Help and Inspiration for working mum

alice's_mum

Hi am after some help and inspiration for planning dinners etc, as of next week I am in work until 4pm, used to only work till 12.30 so a big increase in wages (hurrah), but now I have to try and keep the 2 kids 8 & 5 and OH all fed and the house in some sort of order.


Obviously I can bulk cook things like lasagne and curry, I have cut and pasted loads of receipes for my slow cooker. But although I am looking forward to next week, I am just thinking I won't have a life it will be work and making dinner, putting kids to bed and ironing or shopping. If anyone can help me get organised it's you guys.

PLEASE HELP. I know I can do it I just need a push!

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to respond.
Liz

Bennifred

Congrats on the increased hours!:beer:

I haven't got any specific tips except: I hope you've had the conversation with your OH about more chores coming his way! Also, it's never too early to get the children involved with keeping the house straight.

overlykeensaver

hmmm, I have been having a think about this. Will you be working Monday to Friday?
First of all, think about lowering your ironing standards - that is, if you iron tea towels, duvet covers and pillow cases, see if you can manage without.

As for the ironing, a few nights a week and once my daughter (15 months) is in bed, I spend 10-15 minutes doing some ironing. It is amazing what you can get done in a short space of time (see the Flylady thread!). This helps me keep it vaguely under control.

Also OH has started doing the ironing while watching Match of the Day on Sunday morning - might be worth a hint to your OH if MoD is his thing (or another programme may work for him!)

How about asking OH to do the weekly shop too? He could take one or both of your children (or alternate them?) so he gets to spend a bit of time with them.

Will keep thinking but hope this helps for now..

alice's_mum

Thanks for those replies. I'm working 8.30 till 4pm Monday to Thursday and till 3pm on a Friday. My OH is more than willing to do his fair share, though if he does the Ironing I'll have to go out he is left handed and does everything in a "wierd" way. But he is willing to pull his weight, the kids sort of know they need to tidy up, but my 8 year old Boy has a strange idea of what tidy means - to him it's put some of your toys away, but most of them around the edges of the room aren't a problem. The 5 year old girl, gets tidying some times, but most of the time can't see the problem either.

Anyway keep the ideas and any recipes, can't live on Lasagne and Curry.
Liz

kunekune

What we can handle is related to what our standards are. DH and myself both work full time. We don't get home till 6, and then have us and the children to feed. I have daily wet sheets to deal with on top of normal washing, which doesn't help. My answer to it is that mostly it doesn't matter. If there is washing waiting a few days, it doesn't matter unless we have actually run out. If the children are fed on chicken nuggets and chips while I cook the fancy curry, so be it. They can't wait until 7 to eat, we can. The only way to survive this is to be incredibly laid back about your domestic standards ... or to pay a cleaner .... or, like us, both!!!!!!!!

Spirit_2

I was never organised when my daughter was school age and am only starting to get the hang of it now.

Cooking Lancashire hotpot on a Saturday and eating this on Monday evening always makes me feel like 'a wonderful wife and mother' (I'm not) and for the freezer (as we are coming in to winter) to keep your lasagne and curry company you could make cottage pie or shepherds pie.

For quick fresh food try Toad in the hole or Chicken Fajitas.

Good luck with your extended hours (just think that also means more paid holiday).

morganb

One of the most useful things we do is get everything ready for the morning the night before; I put out all clothes, toothpaste, even bowls, spoons and cereals on the breakfast table. We have breakfast together then the boys get dressed and watch CBeebies for 15 minutes while I tidy stuff away and make sure I am leaving an empty sink and no washing up (that is my nightmare).

When we get home from school, I have a basket at the bottom of the stairs, into which goes book bag, school shoes, my handbag, etc., so that it is all there for the morning. I check school bags as soon as I pick the kids up and I have a list of the 3-week school dinner rota on the kitchen wall so I decide when the boys have school dinners and plan meals around this (this sounds very sad, doesn't it!!)

Online shopping has been a godsend.

Ginger_Girl

Hi!
Ditto to the online shopping! I have got it down to 10 minutes and can do it at work at lunchtime.
I do the prep for next day's cooking in the evening once kids are in bed (peel spuds/veg, chop up stuff for stir fry). Then when you get in it's just cooking not prepping and cooking. (added bonus is you feel like you are on Blue Peter - here's one I sliced earlier!)
Stir fry is v quick and easy - chuck in anything with noodles!
Hope this helps!

alice's_mum

Good luck with your extended hours (just think that also means more paid holiday).

Unfortunately not I work in a Primary School, so my holiday entitlement doesn't change, but then I do get a holiday every 6 weeks or so, so I am not complaining.

Any other ideas for meals?

kazmeister

Hi

I went back to work yesterday (8 - 4 Mon - Fri) after 10 weeks off sick with anaemia/exhaustion and prior to that felt I had no life. Weekends were cooking cleaning washing ironing and shopping. People used to feel sorry for me. Kids are 8 and 15 now and they have over the summer had a list of chores to do each day that include walking dog, quick wipe of kitchen or bathroom, sweeping floors downstairs, clearing wiping table and loading/unloading dishwasher. In return I am paying them £1 per week for each year of their age. Sounds a lot but they have to buy everything they want and pay their Tae Kwon Do fees, and I'll buy essentials and stuff for school. They seem quite happy with it altho daughter 8 has been difficult since being back at school but she will hopefully change when she realises she's not got as much money. Hopefully it will help them budget with their money and I wont get the usual cry of Mum can I have ...
Over the time I have been off I have followed the flylady thread to get my home in a better shape and its really working. I have the Dailys which the kids do most of and then the flylady list which I follow. The more you do it the easier it gets. Have just done all I needed tonight in 40 mins. Hopefully then will only have a few bits to do at weekend.

Meal planning is invaluable which added to an uptodate freezer list make things easier. Each week I work on the following days, 1 roast, 1 meat, 1 fish, 1 pasta, 1 rice, 1 pasta and 1 other.
This week was Roast chicken, HM fish cakes, Shepherds pie, Freezer portions with rice, HMchicken burgers, Liver n bacon and skip the pasta day and have spanish stew from freezer.
I plan the meals with what I already have and only shop for what I need. Havent tried online as Mr T's only 100 yards down road.

Easy cook mag is a favourite of mine comes out about every 2 months and is brill for quick and easy meals, have collected loads of recipes over a few months.

Good luck

doddsy

I would agree with all the above and would only add - be easy on yourself, trying to do it all leads to feeling swamped and exhausted.
Good luck!