stepford wife anyone?

[Talou1]

Hi all, I am struggling to cope with childcare, d.d 3, d.s 6, work 3 days a week, school work and housework. Do any of you have a set routine? i.e washing monday, ironing Tuesday, food shopping wedsnesday? I hate being restricted by a routine as it seems so grown up and dull but I am struggling to keep on top of everything. Until now I have just plodded along, but now I am beginning to question the wisdom of that! Does it help to have a set routine? Do you feel bogged down with drudgery or does a routine actually free you up for some much needed 'me time'? I I know with a d.s at 6 I should know the answer by now but it just seems to be getting harder!! Many thanks. Any comments much appreciated!! xx

I don't have a routine for housework but I do my shopping on a tuesday after school drop off obviously i wasn't doing it over the holidays and I found it became a struggle to fit it in now schools are back it's much easier. I also clean the bathroom while DS is in the bath then do the actual bath while he gets dried runs around like a naked loony it makes more sense than sitting watching him play.

I like routine it makes life easier for me.

I'm not proud of it, but yes I do have a housework routine Make a list of everything that needs doing weekly, eg bathroom, changing sheets etc and decide what day you're going to do them on and stick to it. I also have a few things that I do once a month, eg clean fridge, Hoover car, clean windows, clean oven and I do one each weekend. I have 3 kids under 6 and am currently a SAHM so life for me is all about small achievements at the moment! My house is not spotless by any means but with a routine it never gets totally out of control like it used to.

Thanks girls. yes, I think it makes sense to have some kind of order/routine, must be less stressful than me thinking look at that mess/dust/ironing pile!! ha ha. Will give it a go. Crazy88, you sound fab!! I'm not sure I could be as disciplined! (But I'll try :))

Not a weekly routine, and tbh I get bogged down by it all at times too, but one thing I do find that helps enormously is Click and Collect for my shopping. Home delivery doesn't really suit me as they give 2 hour time slots and if we are staying at home then dd2 will likely be having a nap or a feed when the shopping arrives. But C&C only costs £2 (Tesco) and shopping online makes it much less time consuming, easier to plan meals (Tesco webpage open on one browser, Good Food recipes with ingredients lists on another), and no children in tow crying or protesting. And batch cook as much as possible.

As for cleaning and laundry, I'll offer advice when I've tackled the overflowing laundry basket and the tumbleweed clumps of dust under the stairs...