Part time to full time--hit me with your tips please!

[Bluewavescrashing]

Teaching job, lovely school, local to home. Childcare sorted. DCs 9 and 7 at my school.

I discovered sandwiches for packed lunch can be made as a batch, frozen and pulled out each day. 👍
Always get stuff ready the night before.
Food shopping delivered.
Batch cooking for dinners and portions frozen.

Any other ideas welcome!

Get a cleaner, buying in services to give your yourself more time is a sensible use of the extra income.

Yes, good ideas

Can anyone else suggest ways to make life easier?

I think you just get things done evenings and weekends. Lots of people work full-time with young children. You just have to be efficient in your non-working time. Can you afford school dinners? It makes a massive difference over the hassle to pack a lunch every day/clean out lunch box/remember to order lunch foods each week, etc.

I don't really ever batch cook, but generally speaking (at the moment) dh and I are both home between 5-5:30. One of us spends time with dc (playing outside, doing homework, etc.) and the other cooks dinner and organises anything (put washing in, load dishwasher). In other times, I wouldn't be home until 7-8pm some nights, so dinner was simple, didn't need a lot of prep and then dh would do homework, etc. while that was cooking. School bags we get packed up in the morning as it takes about 5 minutes so not a big job. If we're both home in the morning, same as in evenings, load dishwasher and put washing on if I'm wfh (then I'll hang it up at lunchtime). Or if you have time in the evenings after bedtime, you or your partner can do those jobs then (I work in the evenings too so tend to try to get it done in short bursts of time during the day).

Anything major like big errands, big cleaning jobs, DIY gets done on the weekend. Organised for the week on Sunday afternoon, write up calendar for the week, plan homework, who is doing school run, etc.

At the moment I've got into a routine of doing something in the morning eg unload dishwasher and wipe kitchen, or put some washing away, and a couple more things in the evening. It's working well. DH cooks a lot. He's also great at taking the DCs out to the park if I need a break or need to get cleaning done. He's going to do all the pick ups from school as he works from home.

My tips aren't plentiful but here they are;
5 sets of work clothes / uniform for everyone so you're not having to do specific mid week washes
Cleaner once a week
Window cleaner / gardener
Make kids responsible for own bedrooms as capable, reward as necessary
Have a file for incoming post and file fortnightly
Tons of bobbles / lunch bags / water bottles
Bath the kids less often and when you do give the bathroom a quick going over
Homework as soon as it comes in, no leaving anything until the last minute
Keep a stack of cards / gift wrap / stamps / kids presents
Wardrobe audit for kids twice a year, be ruthless.

Visual weekly timetable of "stuff" by front door for each child i.e.

Monday : Picture of PE Kit/Lunchbox
Tuesday : Pic of lunchbox / afterschool activity e.g. swimming
Wednesday Pic of Book bag / Lunchbox / Cubs / Brownies
Thursday : Pic of x's Table (homework) and after school karate kit

etc - you get the picture - helps everyone know what's coming up and check that you have the right kit leaving the house

I've finished Christmas shopping (except 3 teens who haven't decided what they want) and all birthdays until February. 🎁

We have loads of pants and socks, lunchboxes, bottles, bobbles but I will buy a few more bits of uniform, good idea.

Thanks for tips

We only have one after school club, keeping it simple!

Be organized and VERY self disciplined. (At least Monday to Saturday... have one day/ week where you can relax! )

Also schedule at least 1hour/ week for me time like hobby or exercising... it's a lifesaver!!