To think there is never time to relax on weekdays ?

[LanaL]

Is it just me ?

No matter what I do , my evenings from getting in from work to going to bed are just non stop ?? I don’t stop from the minute I walk in until I fall in to bed !

Im a teacher . I leave work around 430 ( I’m a supply that’s the only reason I’m leaving that early lol ) . I get home and have to then vacuum , tidy breakfast bits , do a general daily clean , make lunches for the next day , iron for the next day ( children have drawers instead of wardrobes so I can’t do it all in one go on the weekend ) , do dinner , baths , showers , then it’s bedtime ! My husband gets home about 6 and he helps too so it’s not like I’m having to do it all myself but he works a lot longer hours than me and he works 6 days so I think it’s fair to take a bit more on myself . It doesn’t help that we both do Keto so lunches for work and evening meals aren’t a case of making sandwiches or throwing something in the oven , But even before we did that it was still as manic . I like to be in bed by 9/930 as I’m up at 530. Mornings are just as manic - I put a wash on overnight so I can put it out to dry first thing so it dries during the day and then I take it all off and put it away in the evening - another job . We also have a dog so have to fit in dog walks and we like to go to the gym but I can never find time or energy in the weekdays ! We go on a sat and sun and usually squeeze it in on a Monday too and we like to try to go again in the week - that’s always the plan- once the children are sorted , my eldest can watch them and it’s only 2 min away so realistically even just 40 mins we should be able to do but after Monday we’re usually too tired !

I am not moaning - I make choices to do a certain diet, I choose to go to the gym and I choose to do chores throughout the week so that weekends are relaxing . But even then the weekends are filled with bigger cleaning jobs or DIY , the weekly shop , activities for the kids etc … I usually have a Saturday night where we chill out but that’s it ( however our weekends are always productive and I enjoy them so I wouldn’t change it ! ) .

I count down to the school holidays - but as a supply teacher I’m not salaried so don’t get paid for holidays so therefore have to work a bit in them too ( I do only do 2 days a week in holidays as I need the time and I want to see my children so I’m lucky to have that time off but it’s no different to full time workers having annual leave ) . My poor husband gets no time off really - he’s agency , a good paid job , but agency, he does take some time off so we can do things but having no holidays it’s hard so he tends to feel guilty doing that knowing he loses a good chunk of money by doing it. We’re not poor , but we aren’t rich and we have debt so it’s a luxury for him to be able to take time off .

As I say it’s not a pity post - I’m grateful for everything I have and I have lots that many don’t have ( for a start I have a husband I can’t even imagine doing it all alone )

But am I alone here ? Does anyone else feel like it’s non stop ??

Yes , I felt an overwhelming urge to tell strangers that I iron every day because I am extremely proud of it.

I'm a teacher too with 2 kids, 2 dogs, and a farm load of sheep and cows, goats and chickens

They all need walked / fed / checked / cleaned out and at this time of year lambed and calved

My kids have activities on 4 nights a week, my husband has his own business and is building a new house for our eldest. He does not help with the kids, house or cooking at all because of that. He takes the dogs out every morning and feeds them

So when I get in, I make dinner, sort out whatever animals require attention, wipe down after dinner, dishwasher, make packed lunches, put a wash on, put clean stuff away, run the hoover round if the dogs have been playing, have a shower and usually get about an hour to chill before bed. Dh comes in, eats dinner and goes off to start joinery work or whatever he's doing til about 9pm.

This weekend I have cleaned out the lambing shed, milked sheep and bottle fed lambs about three thousand times, walked the dogs, made soup for the week, done 4 loads of laundry, made dinner and cleaned up and I'm now in the bath before I do night lamb feeds. Dh has been out since 9am working on the farm.

What I don't do is iron - I send it out fortnightly
I don't clean every day other than surfaces - kitchen and bathroom I wipe daily and deep clean at weekends. Change beds on a Sunday. Sort out bins and recycling then too.
I shop online and go to the butcher after work once a week.

I think everyone has busy lives nowadays - I honestly don't know what else you could cut out that isn't normal life stuff. Ironing seems to be the only thing but realistically it's 5 mins doing a few school uniforms so that won't cut you much slack.

I do keto too. I Make soup on a Monday and serve it for lunches every day with cheese / meat

Sometimes Take tuna mayo and cucumber to work

I occasionally go and busy prawns and an avocado in my lunch time if I've nothing ready. ££ tho!

I hope I've outboasted you now OP 😂

Altho I don't iron so it can't be a stealth post....

Butchers isn't cheaper, for meat, what.

Anyway..

Ironing, why? Just dry things flat or on hangers.

Washing every day, why? Do the 4/5 loads you mentioned, do them at the wkend. Buy another clothes airer and a socktopus so you have space to hang it all out.

Hoovering every day, nah. Just lock the dog downstairs and do the downstairs if you have to.

Batch cook at the weekend and freeze in individual portions. Take 1 box out per person per day. We use the cheap takeaway style tupperwares. Get a keto batch cooking book if you haven't already. Use the slow cooker Sat and Sun to do 2 different meals. I never cook from scratch on a weeknight, what a waste of time and faff. Use the freezer!

I think you have ! I wish I could have put chickens and lambs in my post 😞🤣

Out of interest what soup do you do ? I never even thought about soup !!

I also go to the gym when my kids get dropped off at activities rather than sit in the car. Or I'll run round the golf course while they are at footie for example. Make the most of my time!

Soup.. I do chicken and veg soup (Chinese style with soy and garlic, ginger etc)

Tomato soup (couple of carrots, celery, onion, tinned tomatoes and chilli, paprika, garlic)

Anything that's low carb really.

Altho I always think even if the veg is a bit carby it's better than a sandwich 😉. No tattie soup tho!

Cabbage and tomato soup is surprisingly nice - have a google and see what you can come up with.

I make a huge pan and put it in Tupperware's ready - freeze some and some in the fridge.

I've also got a big chest freezer so that helps.

Your clothes probably need ironing as you leave them in the machine overnight. If you put washing on whilst cooking dinner then hang them up to dry straight away, you won’t need to iron. I haven’t ironed in about 20 years and my kids clothes are stored in drawers too.

I work full time during term time too and l was also finding no time in the evenings, but have now managed to give myself half an hour from 8.30-9 with some tweaks!
I get up at 5am now and make the lunches, sort washing, empty dishwasher and then my kids are up at 6. While they get ready I quickly tidy up upstairs and then either they or I make the beds. Down to pack bags and then breakfast. Quickly get ready afterwards and eventually ready to leave at 7.45!

I make a thing of not leaving the house in the morning unless everything is done and the house just as I like it to come home to. It means when we get home all that needs doing is empty school bags, I do a dark wash each evening, and dinner, dishwasher, then I put another load of washing on to wash over night to go in the tumble drier in the morning. I do the day befores ironing while the dinner is cooking!

it seems rigid and dull but it means by 8.30 kids are in bed, I’ve had a shower and can relax for a little bit which helps me sleep better and then I can deal with the next day.

it’s made such a difference along with telling my kids if a job can be done in one step, don’t do two! We were really guilty of leaving cups next to the dishwasher, leaving pyjamas on the floor, leaving things on the stairs to go up, shoes in the hallway, now we put away and into the dishwasher as we go and that really helps saving time when doing things.

I also online shop and do that during my lunch break or when I get into bed, I don’t have time to regularly go to the shops.

Farm life is a whole other level of busy, particularly with off farm work too. I have no idea how you or any of my friends do it!

A new work wardrobe could change your life. I buy work trousers from Uniqlo, wear a suit jacket from either Uniqlo or M&S, and skirts/tops from Baukjen (mostly 2nd hand) in a bamboo jersey fabric. Non of these things need ironing, and imo I still look smart. Could you afford a dog walker? Ours is an investment in both time and dog happiness, he loves his doggy daycare pack. And we have a lab and most definitely do not hoover every day 🙈. Yes there's a bit of hair around between vacuums, but it's only left a few days, we're not eating off the floor, and we don't have visitors in the week so who cares?

Just wanting to come back and add to your post about my day today. I got up at 7am ironed uniforms/clothes for the day. Made breakfasts got washed and dressed threw a coffee down and then made packed lunches. Done breakfast club drop off started my work day at half 8. Left work and got home for around 3.45 13yo had done the dishes 10yo hoovered, load of washing put in and another cup of coffee. I put on the tea then done my 6yo reading with him. Straight out the door at 5.30 for after school activity home for 7.15. Dh had put out tea and done the tea dishes and hoovered up while I was out. On the way home a shop run for milk etc got home ate tea had a bath still need to dry my hair and I’m now about to hoover for a 3rd time today, these dogs 😩. Then I might be able to finally sit down at around 9.30pm there are not enough hours and I can see no way to simplify today. I was just thinking about this post while running round like a mad woman 😂

Ah - someone is the same !!

Hope you get chance to relax at some point !