I have a feeling this might be a touchy
subject with some and positive it will hit a nerve with others. You know what
they say, though. You can’t please everyone!
It has come to my attention that
there are quite a few moms (and dads, I’m sure) out there who complain about
not having enough time to get everything done in the day, such as cleaning,
laundry, dishes, and other yucky junk that NEEDS to be done. Now don’t get me
wrong. I am not claiming to be “super mom” by any means. Of course I have days
where I don’t get everything accomplished on my to-do list that I would like.
As we all know, with kids, some days are just better than others.
As another “disclaimer”, yes, I
only have one child and I am home with her all day for the time being. Yes, she
is still young enough to take more than one nap throughout the day, therefore
making it easier for me than some to get chores done. The following suggestions
I am making would probably suit someone with 2 or 3 children, especially if at
least one still takes naps. Any more than that, god speed. You have more
patience than me! As I said in the beginning, I’m sure this will hit a nerve
with some people and it is not my intention necessarily to tick anyone off. I’m
also not claiming to know what YOUR home life is like. Everyone is different.
Some of the ideas I’m going to list may just not be feasible for you
personally. I just wanted to take a moment and perhaps make some people realize
that THEY are creating their own time management issues, therefore THEY are the
only ones who can fix it!
-Does your child(ren) still take naps? Great! Nap time is
your friend! Utilize this time to do something PRODUCTIVE! I am not unfamiliar
with the temptations of Facebook, or Pinterest, or whatever it is that you like
doing in your spare time. Those can wait until after the kids are in bed. Think
of it this way. Wouldn’t you feel so much better, while you’re lying in bed at
night trying to fall asleep, knowing that you got everything (or even ALMOST
everything) accomplished in the day that you had intended to do? What a weight
off of your shoulders and one less thing to worry about! Heck, if you get a LOT
done, that’s more free time for you the next day while the kids are sleeping.
Bonus! So I ask you, put the computer (or other hobby you have) in time out
during naptime. They will still be there later. I promise. ;)
Here is a just a short list of things you can accomplish
during nap time:
-catch up on bills
-wash dishes
-do laundry
-pre-prep meals
-clean the house
-pluck your eyebrows (Yes, I’ve actually done this.)
-take a bath and shave those hairy legs!
-catch up on baby books/scrapbooks (I’m guilty of needing to
do this.)
-write a blog post (I’m actually writing this as Myka takes
her morning nap. I TRY to practice what I preach. ;)
-catch up on work if you are lucky enough to work from home
The list goes on and on.
Have a child (or children) who doesn’t take naps? That’s not
a problem either! Most young children enjoy being included in adult activities
with mommy and daddy. Give them simple tasks to help you out. Even if they’re
not actually helping you and you’re just keeping them occupied, they will enjoy
spending time with you and think they are helping. Doing activities like this
should boost their self-esteem and self-worth.
Here is another short list of things you can have your
children do with you to help (or at least keep them occupied):
-Give him/her a dust rag and have her help you dust tables,
furniture, etc. etc. off.
-If old enough, let him/her stand on a stool and help you
rinse or dry dishes off.
-Maybe it was just me, but I always wanted to help my
grandma when she baked cookies. If you’re kids are the same way, have him/her
do something simple like help you get the measuring utensils out that you need,
or let them pour the ingredients into the mixture.
-Want to work out, but think it’s impossible to do with
rambunctious kids? Have them work out with you! Even if they’re just dancing
around being silly, they will have fun and burn off extra energy, which is
always a good thing, right? Maybe they’ll even go to bed early. Again, extra
time for YOU! Even though my daughter still takes naps, I sometimes sit her in
her swing or bouncer close by and make faces at her while I’m working out. She
seems to be entertained by me sweating my butt off.
-If you have lots of rocks and twigs in your yard like we
do, have him/her help you pick them up before you mow.
How do you manage your time? (Or do you? Ha!) I’d especially
love to hear from those of you who have more than 2 children and/or work also.
I just had my kids in a sling all the time when they were young enough to he in one and did everything with them sleeping on me! Now they are teens so they can do it all :) lol ok not really...they are teens for goodness sakes! But they do help with dishes and laundry.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are grown now - but I do remember those days! As a grandma I do not have to worry about anything but playing with the grand-kids and enjoy time with them while they are here. Things are not so rushed and stressful as they were- or as I seemed to make them when my kids were little. Thanks for sharing and all the great ideas.
ReplyDeleteI HATE when people tell me to sleep when my baby sleeps. I have two kids, two jobs, a house, a dog, a blog, and a husband to keep up with! I don't have time to take naps, I have time to clean, wash the cloth diapers, etc. Every spare moment I'm home is spent with my kids, cleaning, or sleeping. Yes, sometimes we fall behind and the house gets worse off than I would like it, but you know what? We survive. We always have a hot dinner, clean dishes, clean clothes, etc. Do what you gotta do to get throuh I say! I am glad I'm not the only one who doesn't think nap time HAS to mean sleep or watever, it's a great time to get stuff done!
ReplyDeleteAmen! I was the same way when my daughter was first born. I have to be beyond exhausted to even take a nap anyway, and even then it's iffy. I've never been able to take naps easily. Plus you gotta eat and bathe some time and what better time than nap time!
DeleteI totally love nap time - it is when I am most productive.
ReplyDeleteI loved your post! I am guilty of doing my social networking while my four month old sleeps. yes, I do get laundry and dishes done, but sometimes not when I want to (most of the time when both my four year old and four month old are asleep). My hubby despises the fact that I want to get on the computer at night when the kids are sleeping because once all the chores are done, let's face it, he wants some "us" time. SO I came to a conclusion....I will do one chore. Check my social networking (get caught up on posts no browsing), do another chore and so forth.
ReplyDeleteI do still get online at night and that's when I really dig through my email. I skim it during the day, deleting the junk and putting things in folders but I do not read it normally. Unless there is an offer I want to get back to asap!
So that's my method to keep my sanity and my hubby happy :)
I am kind of the same way. I try to at least get a little something done, then check my emails, etc. etc. Some days are better than others. Right now I have 3 loads of laundry that need folded (HATE folding laundry!), really should be working out (I try to every other day since I'm still just starting out), AND need to be dressed and ready for a job interview by the time my husband gets home from work around 3. O.o It's going to be a fun day. lol
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