Two businesses / careers and small children

[keepyk]

I'm wondering how others cope with career / work pressures plus small children plus a home to run.

I'm seriously struggling.

Kids are 4 and 6 and at school FT 8-5. (We have no option but to go private for long school hours). They are happy and healthy.

Husband is a farmer so works every day of the year.

I work usually 40/50 hrs p/wk including weekends when particularly busy, with my own business with 8 employees.

I struggle to keep a clean, tidy, organised home. To the point that I don't want people over or the children to have play dates.

Are there others out there under similar pressures? How do cope and most importantly keep sane??

Not quite in the same boat but DH and I work full time ( long hours) with 2DC. Tbh, we just lower our standards! Health and happiness comes first, so as long as the kids are happy and fed, everything else goes in the fuck it bucket! We have a cleaner once a week to ensure we can vaguely see the floor and I shop online for everything!

I don't stay sane, but bollocking the husband until he realised that it was bloody well his job to keep house too certainly took some of the pressure off.
I don't have such an intense working week as you, I do have 2 businesses and 2 dc, one just started school and it's stressful.
I grew up with lots of friends who were farmer's children, I don't remember any of them having especially clean or tidy homes, I can't imagine it's possible given how flat out (and muddy!)life on a farm is....I certainly wouldn't be judging you.

Hello,
I am struggling too. With my DH we have a small farm and lots of work our animals. I have just stopped a full-time job, am setting myself up in business with a new job and am doing courses for my new job and am also studying at uni.
I have grown up kids that arrive suddenly home.
Basically, very little time for housework. And I want to get on top of it. I've started a bit but it's not at all enjoyable. 😌

"bollocking the husband until he realised that it was bloody well his job to keep house too certainly took some of the pressure off"
Did that this morning and he agreed to get more involved in housework.

Groovie haha, yeah, letting dh know that I'd been to see a solicitor to discuss divorce had an effect too, and didn't feel too drastic at the time. £60 well spent.

Sounds like you need a cleaner.

We had a nanny so at least the kids were at home by 3.30pm.

But realistically I’ve decided to cut my hours as I hate being away from the kids.

Thanks guys. Yes we have a cleaner for 3 hrs p/wk which does help. I'm feeling utterly crap because of the situation. It seems everything is a compromise

Ask them to do a few more hours?

You are only human. No point in beating yourself up about it. A man wouldn't do that!

Thank you all. I guess it's just a case of sucking it up. I know everyone has their own pressures and life's not easy for most people!

Thanks again

Love your name "0utdoors". That's the problem with my husband. He does the jobs outdoors and thinks he can leave me the ones indoors. I see him as "having fun" and me as "slaving around". He sees him as "taking on the tough work" and me "on the cushy number". I think I need your username.

If you look on the Austerity Housekeeping website I set up (it’s an official Mumsnet syndicated blog, so I feel I can mention it here!) there are loads of posts that give advice on how to get things all under control. You might like the Morning has Broken one, and the Box of Last Resort posts as starters. The linked eBook is free to download off Amazon at the moment too, and that has things like two months worth of menu plans with linked shopping lists, etc.