how much you could zoom around and do in the time it did the cycle. I also had a play pen that I used when they got a bit older. I had 3 kids under 4 years so needed to get the basics done.

I also asked if the older one wanted potty/drink etc before I started feeding/bathing etc. I stuck to simple meals that could be cooked in advance or little preparation & cooked extra to freeze.

When my three were little we lived in a very isolated town so there was nothing really to go to :rolleyes: so I didn't have that problem. The locals were the type that if you hadn't lived there since the beginning of time you just didn't cut it. I suspect inbreeding gave them that opinion.

jannyannie

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Hi
2 things that worked for me, I always wore a skirt, when mine were trying to walk they found it easier to grab & hold on to a skirt than jeans, they would hang on to my skirt while I shuffled round doing chores.
When I was breastfeeding, as soon as the baby started to show signs of wanting feeding, I'd say to the toddler, do you need the toilet? then say go & get and book the baby is hungry, I would then feed baby with toddler snuggled next to me having a story read to him/her. It stopped the child feeling excluded.
I was also helped that I had very low standards of housework, the only thing I always did was cook & I quickly realised that I could cook Spag Bol, one handed.
Hester

What a lovely post about the breastfeeding and reading a book. I only had the one child but that was enough as I also had two step-sons (teenagers) and a husband who didn't help much. Enjoy it. Before long they'll be 6 and very independent. Make sure you go out everyday, mum and tots groups are great and don't cost much. Good luck:A