Can I fit this much life admin in a week?

[ChesterDraws4Sale]

I’m moving from part-time to full-time work in October and will have one week off between jobs.

I’m thinking this is my chance to get everything sorted in my life before I have no time. 2 primary age DCs.

I’ll have 6 hours a day, a total of 30 hours.

Heres the plan.
Batch cook dinners
Deep clean the house
See friends for coffees
Maybe plan Christmas?

AIBU to think that will fit into 1 week? Don’t want to set myself up to fail. What else can I be doing with my wonderful week of organisation time to make life easier once I’m working full time?

[Bestcatmum]

I dont bother with all that and didn't when I worked full time as a single mum either. I just cooked good simple food as soon as I got home and cleaned as and when just tackling zone room at a time
I dont believe in lie ins. Its a waste of a day so weekends were for family time and we made the most of it. Its amazing how much you can fit into an hour or two if you are organised.
What is your husband doing? Two people make more progress than one.
My DS did his own laundry from 13 years old and could cook. It's very important to teach young children these skills.

[FatCatSkinnyRat]

I also don't know why you need to "batch cook dinners". Just make double every night for the week, freezing each spare one as you go, and voila, next week's dinners are ready to go!

Plus meal planning easy things like chicken breasts or steaks and rice / salad for some working days and you will be laughing.

[Despairingof]

Surely you could fit that in over a weekend if you needed to? Most people manage to avoid starving or living in filth whilst working full time.

[pickledeggnog]

Why wouldn't you be able to do this in a week?

Lord help your colleagues if this is what you struggle to fit in personally, how will you cope with actual work

[Kissingfrogs25]

I would book a cleaner and have a professional deep clean and a few hours a week if you afford it

A list of all the Christmas gifts and jobs printed off. Order as much as you can now - label - and put away, you can more or less buy for everyone but the dc as they may change their minds.

Try and see friends together - in the evening for dinner would be better as it frees up your day

I personally don’t like frozen food. So I would print off 5 recipes that can be cooked from fresh in under twenty minutes and order the food to be delivered every weekend ready for the week. I would assign dh every other day to cook so he can choose his own recipes for the family.

Prepare for birthdays etc until Christmas

Have a cleaning and household chore list prepared so you are not doing everything by default, build in days and time off as well.

[Benjaminsniddlegrass]

I work around 50 hours a week and can manage that so I should you should be able to. Kindly, get a grip. Full time is fine, you will be fine, chill out.

[Geneticsbunny]

I second get a cleaner. Also if you have an oh ask them to take over some mental load stuff like family birthday presents and cards or all of the school admin otherwise you will continue to do it all yourself.

[catfunk]

Yes of course., lots of us do that alongside FT work regularly.

[sunglassesonthetable]

1 day for batch cooking Mon
1 day for deep clean and de clutter Tues
1 day for Christmas planning Wed

Thursday and Friday for meeting friends and coffees feeling very smug.

Even if there's still stuff left to do from Tues and Wed, which there will be, you would have put a big dent in it which gets you off to a flying start.

Enjoy OP and good luck in the new job.

[Kissingfrogs25]

@Benjaminsniddlegrass

I work around 50 hours a week and can manage that so I should you should be able to. Kindly, get a grip. Full time is fine, you will be fine, chill out.

That’s an unfair post, it causes many people anxiety worrying about how they will manage. Being organised will give op comfort that everything is in hand.

[bob78]

What hours are you working and what is your commute? You seem to be panicking a bit, I don't batch cook but manage those things fine around working, esp primary school kids that don't need your undivided attention. Although I do recommend a cleaner if you can stretch to that, but we managed for years without one.

[Noteverybodylives]

That’s way more than enough time to do all of that.

I would also add in making a plan of after work activities.
I have set days where I do certain things around the house to keep on top of everything.

[sunglassesonthetable]

I work around 50 hours a week and can manage that so I should you should be able to. Kindly, get a grip. Full time is fine, you will be fine, chill out.

Here 🏅

God some people could start an argument in an empty room.

[TenoringBehind]

I would prioritise the friends and fun stuff and ditch the batch cooking.

1 day deep cleaning
1 day Christmas and other errands
1 day total relaxation
2 days meeting friends

you could batch cook when just doing your normal cooking over the next few weeks, or just cook each evening

[Womencanlift]

You could do some of that simultaneously. For example have things on the slow cooker while you are doing a deep clean

Or if you need to be by the hob then have your iPad/laptop/phone open and start ordering Christmas gifts

Do all this at the start of the week so you can enjoy the rest of the time off

Oh and look at the Batch Lady on Instagram or her website for good recipes

[scrufffy]

I would already be batch cooking. Cook double of things like Bol or lasagne or chicken pie or whatever


Deep clean - maybe but how bad is it? Why can't the other people in the house do their share?

[User0610134057]

But surely you don’t just have 6 hours a day anyway? You have some evening time too?

[rookiemere]

Prioritise the coffees - having time to catch up with friends is valuable and will be in short supply once you are ft.

But seriously you aren't going down a gulag, you're just working ft, I'd try not to stress too much about it and focus on enjoying your week and relaxing a bit.

[Magicmagician]

Go have some fun, have some lie ins and day trips!

[felulageller]

Ignore the unpleasant posters.

I'd not get all that done.

Deep cleaning will take a day per room.

There's only so much you can batch cook at once. 2 hours per meal so 10 in a week?

Lunches could be 2 hours each plus travel?

Christmas shopping is too much to be done in one go so that's a couple of trips to shops. List writing another hour. Wrapping takes ages! 1 hour per person.

But yes if there's a DP he needs to do more now you're FT.

[Noteverybodylives]

I agree with the PPs.

Prioritise seeing your friends and having fun and day trips.

You can do all of the above in the evenings after work and when the DCs are in bed.

I watch my TV shows whilst I’m prepping my ingredients for the next day, once my DD is in bed.

It’s much harder to meet up with friends when you work FT and have DCs.

[ChesterDraws4Sale]

Thanks for all the ideas - fingers crossed I can get it all done in a week.

The deep clean is a combined decluttering/clean of stuff that doesn’t get done regularly. Stuff like inside cupboards.

With Christmas I was just thinking of getting as much done in advance - shopping order, presents, making sure I’ve got wrapping paper. But early to put the decs up otherwise I’d be tempted!

I will plan a couple of rooms a day, seeing one friends/group of friends a day, one recipe for the freezer a day.

And I will give DH two designated days to sort dinner. He’s perfectly capable but hadn’t bothered since we had kids.

I will also get the kids a list of weekly jobs.

Plus read all the books, get fit, clear out my wardrobe, relax… 😀

[catfunk]

There's only so much you can batch cook at once. 2 hours per meal so 10 in a week?

nobody spends 10pw batch booking. The point is you do it all in one hit.

I get groceries delivered on a Sunday morning. Chop up veg and chicken breasts to roast in the oven for example (10 mins prep) and a stew or curry in the slow cooker too (10 mins prep)

Do other things whilst it's cooking and quickly box it up later whenever it's done and cooled. Stick Oven tray knife chopping board etc in dishwasher for later.

25 minutes not 10 hours.

[Noteverybodylives]

I feel like most of the Christmas stuff would be a waste of time.

It can easily be done in the evenings once the DCs are in bed.

I work FT and haven’t even thought about Xmas shopping yet.
When I do I use the evenings to write a list out and then do online shopping or plan a day where I get it all bought.

[definitelynotlistening]

Do that in a day and then have 4 days off to walk, swim, read, shop, see friends... you are about to be full time. Enjoy yourself.