AIBU to ask how you manage to get things done with small children

[JugsAndSoap]

(Relatively lighthearted but genuine question)

I really am at a loss and I'm hoping someone else can help me see what I'm missing!

I have 2 little children (age 4 and 1), and both me and DH work. Big one is at nursery, little one isn't and we work our hours around so one of us has him all the time.

We just about manage the day-to-day stuff like keeping up with washing, cooking meals, cleaning the kitchen etc in between preschool/ work / dinner / bath/ bed routines. There are just enough hours in the day to keep our heads above water.

But I'm absolutely desperate to do those less regular things time-consuming things like clean the grout in my shower, paint the spare room, cut down the hedges in the back garden etc.

When do people do this stuff? Am I missing something? Am I destined to be wallpapering at 2am? Or are there ways to "make time" by being more efficient with the daily stuff so I can do the rest?

So as not to drip feed, we have absolutely no-one to take the kids (ever) so it all needs to be done with 2 tiddlers in tow.

Thanks for this thread. DH has gone back to work today and the house is a mess in every area. Young DC and I aren’t even dressed yet and I’m feeling awful about the mess and laziness we are living in!

We just about manage the day-to-day stuff like keeping up with washing, cooking meals, cleaning the kitchen etc in between preschool/ work / dinner / bath/ bed routines. There are just enough hours in the day to keep our heads above water

This is what you do until nursery/school kicks in, I'm afraid. It's a lot easier for those with help. If you are managing to keep your head above water you're doing great!

Lots of people I knew used a travel cot as a play pen occasionally

@massiveblob

Lots of people I knew used a travel cot as a play pen occasionally

That'd be fine for a baby but not for a toddler/preschooler - mine could climb out of a travel cot by 18 months

Yes so could mine. But lots I know used for DC that couldn't / wouldn't climb

This has made me feel much better. We have a 6 and a 1 year old. 6 year old would be fine while we get stuff done but the one year old is a different story.

I used to feel like a bit of a failure about this but I have realised that most of the people I know who have young children and get stuff done either have family who may not do day to day babysitting but will do the odd Saturday afternoon or have one child and therefore easier to tag team.

Paid childcare. Put baby in nursery. Or ask one of nursery staff to babysit lots do it as an extra.