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'Working' it All Out

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Between a demanding job and family, how do working mothers find the time to get everything done on their household ‘to do’ list? Here, members of the Mamapedia community come to the rescue of a frazzled working mom on the brink.

Working moms: How do you do it ALL?

Things are heating up at work, and I now have laundry overflowing, dishes in the sink, and am too tired to even deal with them. How do you get everything done in a day…or do you?

Will appreciate any/all helpful suggestions. Thanks

Nikki G. answers from Arlington:
I have two daughters, ages 5 and 8, and I’m 8 weeks pregnant with our third. I work full time as a project manager in an oil & gas firm. My husband also works full time.

I get asked this question a lot- all of my friends are either stay-at-home Moms, single without kids, or are working Moms with older kids.

The answer is, I DON’T do it all. A LOT of things go un-done. Laundry is always half-done, my house is always messy, dishes don’t always get washed right away. We do the basics to keep our house up to health-code (lol) and of course keep our beds & bathrooms sanitary. Other than that, we do what we have to do, and we’re OK with that.

When company comes over, I don’t apologize for my messy house. We are busy people. That’s just the way our life goes right now.

Ally G. answers from Houston:
I read somewhere that if you keep your mantle full of get well cards, then if anyone comes over they will think you have been sick and will understand the mess. :)

Jo W. answers from Saint Louis:
I do what I can. I think my attitude stems from a bout of severe depression. Two years of my life lost because I tried to do it all. I refuse to lose any more chunks of my life, so I accept my limitations and the mess that sometimes follows.

If the house is a mess I just don’t care. Well I care, but I don’t beat myself up for it. My house gets 30 minutes a day. If the rest of the family wants a cleaner house, I suggest they start cleaning up their own messes!

Fanged Bunny answers from Kew Gardens:
Can you delegate/outsource? 
Do you have too much on your plate? 
Are you easily overwhelmed? 
Do you need to stop and re-charge your batteries before you can tackle anything?

I work full time. Hubs is in school full time. We have an 18 month old who is in a combination of daycare/ granny care. We “get it all done” every day, and have time on our hands. 
1. Hubs and I are tidy, we clean up after ourselves and we clean up as we go along. 
2. Little one doesn’t really make that much of a mess. What mess he does make, we insist on his cleaning up, even if it takes twice as long to have him help. 
3. We cook once or twice a week, and make double/ triple sized batches. Half of whatever we make goes straight into the freezer. So there is always a healthy variety of food on hand and no one gets tired of left overs. 
4. We exercise. it boosts your energy. 
5. We employ robots to clean our floors. We tackle one or two extra cleaning jobs a night. 
6. We are kind to ourselves and to each other. 
7. Little one can be counted on to be asleep at 8pm and reliably sleep through the night. 
8. We shop and bank online. 
9. We don’t do things by halves. i.e. laundry gets collected, sorted, done, dried, folded, and put away. Not washed on one day, and put in a pile for several more. 
10. It makes us both happy to live in a tidy home. Cleaning the kitchen cupboards for me is a nice meditation. 
11. We are careful not to accumulate stuff. The more you have, the more you have to keep on top of. 
12. We socialize and take our DS on outings. We network and attend professional events.

Some people have recommended “Flylady” in response to similar posts. You might find that helpful.

Mamar answers from Keller:
Lower your standards. Sort of kidding, but not really. Don’t try to be supermom. The house doesn’t have to be spotless, sanitary will suffice. Laundry doesn’t have to be put away immediately upon finishing the cycle; heck maybe if all us working moms banded together we could make wrinkled stylish! Prioritize then delegate.

If there is any way you can swing a cleaning service I highly recommend it. I gladly go without coffees & lunches out to pay for mine.

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Please be sure to follow the link below to read the many, many great responses that did not make the list due to limited space.

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Are you a mom working outside the home and have a great time saving tip to share? Please comment below.

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