How do you fit it all in...?

Nonmaquillee · 11/07/2021 15:57

I wouldn’t bother cleaning out the car. Ditto ironing unless absolutely necessary. Are your DC old enough to walk the dog? Do you get time when your DC go to their dad?
Just do what’s absolutely necessary to avoid feeling resentful and burnt out.

HugeAckmansWife · 11/07/2021 15:58

I'm a single parent too two tweens, work full time. My mum probably inwardly winces at the lack of 'deep clean' of house but surfaces and bathrooms get wiped as used, hoovering about once a week, lawns once a fortnight, ironing done usually while watching some TV with kids in the early evening. Kids eat a lot of pasta and oven easy food plus veg. I do laundry about every three days. We get by.

HugeAckmansWife · 11/07/2021 15:59

Oh forgot, they do see their dad but only a couple of days a month and I'm buggered if I'm using that time for chores. That's when I squeeze in a bit of quality time with partner (we don't live together).

Blackhawkdown2020 · 11/07/2021 16:01

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

needasleep · 11/07/2021 16:02

The best thing I have ever done and a great time saver is getting the food shopping delivered. I have a regular delivery slot, with the app I can add to the shopping anytime. It is delivered and put away in 10 mins. I have to admit I don't clean out my car very often.

ImFree2doasiwant · 11/07/2021 16:04

I was wondering what on earth was wrong with you until I realised you had children.

I dont have the answer. I also need to clean the car out. It's disgusting dirty inside. Dust, dried mud, sand., toys. I also cba.

I do a wash whenever there's a full load midweek. I don't iron. Meal plan. Online shop once a week. Lower my standards.

JaceLancs · 11/07/2021 16:05

I don’t know how old your DC are but as a lone parent from mine being 4 and 5 they did age appropriate tasks (now grown up)
At primary school age as a minimum they had to keep own rooms tidy - take it in turns to clear table and wash up - also helped a bit with food prep
From 11 they had to iron own uniforms, make packed lunches sort own breakfast as well as the above
From 13/14 I paid them to help with cleaning
Being tidy helps - if everything has a place it’s quicker to clean and doesn’t need doing that often
I’m guessing they are quite young if car mess is an issue as I take mine through £2 car wash every few weeks keep it tidy and 1-2 times a year pay someone £30 to valet inside
Gardening is my biggest bug bear - despite having a low maintenance garden in summer I still have to keep on top of it by doing 30 minutes a day
These days I don’t need to wash as often but when DC were younger used to put 2 loads on as soon as it built up enough for a light and a dark load

Original poster

Justkeeepsmiling · 11/07/2021 16:06

DS Is old enough to walk the dog, but I don't trust the other dog walkers round here. I live by a walk through park, where lots of people go to walk their dog, 99% of them keep there dog off lead, and 99% of those dogs come bounding over, my dog is nervous and barks and pulls, I walk away the best I can, but not always easy, He's a strong dog, and I worry he will pull DS or something.

DS Is with dad every other weekend, from Saturday morning to Sunday evening, I work a Saturday, and Sunday tends to be my go through the house and clean day. I clean as I go in the week, but find the bath and toilets need a bit more of a thorough clean.

OP posts:

BIWI · 11/07/2021 16:08

Firstly, where is your partner in all of this?

Second, online shopping

Third, what jobs can your DC be doing to help?

Fourth, leave some of those chores or outsource them. The garden doesn't need to be done every week. Do you really need to clear out your car? And get yourself a cleaner

Fifth. Stop stressing about stuff!

TSSDNCOP · 11/07/2021 16:08

Don't let the kids trash the car.

Don't let the kids trash the house.

Clean as you go.

Online shopping for everything.

Look at what you're cooking. If you can't do it with one saucepan and a baking tin, don't bother.

Windinmyhair · 11/07/2021 16:09

Batch cooking
Food delivered on a regular slot.
Car washed.inside cleaned by someone else
Cleaners if you can afford, lower standards if not.
Don't garden - mow lawn and let the rest sort itself.
I don't iron.

I don't do all of these, but could/should.

JellyTots2009 · 11/07/2021 16:10

I decided to take a job with 12 hour shifts. That way I can fit full time hours into 3 days.

Maybe see if this is available to you.

Rosebel · 11/07/2021 16:10

Bulk cook if you can or use a slow cooker. Slow cooker was great when I worked full time.
Cleaning wise I used to clean one room an evening so I didn't loose a full day on the weekend.
Can you order shopping online? Ditch the ironing too. I find nothing really needs ironing but I'm not that fussy.

Original poster

Justkeeepsmiling · 11/07/2021 16:11

@Blackhawkdown2020

So you are single and can’t cope? Are you super messy and disorganised? Is your time Management poor?

I never said I can't cope. I just asked how people find the time to do everything. I am neither messy, or disorganised, If I was, I wouldn't be bothered about the housework or gardening. I know what I have to do on my day's off, and I do it. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day.

OP posts:

warmfluffytowels · 11/07/2021 16:11

@Justkeeepsmiling

How do you full time workers who live alone fit it all in? How do you manage house work, gardening, food shop, laundry, clean the car, walk the dog, cook dinner, and see friends and family? I work 5 days a week, out the house from 7am - 5.30pm. In my 2 days off, one of them is usually spent cleaning, tidying, maybe gardening (well, I say gardening, it's just mowing the lawns really). The other day is doing a food shop, laundry, ironing for the week. And that's if I don't need to go to town for anything, like clothes for the kids, school uniforms etc. It's never ending. In the evening after work, I'm cooking dinner, then cleaning up after dinner, walking the dog. Its now 3.50pm and I really need to clean my car out but I just can not be bothered! How do you all do it? Any tips will be gratefully received - Or failing that...a maid, cook and a gardener if anyone has one spare?

I don't iron. Nor do I clean out my car regularly - maybe every couple of months? Food shop is done online - I book it when the last one gets delivered and I just add to it the night before.

Can you hire a dog walker? Or get a child to take the dog out for some extra pocket money? TBH, dogs are a huge commitment - I wouldn't have one if I was single and worked FT, though I appreciate the dog may have been there before all that.

justbecivil · 11/07/2021 16:11

I dont cope - its an awful slog!!

nanbread · 11/07/2021 16:12

The 40 hour work week was designed with having a housewife at home in mind so that people weren't expected to work ft AND do everything else...

Can your DS' dad take them one day a week as well?

Grilledaubergines · 11/07/2021 16:13

I don’t know The Answer OP, but what works well enough for me is:-

Half hour every evening of dashing around, cleaning, tidying etc. What doesn’t get done in that half hour gets carried over. It’s amazing though what you can get done on a deadline. At the weekend, I do washing but that’s absolutely it.

Car gets cleaned when I go in to town to do shopping by one of those car park companies. Not frequently but enough that car is clean enough inside and out.

Food gets delivered.

We’re not machines. We can do only so much and the rest isn’t important.

Original poster

Justkeeepsmiling · 11/07/2021 16:15

@BIWI

Firstly, where is your partner in all of this?

Second, online shopping

Third, what jobs can your DC be doing to help?

Fourth, leave some of those chores or outsource them. The garden doesn't need to be done every week. Do you really need to clear out your car? And get yourself a cleaner

Fifth. Stop stressing about stuff!

I don't live with my partner, he has his own stuff to do.

Maybe online shopping is the way to go for food, i did used to do this but found the dates were short, and the subs were rubbish.

DS cleans and tidies his room, takes rubbish out, that sort of thing.

I wish I could afford a cleaner, I deffo would get one if I could.

OP posts:

Heartofglass12345 · 11/07/2021 16:16

Cut yourself some slack, you are out of the house at 7am, that's a very early start! What time do you start work?
Ive recently gone from working full time to 9-3 mon-Fri from home and I'm shattered lol. I have never worked just mon-fri before, its so tedious and the weekends go way too fast! Ive just come upstairs to sort my sons room out and I've ended up on here lol
Ignore @Blackhawkdown2020, you need time to relax too!

Macncheeseballs · 11/07/2021 16:16

Why do busy people get dogs and then complain about having too much to do

Original poster

Justkeeepsmiling · 11/07/2021 16:16

@nanbread

The 40 hour work week was designed with having a housewife at home in mind so that people weren't expected to work ft AND do everything else...

Can your DS' dad take them one day a week as well?

He can...He just doesn't

OP posts:

Cupoftea53 · 11/07/2021 16:16

As other have said, just have to lower standards until the kids are older. And outsource what you can (if you can afford to).

Original poster

Justkeeepsmiling · 11/07/2021 16:19

@Macncheeseballs

Why do busy people get dogs and then complain about having too much to do

I wasn't working FT when we got the dog....situations change

OP posts:

Peoniesandpeaches · 11/07/2021 16:19

I’m not single but I really would encourage batch cooking if you can. It’s been an absolute godsend. I spend about half a day every month to 6 weeks making a load of freezer meals and it saves me so much time throughout the month. I also prep the fresh ingredients when I buy them for the week as that also seems to help (you know like chopping all the carrots rather than just what I need for that day as it also helps cut down cooking prep time.