How do you fit it all in ??

£Ronnie

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read and reply to my post!:A

I have just checked my log in time and it was 2hrs ago, have spent this time reading all this lot, so maybe this is where all my time is going...... need to limit this me thinks:rolleyes:

Thank you for all your pointers, I think i really need to set myself smaller goals, perfection seems impossible and a waste of my children's childhood, so small achieveable goals everyday. Sorry for my long moan yesterday, but everything i attempted to do seemed to go wrong, and it was one of those days. :mad: Usually I manage to keep on top of the daily stuff like baby bottles, kitchen etc, but things like changing the beds are very hit and miss.:o

So i'm off now to get all these spinning thoughts out of my head onto paper so i can somehow get organised into a reasonable state.

Aim 1; spend some time actually playing with the kids instead of fobbing them off all the time "while I just do this"

Aim 2; menu plan

Aim 3; get basic housework routine onto paper and into practice to keep in control rather than chase my tail.

Aim 4; chill out about it all.

Aim 5; Allow myself to accept my own signature rather than keep trying to disprove it.:D

Thanks again guys, will keep trying, and hopefully things will improve little by little
Think ye are all fab btw.:beer: :T :A
Ronnie.X

Mrsbojangles_2

Awww thats the spirit Ronnie, so glad your feeling better about it all today! So true what you said about the children! You won't look back in 20 years time regretting that you didn't dust every day, but you will look back regretting you didn't spend enough time playing with the kids, when I say "you" I mean it as in "Royal You" Something we can all learn I think xx

Smiley_Mum

Perfection... try doing everything perfect for the day, it's tough going, your best is good enough and don't beat yourself up. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and used to find it hard to let things go, felt I needed to get this done and that done and then I'd sit down for a break and play with the kids etc. Now, I think, what the heck if it can wait until tomorrow, it can wait. The house is clean, too much stuff in one place and not enough space but clean. Getting around to the clutter busting but life is short, kids grow up quick. As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, it's lovely to see the kids smiley faces, they make you laugh. I do what I can and allow myself breaks for a cuppa or ten minutes to read something while the kids play. So long as you get done just enough, that's fine. BTW, I always used to worry about having visitors, had to have the house spick and span. Now I just tidy the lounge, bathroom etc, shut the other doors and if they are a mess, what the heck. The intray is never empty, always something to do. Good Luck. Go and sit down for a cup of tea.

Sarahsaver

Exactly! What really freaks me out is when you go into a house of someone with kids and you can't tell there are children living there, no kids books or toys on show, THAT is wrong;) Muddy wellies in the hallway, my excuses:
1. My hallway is still impressive anyway
2. it shows the kids have had a good time
3. the mud has not yet dried so it wouldn't knock off anyway.

enjoy your cuppas everyone!

MJay

Glad others feel a messy home with happy kids is better than being supermum. When first married I only did bits and pieces of any sort of work at times when my husband was home. I allowed the children to have any amount of toys out during the day then ran around frantically tidying up the hour before himself came home. I played with them (though I'm sure not often enough) and then struggled to prepare any sort of meal. Later I began working longer hours then things really went to pot for a while. By the time I started my career I'd got it sussed: weekly menus agreed by all in advance -they get bored by the discussion and will agree to anything :-) I never made one dinner of anything that could be frozen and always did 'industrial' pans of things like bolgnese etc. Every couple of months would take one day off when they were at school and cook all day for the freezer. In the early 80's I discovered what was in processed food (before it became fashionable and food labeling came in) and made all of our bread; sausages; beefbugers etc. This was a real challenge on top of working excessively long hours. As labeling got better, I did less and less but had more and more time for my children. I am in the process of retiring and now live alone accept when my children and grandchildren come to stay. I still never make one meal if I can freeze the food and this is obviously going to remain a lifelong habit. I guess over the years the biggest change was when I learned what I enjoyed. Cooking is one of those things and is a pleasure - particularly with my grandchildren. Order and 'supermum' stuff is fine. If you enjoy that you will always find the time. If not, forget it and 'survive' parenting and / or partnership the best you can. In the meantime, remember life's too short to stuff a mushroom!!