Busy Mom Needs Time Management Advice

Meal planning would be a must. Right now your crock pot could be your best friend. If you make a big meal like roast or a turkey breast in the crock pot, you can use the leftovers in different quick fix (15 min tops) for the rest of the week. This week I'm doing a roast today, using leftover meat for stir fry, BBQ beef and a couple other meals during the rest of the week. I do that all of the time. Other things I do is baked potatoes and make a bunch more than i know we'll eat and use the rest as twice baked potatoes. This also makes life easy because it's all ready when you get home.
I also have a weekly chore chart. Mondays and Thurs. I do laundry. Tues. is dust/clean bathrooms, Wed. is vacuuming/mop, Friday I take off and Saturdays & Sundays are catch up days just in case.
I know a great guy that can finish your floor for you. :) My husband (the great guy) just finished his Masters in Dec. Anyway, he has in own construction company. Hope that helps you!
A.

Well, I do not envy you working and having kids. Have you ever seen the website www.flylady.net? Her basic motto is 15 min at a time.

Try prepping a crockpot dinner in the morning and putting it to set so dinner is ready to eat when you get home.

Sometimes I ignore the things I always do cleaning wise to do something else I just don't seem to get to-

I don't know what your toy situation is like- but in increments of 5 minutes try and toss some or at least bag some up to be put away and rotated so they are not all out at once and available. I have grown accustomed to making sure only one set of pcs is out at once, like megablocks OR wood blocks OR little people- It helps, then you are not sorting through pcs... and can just pile one thing in a container.

Can you pay or bribe a friend to come help you during the day and help catch up on laundry? I know our issue is the dryer never dries in one load and usually needs 2 cycles or a bit more just to be ready to be folded.

Having a tidy bedroom has never been my strong point either. - As for the bathroom maybe it would help to have someone come and pay them to just finish it and get it done. - or just devote what time you would to dishes and main areas to that job.
Hope this has helped...

Bless your heart! You are not only busy, you are a mother of two year old twins! I being a mother of twins, completely understand. There is something about having twins that seems to make everything you do "double the work!" (But worth it...lol)

As far as your time management, I have this problem too. But this is what I do to help my situation...

My only advice to you first is to make an earlier bedtime. Sometimes, I would just have to forego the "everyone at the dinner table" thing and feed the twins and then us later. Not the perfect way of doing things...but it got them in bed by 7:00. And that helped tremdously! It would shave an hour off my evening at least.

Also, try making meals and freezing them. Like a big pot of chili or spegetti freezes well...and the crockpot is great for moms on the go! And hey...nothing is wrong with a hotdog and good ole' mac and cheese every now and again! Don't try and out do your self at dinner.

Lastly...if you can afford it, hire someone to come in and do the major housework for you. Even if its just once a month or once a week...that is a Saturday afternoon's work that you can spend with your kids...and that is always worth it! And it will help you stay organized!

Good luck to you. E-mail me if you need anything! Being a fellow mom of twins...if understand ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you are going through!

Take care~ Lee

Dear J. C.,

That sounds like a normal family schedule. You are trying to do the job of several people and it can't be done. I used to be the same way, I ended up stressed because I thought everyone else keep their house spotless and I must be a terrible person because mine wasn't. Well, I visited a few of my friends homes (without calling, on purpose) and guess what?? Their houses looked like mine when they weren't expecting company. So now, I do what I can, when I can, and try not to take time away from my child in order to clean the house. I only have one child, you have 3!!! Give yourself a break, one day when the children are older, you and your husband will have more money, you can hire a maid. Meantime, relax.

A little about me:

I am a 40 year old working mother of 1 (7 yr daughter). I have been married to my true love for 10 years. My family has fun, loves each other and my house is a mess.

Hi, J.. I feel your pain, minus two kids...still busy, though, and the housework is the first to suffer. I need to look more into it (get references, etc.), but I would like to hire someone to do it. It would very much be worth the $$ to have someone come every other week. If you can afford it, I'd advise you to look into it. It's what I did while my husband was working on his Ph.D.! Good luck.

It's not easy!! I completely understand! I just finished my masters in December while I was working 40-50 hrs a week, trying to be a wife and raising a 1 and 2 yr old. My house was always cluttered, I was behind on thank you notes for birthdays, etc. and I felt as if I never had time to study since my kids came first and I had to wait until they went asleep around 8:30pm, but then they were up by 5:30 am! It took me accepting that I was going to be behind on laundry, that we may have pizza or sandwiches more than most, but in the end, I obtained the perfect job for me and my family! It is now Feb...am I caught up..No. But I'm getting there and I get more time to have fun with the kids and the husband. That's what's important to me.
Hang in there and don't be too tough on yourself. Others will have to understand.

J.,
I say use the crock pot for every meal. Get a crock pot cookbook and throw it all in the night before so you can just plug it in in the morning. That elliminates the hour you spend cooking in the evening. There are also crock pot shortcut frozen meals or mixes you can buy that make it even quicker.

BLESS YOUR HEART! I'm 29 and a mother of 2, I just finished my degree in December, while working full time. I don't really have any wonderful advice; if you want it all, you have to do it all! I do think the only thing that kept my sanity was hiring a housekeeper every other week. I would have lived on peanut butter sandwiches to be able to keep her. It was the only way I could not feel guilty about studying. Otherwise, I would have felt like I had to clean. Once I finished school, I was able to handle everything again.

If this isn't an option, the only other idea I have is to make cleaning time - play time for the kids. Even 2 year olds can dust with a sock, wipe off cabinets, and sort clothes. Turn on some music and hopefully they will wear off their "extra" energy.

Wow J.,

You must be running out of steam trying to do it all! Do you make any time for you? I would say that you need your husband to help a little more. I was in the same position, and really had to re-evaluate what was important... I made a list of all the chores, and then split them up with my husband.. He does his laundry, while I do my laundry and my daughters.. He has promised to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher instead of the sink, but I will empty the dishwasher... I think if you explain how hard it is to keep the house up, work and be a mom, he will be willing to help out. Maybe 3 days out of the week, he can do bath and bed time so you can clean up? I hope you work it all out. Don't forget to take some time for you. Even if it is just a quick trip to the grocery without kids, or a bath... Best of luck and keep us updated!

Oh, if you are trying to save some time, my husband opened a meal prep place - www.mealsinthemaking.com You can make 12 meals that feed 4-6 people in 2 hours. No grocery store trips, and no clean up. It works out to about 3$ a person too. That saves me tons of time! I get home from work and I just put something in the oven!

Email me if you need to vent!
A.

I know exactly how you feel! I am a full time student, a full time employee, a full time mother, and a full time wife! So many roles...so little time! The only real advice I can give to you is to go with the flow and try not to get stressed out...even though it seems impossible. You should also talk to your husband about how you feel like you're in a constant time crunch. I don't think I could do what I'm doing without my husband's support. He is the primary care giver in our home right now, he does laundry, he cooks, occasionally cleans, bathes the boys....he's great! If you need more help, then you need more help! Just tell him...politely of course :)
I work 32 hours a week between Sunday-Wednesday at night. Plus, I go to school full time Monday-Friday during the day!
I have 2 toddler boys...I can't imagine how you're doing it with 3! My husband is like a single parent right now and it kills me to be away from them so much! But you have to keep telling yourself that it will definitely be worth it in the end! Time is a hard thing to manage...since there is a set limit in how much we get to work with in a day. So why try to manage it right now? Just take things in stride. One thing at a time.
You can do it! Just hang in there!
As far as being organized to know what absolutely has to get done...a planner is a great way to go! I thought I'd never stick to it, but once I saw how much it helped me...especially when I space out from exhaustion...I love it!
Hope this helps!
-J.

Your children are your best helpers! My son loves to put clothes in the washer and dryer (since 2 he has helped) the four year old should be able to help pick up toys, mags, books,ect. If you get the kids to help clean up while you cook dinner it will cut down on YOUR cleaning time later. Also my best friend is the clorox cleaning wipes. You can use them to clean up anything, just about any surface. If you can just focus your time on cleaning the entire house and then start implementing a cleaning routine it will be easier to stick to. Spring break is coming up!! Prime cleaning time.

Sounds like you are just busy. Get your degree, love your kids, get your husband and kids to pitch in more and don't worry about the rest! (My husband does most of the laundry and the trash. He works full time and I only work part time.) Make picking up a game for the kids! Maybe your husband could play clean up games with the kids while you cook!!

Keep it safe and sanitary but don't let the mess stress you out!

Is there anyone who can help you with the floor? Relatives, friends, call in a favor and get it accomplished so you will feel better about the bathroom!

Good luck to you! Sounds like there is no more time in your day to fit anything in. Enjoy the time with your kids and husband and know that one day it will be easier.

J.,
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I wish you lived closer to me because I can understand what you are going thru and would love to help you :) My advice would be if you can afford it have someone come in and clean once a week (or every other week depending on your standards and your house). Even if they just dust, mop the floors and clean the bathrooms thats less you have to do. I would get the kids involved because they can help more than a lot of people think. Maybe make them a chore chart or do some rewards for helping (esp with the older one). I would also suggest easy meals or stuff that you don't have to "babysit" so you can kind of pick stuff up while the food is cooking. Also one thing I can suggest is cleaning out a lot of stuff that you don't need. It would help with having to store things and clean up. If you don't need it get rid of it. Good Luck and I hope we have helped.

J.,
I think it's great you have a routine. But where do the husband and kids do their share?

A 4-yr old can perhaps set the table. Your twins can help their sister. All three kids can pick up stuff off the floor. Barney has a "clean up" song kids love (works better for my sitter). Right now having your kids helping will take longer to get things done BUT in a short time they will be able to do small tasks giving you a little free time to do something else. And if you can get them to clean up eventually the piles around the house will decrease (I'm still working on this at home myself). The important thing is that everyone contributes to the "home." Everyone can do something that helps the family no matter how big or small.

As for a clean house, well maybe you can let a little go. Figure out what things are a MUST DO and what cleaning things you could do every other weekend. Make a list of what must be done and ask your husband to help with half. Maybe you can think about reducing your kids toys, don't throw them out just put them in the closet and swap them every so often. It would be less clutter to keep up with and they toys feel new and fun.

Go to the thrift store or Wal-mart and get a crockpot. You can check cookbooks out of the library and try recipes. Then you can plan to use it 1-2 times a week. Put it on low before you leave the house and turn it off when you get home. If that's too long you can plug it in (on high) as you cook a regular night meal then the next day reheat the crockpot meal in the microwave.

Try freezer cooking. Usually it doesn't take any more time to double a recipe when you cook. A great website to visit if you want to try freezer cooking is www.30daygourmet.com They have tons of recipes, e-cookbooks, etc. The idea of freezer cooking is cooking for one day to feed the family for 30 days. There is also a email digest on yahoo groups whose members trade recipes and advice (____@____.com) also they can give you info on what won't freeze like mayo. It comes down to planning ahead, I'm horrible at planning so I usually just cook for a few hours instead of a whole day or just double recipes. Even if you decide it's too hard cooking a few things or prepping a few things on the weekend would make weekdays easier. You can also try this with a friend. She cooks a few things and you cook a few and then you trade. Think of it like a cookie swap. You can compare what you spent and split the costs in the middle.

Maybe you can consider occasionally having a quick but not so healthy meal like fish sticks and tater tots. Add a big salad for some vitamins. It's great to have dinner on the table in 25 minutes after you get home. And the kids are almost guaranteed not to complain and eat happily.

Also if your husband gets home before you can you let him start dinner and take over when you get home? Or let him cook. If he doesn't then maybe he can learn. Try the book A man, A can, a plan. If you don't mind all the canned stuff it's an easy way for Dad (or Mom) to put dinner together without knowing much about the kitchen.

Do you know any young family where you can trade babysitting? You take their kids for a couple hours one weekend and next you switch. While you're kid free you can study, clean or relax.