Top tips for back to work routine after being a sahm.

[Ohshit9]

So I'm starting back at work in September, full time school hours. I've been a sahm for 6 years, although I've been doing evening work the last few months.

Two dc to get out of the door to school, and a dog to sort.

DH will start work before me, but we should both be home at around the same time. Dc going to childminder for school drop off and pick up.

Top tips for getting in a routine with the dc/house etc?

I'm thinking walk dog early doors (DH will be home at lunch time to sort her then) and again in the evening.

I'm worried about the house descending into chaos and mess 🙄
Also any quick dinner ideas please.

Thanks

Prep tea the night before or in the morning. So a chicken tray bake for example is in the oven tray with all the herbs and veg, covered in cling and put in the fridge. I don't massively love slow cooker food but theres a couple of recipes that aren't to bad. Having a cooked, or ready to be cooked meal to walk into will help massively.

Can you afford a cleaner once or twice a week to keep on top of the crap?

Do you get time on the commute to do an online shop ect and sort house admin out?

Morning OP! Nothing to suggest sorry but watching with interest as in a few months I'll be in this boat too after a slightly longer gap. I'm confident you'll get loads of practical and helpful suggestions very shortly.

Just wanted to say congratulations and wish you well going back into the Adult World!

Following too..in particualr I wil lneed to think about quick healthy meals as I know Ill be shattered. Which I guess might be another thread.

The big change of mindset for me was learning to do housework chores little and often, rather than a big weekly clean.

It takes 7 minutes to strip and change my bed, and about the same to sweep and mop the kitchen floor, and 15 to clean the bathroom. I can squeeze that and tasks like it several times a day before and after work. A two hour session to blitz the house "ruins" the weekend.

Good luck going back to work!

I would say that getting everyone into the routine of putting their school bags etc. by the door the night before saves stress in the morning. Mine have been doing this since they were 6 or 7 years old, and they know that if they forget something (as they still do!), they have to take responsibility for that. Saves me a lot of grumpiness in the morning. Oh, and to check uniform is ready the night before too, so we're not scrabbling in the wash basket at 7.30!

If you've been SAHM for 6 years your DH will be in a habit of leaving a much larger percentage of household tasks to you.

Sit down NOW and agree between you who is doing what and when on a weekly basis (50:50 split!!). Practice for the next few weeks.

A slow cooker will be your best friend. Prep it night before so all you do is switch it on in the morning.
Do get a cleaner if at all possible, just two hours a week will make a big difference.
Laundry in the machine overnight and empty it in the morning.
Meal plan for the week and have groceries delivered on a set evening each week - it really helps to have a routine for this.

Thank everyone!

I will need to get myself organised - I will def be using the slow cooker, and I like the idea of prepping the tray for chicken bake etc.

Yeah I'm a bit worried about the habits DH and I have after 6 years of me being here all the time! He is pretty good in general, but I think it will take a while for us to get used to the changes. Love the idea of a cleaner 😁😁 even if it's every other week it would be amazing!!

Depends on how fussy you are about food...I've got two dc and work nearly full time, I tend to give them beans on toast, jacket potato, pizza, fish and chips etc for dinner as I can just make quickly and easily/put in oven when I get home. I NEVER pre prepare food, just get a big shop from tesco at the weekend.

I have extra uniform so I dont have to do much laundry during the week, I clean while they're in the bath etc. I think if I were a SAHM the place would be spotless I'm single but you can surely ask your dh to do some tasks like vacuuming etc?

Also buy non iron work clothes, dresses etc. I grab mine from the wardrobe, put on and run out door. I have make up in the car though I do most of it before I leave home.

Good luck, I'm sure itll go well!

How old are dc/ how much uniform do you have? Can you put 5 sets into a drawer/ on a hanger. So pair trousers, shirt and jumper on hanger x 5. Then you know that all good to go. PE kits kept in bag on hanger for that day. Your work clothes- organise likewise!
Meal prep- double cook everything, half in freezer, then have a stash of quick teas. I am teacher- in hols I make sure I cook some freezer teas, and put them in.
Some house work I don’t do until holiday. So long as bathroom/ kitchen are clean, and run vac round it is fine. Moving sofa/ Dusting sky box etc waits til holiday (or gets quick vac!)
Jobs for everyone. Even just putting bins out/ emptying dishwasher is helpful. Encourage with reward if everyone contributes- family cinema trip/ take away.
It will be fine. Chaos can be sorted in holiday.

Talking to dh is the most important thing as in my experience it is very very difficult to reset the housework divide. Sorry but i think you need to prepare for that. Is dh worrying about how to meal plan or organise school clothes? I am not having a go I just think that if that isn't sorted immediately, all the mean plans in the world won't help you!

I swear by getting up before everyone else. I get up at 5am before DD (1) wakes so I'm dressed, sorted, stuff in the car before she even stirs. Otherwise its bedlam. Get a slow cooker if you havent already. I also treated myself to a robot hoover which has been amazing and means i don't come home to cat hair everywhere.

Preparation.

• batch cook and freeze. DH and I cook together with the radio on Sunday nights.
• jobs often and every day. We have a cleaner but I do a quick hoover every other day downstairs. Wipe down the bathrooms every other day (DH’s job).
• get the kids to help. Both of mine know that at 6:30/45 they have to help us tidy up the downstairs and put away all toys. Then DH does the kitchen at the same time. I do a quick whizz with the hoover while they drink milk (and shout: ‘you missed that spot Mummy). And we go upstairs for our night time routine. This means that the jobs are shared out between the whole family and I don’t come down to a shit tip.
• DH irons all uniforms on the weekend.
• I do a small load of laundry every day.
• my kids have the same breakfast every morning on weekdays
• we work out what time we have to leave and work backwards to a schedule. And stick to it.

Other things: when you pick them up, don’t be distracted. I have a big cup of tea before pick up so I can be fully present for the first 30 mins. It makes for a much smoother evening. DH comes in 30-40 mins later and does the same thing so for an hour they get our attention. This makes the evening go much more smoothly.

Also we have a set morning routine we don’t deviate from.

DH gets up and gets ready. He makes me tea. He makes toast for the kids. He empties the dishwasher.
I shower and drink tea. I wake the kids up. DH makes their cereal and cuts up their fruit. I get the kids dressed and downstairs. We all sit around the breakfast table.
DH takes them for teeth brushing, I check the school bags and my bag. I load the dishwasher. We hang out the clothes to dry from a small laundry load. Shoes on, ready to leave.

In the evening our chores are:
Dinner (from the batch cooking or something quick)
Put away laundry
Clean the downstairs (with the kids helping)
Run the dishwasher
Any school related or life related admin.

I put my clothes out the night before as does DH.

Re the household devide, don't fall into the trap of him "helping". Have jobs that he is solely responsible for. E. G DH does all the laundry, so if someone doesn't have a clean shirt, it's his problem. He was always very willing but didn't think about what needed doing, only did what I asked, this way he knows what he has to do and takes responsibility which means I don't even think about laundry.

DC empty the dishwasher while I'm in the shower in the mornings and that is actually life changing

Thanks for these.

I like the idea of undivided attention when I've picked them up - I'm already sad about missing all the pick up as and drop offs at school. Feel like a big part of their day I will be missing - especially as ds2 is starting P1.
They actually start back at school a week and a half before I start this job, so luckily I will get to do the settling in time with them. And my plan is to blitz the b'jesus out of the house while I've got the time, and have a good sort out. We have waaaaay to much clutter!!

Also yes I probably do need to talk to DH - lists of chores is a good idea. I'm sure he will do his share - he will prob just need a poke in the right direction.

Im also thinking dishwasher on after dinner then it can be unloaded before bed, rather than overnight like we do at the minute. Then breakfast dishes can go straight in in the morning 😁