To ask for your best tips to survive full time working with a family

[BottomlessPit]

I’m contemplating applying for a full time position I really like the look of (currently work 2.5 days). School has after school club and job potentially has flexi hours... I think it could work, but what do you find helpful for surviving full time work with 2 DC and OH who is away intermittently? Batch cooking? A cleaner? Gin?? Hit me! Thanks

A cleaner. And asking at the interview if they would consider part time / compressed hours / one day working from home if feasible.

I manage it as a single parent with 2 kids, no family help, no contact with ex, full time working and nhs on call shifts. You honestly can do it. Be super organised, get a cleaner and you'll be fine. We don't sweat the small stuff. Go for it

An okay commute makes a difference. After school clubs are really great. Connecting with other working parents so you can help each other if you are delayed for pick up.

Lower your standards and gin

A cleaner if you can comfortably afford it.

Batch cooking and meal planning really help, as does sharing the mental load (as well as physical tasks).

Being organised in the week so that you get some quality family time at the weekend.

Interested in this as I started a new full time job recently.

The most important thing has been good, reliable childcare.

I really need tips on how to keep things running at home. At the moment I've gone with the "lowering my standards" approach but the mess is getting me down so I think I'm going to have to declutter and get a cleaner. I prioritise exercise over housework and I'm not prepared to give it up so I can spend more time cleaning.

A ruthless (and boring) meal plan, so that zero mental energy is expended on thinking about what to cook. Three drawers that only you know about
1)A drawer with age appropriate gifts, cards and wrapping paper in (I use the book people).
2) Another drawer with spare pencils, geometry sets, calculators, high lighter and pads of line and graph paper (depends on age of dc).
3) A third drawer with spare (unopened )underwear (knickers and tights) for you and any dcs, hair bands, tooth brushes and tooth paste in.

A cleaner who irons,
A kickass attitude to leaving on time to get DCs one day a week (helps if it's always the same day) I put my working hours on my email signiture so everyone can see I leave at 2:30 on wednesdays.

I’ve always worked full time. Single parent of one. I had a cleaner briefly for about a year. The rest of the time I just got on with it. I didn’t wash towels every five minutes, hoover twice a day and bleach everything hourly as some suggest is necessary on here. Didn’t batch cook either. I just got up, took DD to nursery, went to work, came home, picked DD up, made dinner, went to bed. I did some cleaning at the weekend.

Exchanging favours with other parents so you help each other out with pickups, etc. But don't be a CF - make sure you offer as well as receive favours.

Online shopping for everything - groceries, presents for kids parties, school uniform, clothes, etc.

A shared family calendar (ideally on your and DH's phones) into which you put everything - PE kit needed on Tuesday as a reoccurring appointment every Tuesday, library book Wednesday, etc, as well as the term dates, parent teacher meetings, etc. And lots of lists.

Oh, and a shared family calendar. If I or DH will be working late, planning to go to gym or so on, we have to put it in the calendar and make sure it's clear we're not around to do pick up or drop off.

DC if old enough, to have some chores around the house beyond keeping their room tidy (but that's a good start).

We have Alexa devices around the house and use that to add to the shopping list if we see something running low.

Dishwasher emptied once it's finished so dirty dishes can be put straight in.

A load of laundry to go on as soon as we get home.

Work/school clothes all ready for the week on a Sunday night.

Smart phone... make sure everything and anything from groceries to bills to kids activities to birthday presents/cards to new clothes is only one click away whenever/wherever you think about it.

A cleaner! Ocado (or other supermarket) delivery pass, a husband that actually picks up the phone when the school calls with ill DD's (I returned to pt work because of the last one, forcibly because I was let go, still bitter )

Definitely see if you are able to work from home. Having this option has enabled me to get a few household tasks done in order to free up time over the weekend.

Batch cooking is a good idea and seeing if you can do Childcare swaps with other parents will be handy during the school.

Forgot to also suggest online shopping for food etc.

Calendar reminders are a must! I still seem to suffering baby brain (baby is 2!) so I have to put every event etc on my calendar especially as dh won't remember.

1. Shared family calendar with EVERYTHING on it - if it's not on there, it's not happening.

1. Batch cooking and meal planning.

1. GIN

Printer / scanner you can print to from your phone - if you receive forms you can turn them round straightaway

Online banking on phone.

Present drawer

Batch cook main meals. Big casseroles that you can use for 3 days sitting in the fridge

I have uniform drawers in kitchen - massively reduces washing to hang up and all uniform can be got out quickly in morning while getting everything else ready.

agree with Alexa for adding to shopping list.

Amazon for everything!

Email yourself reminders for things coming up.

Meal planning & grocery deliveries. I work from home one day a week which is a massive help as I put on laundry, get groceries delivered, hoover. Calendar with everything on. I dream of having a cleaner but with 2 nursery fees we can't afford it for now.
In general it works but I feel it is a juggle & as soon as someone gets sick it all goes to pot. I'm lucky that I have a very understanding boss.

I condense my hours into 4 days.

Days off are spent cleaning and preparing for the next week.
I do shopping after work, don’t do on line I go to the shop as it saves money.
I do a laundry load every day, keeps on top of it.
Clean as I go along, bathroom when I get out of the shower, dishwasher every night, empty in the morning.
Meal plan.
It’s a hamster on the wheel but it’s very doable.

A cleaner and help from my mum for when dd is sick, and helps with some pick ups

OH who does his share. Yes I get he's away - DH and I both travel for work, I'm currently sitting in a hotel room, 3rd business trip abroad in 2 weeks. I don't opt out of parenting and running the household though, that's still a shared task.

A partner who carries half the load, but more importantly, arranging both your schedules so that load sharing is built in to family life. I work 3 long days in the office (3 hour commute), so I am gone 13 hours on those days. Other days I work from home and do school run, activities, etc. But because I’ve built into our schedules 3 days a week when I fully focus on work, I’m not running around stressed those days doing things at home. My dh does everything at home those days. Then we trade off and I do everything the other 2 days plus occasional weekends he has to work. Food shopping delivery and a cleaner helps too.

Buy a slow cooker

Online food shopping

Dog walker

5am wake ups to get it all done

No tips except I'm organised . most working mums muddle through the best you can if the hoovering gets left for a couple of days so what .

It’s all in the organisation. Our weekly family planner is a wipe clean thing with a column for each family member. It’s amazing. We sit down on a Saturday morning, go through all the letters and emails from school and clubs etc and get it all on there.

Not working FT now but the planner was a godsend when I was.
Finding a cleaner who is a hero rather than a cleaner also makes it possible.