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Original poster

Does anyone else just have non stop stuff to do after work..

66 replies

Countdownto2234 · 20/09/2021 21:37

I mean it's ridiculous. I've just sat down to have my dinner..
I got home at 5.15pm, succession of giving DD dinner, bath, book and bed for 7.15pm.. Did a workout till 8pm, that's the only time I can exercise. Followed by shower, wash hair, blow dry hair, put wash on, make dinner, eat dinner, tidy up kitchen, wash up, hang washing up.. I've still got to make packed lunches and get work clothes ready for tomorrow. I mean every day x 5 days a week.. I don't wfh much so that's probably it really.. But even the days I do wfh, I still have a crap load of stuff to do after work.. Anyone else like this?

OP posts:

purplesequins · 21/09/2021 06:24

stop cooking dinnef twice. eigher eat together a little later or keep your porion back for later.
save any tidying or cleaning for a weekend blitz. depending on dc age involve them in the chores.
do you really need to blow dry your hair? can you let it air dry?

HelenaJustina · 21/09/2021 06:24

Batch cooking doesn’t have to be done in a massive session. Just start doubling up on some meals you already make, portion and freeze, it starts to mount up fairly quickly.
I meal plan so I don’t have to think what to serve everyday and it makes shopping more efficient.
I put the washing on with a timer so it finishes between 6-6.30am in the morning, hang it out and it’s dry by the time I get home.
But it is still quite relentless and I often don’t sit down until 8.30/9pm. Then bed by 10!

MayorGundersonsDogRufus · 21/09/2021 06:30

Yes, OP, it's relentless, except mine also includes getting up early to walk the dogs. I'm married and DH doesn't work but he has a disability that means he can't do everything (although he does quite a lot domestically and with DD) and I still barely get to stop until 9pm, and I struggle to find a chance to exercise. I'm living with my disabled dad at the moment too (not a long term plan) and the only earner in the household so it's kind of stressful! I don't have an answer! I try and plan times when I can relax so they are scheduled but it doesn't always work.

sjxoxo · 21/09/2021 06:39

I feel knackered just reading these posts! Take my hat off to you for doing all that and working out. I would cut out anything non essential in the moment; workout would go, school dinners yes and I’d organise clothes so they can be dealt with in the morning directly without needing to be prepped beforehand. Sounds like you are a machine & very efficient! How you are awake I don’t know! Xo

Maddy456 · 21/09/2021 06:57

Bless you OP sounds like a lot. I would reduce the hair washing and drying to once every three days. Do some slow cooker meals particularly over the winter.

InvincibleInvisibility · 21/09/2021 07:35

Yup relentless treadmill. Im burning out so Ive cut out/cut corners as much as I can but I still don't have any real downtime in the week. Weekends are better but only if I force myself to stop

BarbaraofSeville · 21/09/2021 07:58

Shower once a day. If you're showering in the evening you don't need to do it again in the morning. Don't blow dry your hair at night either. Just wash it and let it dry naturally, then if it's a mess in the morning just have a really quick rinse and style for work. Or have a low maintenance style or tie it back rather than spending time doing your hair each day.

Eat the same food as your DD. Batch cook or think of 5 meals that you can cook for her tea and then warm up a portion for you later.

What are you doing at the weekends that's so 'full on'. Do you actually enjoy it and is it all necessary?

At least when she's older she'll be more independent and will be able to shower and put herself to bed and save you the best part of 2 hours each evening.

user1471554720 · 21/09/2021 08:18

I have two tweens and the evenings stay busy with homework , sports etc. We get home from work and school at 5.30, serve up one dinner at 6. Sometimes dc have sports training at 6 30pm, so we only eat a light 'tea' cold meat at 5 30.

I exercise when I can, mainly at weekends and once or twice in the week.

You should look into doing a 9 day fortnighr, a day off every second week. I take every second Thurs off, as it gives a bit of space. This is great for when they have events on Sat. It helps to keep on top of exercise, house and a bit of personal time.

Even if you can't do this, look into taking a day annual leave every fortnight. I always found the routine extra hard coming up to Christmas, extra present shopoing, having to attend events, and also continue doing this in Jan if you can. Four annual leave days would get you from Oct to first week of Dec. You need not take a day when you have a bank holiday in Oct.

Serving one dinner would give you back an hour in the late evening. I try and sit down 9 or 9.30 til 10.30 each evening. Sonetimes it is not a complete break as I shop online for dcs and household things.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 21/09/2021 08:21

Can you ask the childcare to feed dd a meal before pick up? Pay or send a packed lunch. Then when you get home you only need to cook once.

xksismybestletter · 21/09/2021 20:45

Two showers a day?

Blimey op this all sounds like competitive busyness to me. What the hell are you doing at the weekend if you do all that in the week?

TastyToastie · 21/09/2021 21:01

find a way to just cook once. Eat same as DD, plate up both, and reheat one or other. Or if you have a canteen at work, eat there at lunch and have toast or cereal for tea.

Could you move some of the exercise to the weekend? I literally never found time for it when mine were that small - but I think you either have time to veg or exercise and I chose the former.

The biggest difference I've found from giving up work is, weirdly, not that I'm less busy in the day but that I can switch off properly in the evenings. When I was working I'd be switching over to home admin around 9pm, whereas now I can just chill. (Autistic DC so lots of admin!)

Chunkymenrock · 21/09/2021 21:02

Stuff the workout! Too much to bother with that shite.

OverByYer · 21/09/2021 21:08

You do have a very long working day OP if you’re out of the house at 7.25 and not home until 5.
You sound very organised to me and hats off to you for fitting in your exercise.
I can’t really see where you can make much of a saving in time.
Can you afford a cleaner?
Do you have family who can give you a break now and again? Maybe have DD overnight?

Chunkymenrock · 21/09/2021 21:40

I'd also sod the packed lunches and do school dinners.

HalzTangz · 21/09/2021 22:17

@Countdownto2234

Yes sorry a single parent. We don't eat together as I can't eat my dinner at 5.00pm. Yep I do washing 6 times a week due to a combination of working in a hospital, wearing clinical clothing, exercise wear, pre school clothes. Feels non stop.

But surely if you get home at 5.15, by time made dinner must be getting closer to 6 which is a normalish time to eat dinner. Then bathe and bed child whilst dinner digests, exercise, shower. Other than kitchen and tidy of living room, I'd do rest chores in one go on a Saturday. I fork full time, do all my washing on a Friday, dry and iron on a Saturday, whilst it's drying I clean All the rooms. Sunday I batch cook and make and prepare meals for the whole week so I only have to reheat come tea time

delilahbucket · 21/09/2021 22:26

When it was just me and DS I used to get in at 6 ish. I wouldn't do washing, cleaning or ironing on work days, only on days off. I would cook extra portions at weekends so there was always something in the freezer to grab and throw in the microwave that was nutritious but easy. I would shower in the morning, but I get if you've been exercising you might not want to do that. I didn't exercise every single day, just three days a week. DS had school dinners. They were about the same price as a packed lunch. I'd take food from the extra tea portions.

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