Full time working mum. Time management tips needed

Tigsteroonie

amalis wrote: »

OH works even longer hours. I leave home at 8 and return at 6;30, and he leaves earlier and comes back a bit later.. He cant cook by the way .

Maybe not, but he can clean up & wash up, whilst you are putting your son up to bed - or vice versa, he does the bath & bed routine while you clean up.

I'm afraid I cannot give a good answer to this - whilst I do work full-time, i benefit from Marley still being a SAHD so cleaning, cooking and washing up don't fall to me!

clairec79

Can't work out how daily tidying up takes so long when there is no one in the house the majority of the time

Slow cookers are fantastic for saving time, also once the food is in the oven etc use that time to play with the little one - the majority of meals don't need you to be at the oven/stove for the whole time they are cooking - so you can use that time to be with your son

If he's getting you up at 5 then put the washing on then - he can help you sort or chat to you while you are doing it - make and eat breakfast while he is eating (at 21 months you shouldn't need to physically feed him) - you have two hours here which you say you need to be up for as he won't let you do otherwise - use these (and then go to bed earlier so you aren't as knackered)

amalis

I must admit I am a bit unlucky with the slow cooker. I tried a couple of recipes and all of them my OH did not like, so I am not using it.
I really don't know how tidying up takes time, but it does. I suppose we all are messy.

missbiggles1

amalis wrote: »

I must admit I am a bit unlucky with the slow cooker. I tried a couple of recipes and all of them my OH did not like, so I am not using it.
I really don't know how tidying up takes time, but it does. I suppose we all are messy.

You couldn't be messier than I am but you have to be at home to make a mess!

(If your husband doesn't like what you cook, definitely tell him to do it himself!)

AylesburyDuck

http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/crockpot-freezer-cooking/

If he cant find something he likes out of this lot i'd be amazed.

Batch freeze bags then reap the rewards of saved time.

Jox

My little boy is demanding of me as well, when I'm doing the dishes he drags me away to play with him, but I don't get a chance to spend a lot of time with him in the week as he is at the childminders or at my mum's so it's good for me to give him some attention and one-on-one time and the dishes have to wait.

I'm lucky my OH does most of the cooking as all I can make is vegetables and pasta and pasta sauce which only takes about 20 mins anyway.

Your little one won't be little forever so if he wants your attention and the cleaning has to wait then so be it and as he gets older then you can have a tidier house (as long as he helps to keep it tidy!).

What time does your boy go to bed? Mine is a night owl and it's hard to get him to sleep before midnight and he's up at 8am and has a 2 or 3 hour sleep in the day.

I'm sticking to one child, couldn't cope with 2 and a job! I earn more than my OH but he doesn't have the patience to be a stay at home dad.

amalis

My son sleeps at 8, and HV believes that its late...
Cant even imagine how working mums deal with 2 kids

DomRavioli

amalis wrote: »

I wake up at 5am becausemy son wakes up at this ungodly hour. I feed him and then usually he watches a cartoon or he wants to play with me. Either way i have to be in same room because he need to ve watched and he would cry immediately if i leave. I also try to have a nap and manage sometimes. Make breakfast for oh and i. At 7 the childminder comes. My oh leaves home at 7am amd i have 45 min left to prepare myself to work.

And we find the crux of the problem - learn to say no to your child. He cries because he knows he can get his own way if he does. Teach him properly - be a parent to him, not a friend. LET HIM CRY. Its a tantrum, he doesn't need anything, he wants it.

Herein lies the actual problem. Perhaps if you feel you can't do that, then take some parenting classes.

thriftylass

amalis wrote: »

My son sleeps at 8, and HV believes that its late...
Cant even imagine how working mums deal with 2 kids

Every child is different. As long as he gets about 10-12 hours including naps it should be ok. Plus they go through different phases of getting up earlier and later. My friends daughter goes to bed even later and gets up later as her mum runs a pub and her day is a bit shifted to someone who works 9-5.

Good example of using the morning. My DS was still sleeping and DD was up with me. She wanted to play and my attention so I gave her a brush and pan set as the floors needed attention too and she helped me sweep. Took ten minutes for three rooms. I'll start doing the flylady approach tonight. 10-15 every night and morning sth. Tonight I'll hoover our bedroom properly as DH complaint that someone must've died under the bed judging by the amount of dust :rotfl:.

thriftylass

DomRavioli wrote: »

And we find the crux of the problem - learn to say no to your child. He cries because he knows he can get his own way if he does. Teach him properly - be a parent to him, not a friend. LET HIM CRY. Its a tantrum, he doesn't need anything, he wants it.

Agree a bit here too. I used to feel like that, can't do this and that because of the kids. Still do some days. Then I took charge. They did learn to entertain themselves or join in. The other day I desperately needed/wanted to clean my bike, was getting annoyed that they wanted to "help" but were more a hindrance. Till I got their bikes out too and a sponge. Try and include him more, make chores play for him. He also needs to learn like mine, that mummy needs to do certain things and doesn't want to wait till midnight.

Don't worry, just baby steps, small changes at a time.