Full time working mum. Time management tips needed

Yurona

We both work long hours - leave the house 7:30, return 6:30. Alternate who brings son to childminder/collects him.
Cooking during the week: either leftovers from weekend (soup, slow cooker), or pasta and basic sauce. Whoever is home first cooks. If the other one doesn't like it, tough luck, we eat it anyway ( or it gets eaten the next evening and sandwich for the picky party)
Tidying up during the week does not happen ( or only in case of extreme chaos). Our son helps with his stuff (gamified)
Clothes are prepared for me (office job) and our son on Sunday evening for the complete week, we just pick up a stack in the morning.
Laundry: son helps putting stuff out of machine on rack/in dryer ( it's a game, who does it quickest)
He doesn't fall asleep on his own and not before 9 at night, but I just sit on his bed and read on iPad (dimmed) or work after we read his story and once he is settled ( after about 8:30).
In summary, 6:30-8:30pm centers around him.
In the morning we wake up at six, he watches a carton in our bedwhile we get dressed and make breakfast. Then I get him dressed and we have breakfast. He eats slowly, so we take turns brushing teeth. We play for about 15 min. Then he gets his teeth brushed, loo, coats and shoes on and out of the door.
Preparation is key: clothes, snacks etc are all prepared in advance and just picked up. The house is messy by Friday, but who cares.dishwasher does the dishes, cleaning is done during weekend (no cleaner), and son loves to vacuum ( always has, he is 3 now).

Jox

It feels like a challenge juggling my son, husband, home, commuting, work, childcare and friends and I need to make sure I have the energy to do it by looking after my health as well

Mrs_Muckle

Firstly I would say most people are either critising or commiserating probably with out realising that while this is comforting or difficult it is not really addressing the problems.

You need to make your OH take some of the strain you are not super woman and maybe he could do the washing up after you have used all those pans! Lol. Also if you have a slow cooker maybe you could chuck stuff in there in the morning to give you tea for two nights. Use pre chopped veg, it is not a sin! and have it first night as is and the next night add mashed potatoes to the base and chuck in the oven for a lucky dip pie. You can add a tin of red beans or some chilli and jazz it up a bit if you are feeling decadent.

You say you have a cleaner, how dirty can your house be? Ask her to spend the last 15 mins prepping your veg, she can do this while she has a coffee. Ask her to put a load on in the washing machine. I have been a cleaner and 2 hours is a lot of time if she works hard.

Now I believe that it is important to spend time with your son and having him playing at your feet while you cook does not really cut the mustard, it is ok but you could put him in his highchair and a cd on of his favourite songs and sing and do actions while you cook. I have been known to dance in the kitchen with my kids while cooking up a storm. Remember bath time and time in the car can be quality time if you think and plan.

All that said time for you and your OH is important so I agree that your son should eat earlier than you guys and he could be in bed when you eat so, save him some of what you have on night one and give it to him on night two and so on. This will cut cost of eating and free up some cash for the pre chopped stuff.

Finally believe that you are doing a good job, this will pass and you will look back and see the good stuff not the perceive failures.

Good luck

meer53

Mrs_Muckle wrote: »

Firstly I would say most people are either critising or commiserating probably with out realising that while this is comforting or difficult it is not really addressing the problems.

You need to make your OH take some of the strain you are not super woman and maybe he could do the washing up after you have used all those pans! Lol. Also if you have a slow cooker maybe you could chuck stuff in there in the morning to give you tea for two nights. Use pre chopped veg, it is not a sin! and have it first night as is and the next night add mashed potatoes to the base and chuck in the oven for a lucky dip pie. You can add a tin of red beans or some chilli and jazz it up a bit if you are feeling decadent.

You say you have a cleaner, how dirty can your house be? Ask her to spend the last 15 mins prepping your veg, she can do this while she has a coffee. Ask her to put a load on in the washing machine. I have been a cleaner and 2 hours is a lot of time if she works hard.

Now I believe that it is important to spend time with your son and having him playing at your feet while you cook does not really cut the mustard, it is ok but you could put him in his highchair and a cd on of his favourite songs and sing and do actions while you cook. I have been known to dance in the kitchen with my kids while cooking up a storm. Remember bath time and time in the car can be quality time if you think and plan.

All that said time for you and your OH is important so I agree that your son should eat earlier than you guys and he could be in bed when you eat so, save him some of what you have on night one and give it to him on night two and so on. This will cut cost of eating and free up some cash for the pre chopped stuff.

Finally believe that you are doing a good job, this will pass and you will look back and see the good stuff not the perceive failures.

Good luck

I think the OP is too busy to come back to the thread, she posted in August.

Loobysaver

Definitely try again with the slow cooker. It doesn't have to be complicated recipes. I tend to buy the packet casserole mixes and put that in the slow cooker. Where it says to brown the meat I tend to just ignore it and throw it all in. It still tastes just as good. I do all this in the morning in about 15 mins or you can chop up the veg the night before ready to put on in the morning

You can do diced chicken and a jar of curry sauce with mushrooms and onions.

I've also thrown in sausages, onions, beans and tinned tomatoes then cooked a jacket spud in the microwave to go with it when I get home.

Beef Casserole mix with beef, onions, carrots, and mushrooms.

It doesn't have to be complicated

Monday can be leftover roast meat with salad and new potatoes.

Good luck x