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Original poster

Working mums with young kids- how do you manage your life

27 replies

Handsfreeme · 10/01/2026 10:13

Odd question but I’m 29 with 2 year old twin boys and I’m going back to work next week (2 days a week 8am-6pm) and the twins will be at nursery till 6pm 2 days a week.

How do you balance everything from the housework to the nursery/ work and spending time with your kids and DH, and also other life events with both sides families!

I get very overwhelmed but I am usually very organised so I just needed tips and advice really on how best to balance and manage it all. I know I’m not working full time but I am Pakistani and in our lives extended families and our siblings/ parents play an active role and we need to keep them seeing the twins too so it gets tricky!

OP posts:
Meadowfinch · 10/01/2026 10:24

Prioritise the basics.

Safety, food, time for dcs, income (getting to work on time) come first.

Then cooking decent food & hygiene (people, clothes, bathrooms, kitchens)

Then the rest of the chores & time with partner.

Wider family and friends come after that during the toddler years, and only if you aren't horizontal with exhaustion. If wider family & friends insist on being involved, they can offer childcare, invite you all round for supper, or help with chores.

Oioiqueen · 10/01/2026 10:22

I am not Pakistani and don't have the same family set up that you do. I think you have two options on the days that you work. You either put in boundaries and state that you collect the children and then they bath and go to bed and we can't see family on those days (assuming they have early ish bedtimes). The other option is that you ask for help in a way that makes them feel included but not overstepping your boundaries after a long day at work. For example someone to leave you a meal that you can heat up on working days.

Then on your days off organise your cleaning so it for example gets done on the mornings and you spend the afternoons doing family stuff. Or get them involved, do you have any elders that would enjoy helping you to batch cook? Or would like to come with you food shopping? An extra adult to watch the twins in the trolley or even have them at your house and you can nip out and do it?

In regards to organisation we share a family calender on our phones so we can quickly discuss plans with each other and put it in. I also follow the organised mum method for cleaning which helps on my days off (I work three days a week).