To ask for your tips how on to make a smooth transition into full time working?

[Unicorn1981]

I am starting a new job on Monday full time. DD happily going full time and after school club at preschool. I will miss her but she really wants to go and it will be good to be working again. Since I have had her I have only worked part time every morning. Please could you share your tips how to make it run smoothly? We will be coming home at 6 every night and out of the house at 7.45 every morning so I don't want to be doing endless amounts of housework every evening and have family time at the weekends (is this even possible?) DH does his bit but he also works full time.

Well for me it came down to one word: organisation.

I'm not sure of your set up, but in my case the ASC fed the kids a snack after school (e.g. a crumpet) but by the time we got home at circa 6.15pm DS was starving.

Not so much a problem in the summer when you can throw together lighter cold foods, but in the winter they need something warm and hearty.

So cooking a day ahead and batch cooking with options in the freezer I could take out the night before were (and still are) great.

I could get a proper homemade dinner on the plate in 10 mins.

She won't get that much homework at this stage and most of it will be extremely annoying art models involving expensive paint, plaster of Paris etc that will be a job for the weekend creative rather than full on study.

In general I find myself doing as much as I can to reduce the effort of anything in the evenings so they can be relaxed and family oriented.

I won't lie - it's a challenge and one of my steps was to employ a cleaner and a gardener so weekends and evenings weren't spent doing maintenance tasks.

I went from working part time to working full time, although I do get school holidays off. I have had to lower my standards a fair bit in terms of housework to be honest. But the following have been helpful

-Batch cooking and using the slow cooker a lot in winter
-Online grocery shopping
-A shared online calendar with DH so we can be organised
-Getting all work stuff/preschool uniform etc ready the night before

Plan weekly menu in advance, Slow cooker, x5 sets of school uniform all washed dried & ironed over weekend, laid out so kids can dress themselves, every member of household to do 15 mins tidy up after evening meal. Good luck, don't worry lots of people do it!

Team work! If you are returning to work make sure you don't carry on doing everything at home, share it out!

I have to say I have lowered my standards, and get incredibly frustrated at losing my weekend to housework, shopping, washing and ironing it feels like an endless merry go round!

I will watch for tips!

Just thought I'd update- we made it through the first week. DD loves after school and breakfast club and I'm loving my job! We're finding a ten minute tidy each day helps plus not stressing too much of the hoovering isn't done every time there's a few bits on the floor! At least with dd at preschool all day her toys aren't all over the place.