Working mum organisation tips

Bluegreen143

Hi there, looking for any wee tips or ideas anyone has to run the home smoothly once you go back to work.

I’ve been a SAHM for over three years so used to plenty of time for housework! My old employer has rung me up offering a working from home job, willing to let me go part time and it’s a grade above my old role so while I love being a SAHM I need to take this brilliant opportunity. We get by on one salary but it’s through being VERY frugal and we’d like to be able to use the extra income to overpay the mortgage now and things like that. Hours looking like four x 6hr days so I can finish at 3pm for nursery/school pick up & to spend the late afternoons with the kids - and will also have one weekday off with DD (2) - can’t ask for better than that! 

Got a just turned 5 and just turned 2 yo, 5yo goes to a term-time nursery school that’s only open til 3.30pm (why I needed the 3pm finish), mainly mornings atm but they are happy to increase his hours to full days using the free extended hours, and he’ll go to school in August anyway. DD will be looked after by MIL in our home one day and I’ll hopefully get a local childminder the other three days (she’s too young for DS’s nursery which is age 3+). Hoping DH can take one child to childcare in the morning - he’s supposed to leave for work at 7.30 but is going to ask for a later start. 

I did work part time for about 9 months when my eldest was 1 and found it totally chaotic so want to do better this time. Thinking WFH should make things easier, ie popping a washing on timer overnight and then it can be in the dryer while I’m working, hopefully dinners not too much of an issue given a 3pm finish but could use the slow cooker. DH (who works full time but is furloughed quite a bit ATM, never knows in advance which days he’ll be working though) is good at pulling his weight too but will just be a bit of a readjustment to our roles now til we get a routine that works for us.

So share your organisational tips please! How do you fit in keeping the house reasonably clean and tidy along with work and everything else you need to do?

cheeky-peach

Hi, I have a 1yo who is now with a childminder whilst we both are working, albeit now from home. I find wfh ideal in a way as I have a wireless headset, I can listen in and involve myself in calls whilst doing some jobs if I need do. Mopping the floor, unloading the dish washer, folding laundry etc. and I still manage ok. I find it harder to work in a messy environment so that helps in a way. 
 

MovingForwards

Have a read through this thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6094838/working-mums-whats-the-secret#latest

Bluegreen143

Thanks both of you - hadn’t thought of doing housework while on calls, and that thread is brilliant!

Savvy_Sue

Bluegreen143 said:

Thanks both of you - hadn’t thought of doing housework while on calls, and that thread is brilliant!

I'd be careful about doing that. Sometimes it's obvious that someone on the other end of the phone isn't giving you their full attention. 

cheeky-peach

Bluegreen143 said:

Thanks both of you - hadn’t thought of doing housework while on calls, and that thread is brilliant!

It obviously depends on the call. I have some calls where I am just listening to some information cascade, but other calls are where I need to be at my desk, full immersed. Hopefully you are able to make a judgement call about it.

Bluegreen143

Savvy_Sue said:

Bluegreen143 said:

Thanks both of you - hadn’t thought of doing housework while on calls, and that thread is brilliant!

I'd be careful about doing that. Sometimes it's obvious that someone on the other end of the phone isn't giving you their full attention. 

Good point! I assumed that the poster meant the kind of call where a whole bunch of people are dialled in listening to an update or similar.

Spendless

Congratulations. Though mine were older for a few years I worked f-time. I would say the areas that need the most keeping on top of are 'the washing and the washing up'. And I mean the whole process from start to finish of making a meal to every clean item being put back in place and taking a clothing item off to hanging it back up. You're at a different life stage though so you might find different problematic areas, eg toys constantly needing putting away. 

Ashworks

I've been a working Mum for 15 years. We have always both worked part time, and these days I work away from the house and travel regularly with work (usually) and he works at home to fit around school hours. At the moment we are both working at home. My two pieces of advice would be:

1) Agree with DH from the outset what the split of housework will be. If he is used to you not working, he may expect you to carry on doing everything you normally do, but this is not fair. Sit down and talk about it now rather than waiting until it becomes a festering issue later! Also do get the kids to help (even tinies), as it's teaching them life skills.

2) Don't put pressure on yourself (or him) to maintain the same standards when you are both working, and learn to accept a bit more mess and chaos. As a tidy person I find this hard, but at the end of the day does it really matter if there is a stack of washing up or socks on the floor - some things are more important. The advice about sticking to a routine is good - I always put a load of washing on before I start work and hang it at lunchtime.

And try not to feel guilty - I used to feel guilty at home for not being at work, and guilty at work for not being at home. My youngest said to me yesterday 'Mum when are you going to start going away overnight again? We get special dinners with Dad and I miss it'......so clearly I shouldn't be worrying!

gizmo111

I think the most important thing is to seperate your work hours from your home hours.  If you are working from home treat it as you cannot do anything in the home except in your lunch hour, that way anything that is not done before you start or until you finish shouldn't impact on your work.

flipper_72

I am wfh 2 days a week and office 3, I definitely can’t do housework while on any of my calls so don’t expect that or you might be disappointed. What I can do is take 5 minutes to hang the washing when the cycle finishes, I equate this to others going to make a cup of tea (I drink water during the day).

Meal planning and writing the shopping list on a post it note so I can stick it on the trolley and cross it off as I go. Since first lockdown I have made everyone choose a main meal and cook it, I shop for everything and happy to help but they have to do the bulk of it. DS at 11 can and will make dinner now and no longer wants help plus he does his own lunches so win win! Use the slow cooker and oven timer to make early evening easier.

 In non lockdown I have a spreadsheet for all the kids activities ( both have something every day plus DD has lots of medical appointments) and I email it every Sunday night so we all know what is on that week and who is taking/collecting (my dad is roped in for some things).

 I don’t iron. DH does a little bit but anything smarter is hung to dry on hangers so the need is minimal.

Split the chores up in a way that works for you. DH is willing but hoovers round things and doesn’t put them away so I would rather do it myself and he can clean the bathrooms. Kids have to clean and tidy their own rooms. DD has her own bathroom so is expected to tidy it (typical teenage floordrobe otherwise) either she cleans it or DH does ( she has physical problems so can’t always manage).

Good luck and don’t be too hard on yourself. I used to clean the house from top to bottom every week when I was part time, it took about 5 hours, it is now done as and when and it hasn’t hurt us.