How do you manage your time/house chores whilst working full time? Any tips?

[Memyself212]

So I work full time but it's more of a hybrid job which requires me travelling 2-3 days a week and 2 days working from home. I am newly married and love spending time with my husband especially my evenings and weekends. However, I still cannot get my time management sorted in terms of domestic house chores cooking, cleaning and mainly the ironing etc. Any tips?

Do you guys wake up early to get these things done e.g. cooking before work or what? Please give me some advice.

I want to continue working after having a baby too and me and my husband are thinking about childcare but I am still conscious how to manage my time and 'have it all' really. I need to get my time management 'locked in' before I have a baby.

I really love working so please dont say to leave my job. My husband helps me around too around the house but like I said I cant get my time management sorted.

Maybe its the newly wedding feeling :)

@laclochette I see your point but because I like cooking I didn't find it an issue. It also depends how big one's house is. There's one light bulb in each of four rooms and light fittings, lamps, wall lamps, etc in a house with 10 or more rooms.

It also depends in the individual input - DH worked 12 hours a day plus in his 30s, 40s and early 50s I had 8 years with the children and until the last 5/6 years worked no more than 8.5/9 hours a day.

We were/are a team and overall had/have equal leisure time.

I agree, I love cooking and I don’t find it a chore. My husband likes doing the clothes washing/drying etc. But, lightbulbs need changing on average every 3yrs. We have lived in our house for nearly 10yrs. I’ve been the only one that changes the bulbs. We are a house of soft lighting (multiple side lights, up lights, down lights). My bulb changing time has taken up less than 1hr over those last 10yrs. 50mins of that time has been spent ordering bulbs, getting a ladder out etc!

Not sure why everyone else commenting is assuming that your husband isn't helping enough, when you clearly stated that he does help you.

My partner and I delegate jobs around the house such as laundry, bins etc.. we both do our fair share. In terms of cooking, we always make sure the kitchen is clean and tidy after making dinner, that way we don't have a mess to come home to clean the next day.

Life is too short for ironing, get a steamer from Amazon they are about £26, you can steam your clothes as/when you need them, so there's one task a week saved for you.

Not sure why everyone else commenting is assuming that your husband isn't helping enough, when you clearly stated that he does help you.

Would you read that again?
He does help you

This implies the housework is her responsibility and anything he does is assisting her. Bollocks to that.
OP should step out of that mindset right away.

Because if he was doing 50% of the housework, which he should, he wouldn’t be helping!
Helping assumes he takes no responsibility fir it and is waiting for the OP to tell him what to do when she needs some help - meaning when she is struggling, not as a ‘it’s normal fir you to do half of it AND to take responsibility fir it/take decisions etc…’

It's because of the language used.

Help implies that he can just chip in when he fancies it because it isn't his responsibility, it's OP's and he's just 'helping'.

That mindset often ends badly when a baby and maternity leave come into it.

Is this a serious post?

@teaandtoastwithmarmite What do you mean? Why can't it be a serious post?

We both worked full time we both cleaned the house.Never left a mess at night all dishes in dishwasher and switched on overnight emptied in the morning.Washing done when basket full , planned meals whoever cooked the other person cleaned up .I did a daily housework list and we both did the jobs. When ds old enough he had a job . Never had tons of toys in living room but toy box's with toys swapped across .
Our house was always fairly clean fairly tidy .With both working shifts full time and pets and a child I consider that a win . Don't set yourself up to fail

Can't speak for that poster, but probably because you seem to be displaying bizarrely outdated attitudes and only return to the thread when someone says it can't be real.

Work full time (4 days)
Single mum
Work from home (massively helps)

Recently had a huge declutter and my god this makes the world of difference! I feel lighter! Less cleaning and stress! I didn't really think I needed to to be honest but so much can be moved out!

Friday morning and Sunday evening cleans
Wash on each day
Meal prep
Clean / tidy every morning and then at bedtime

Thank you everyone! Most people have said (which I agree with) that it shouldn't be the DH 'helping me', it should be an equal split of duties.

Unfortunately the culture I come from, it's very much the wife stays at home and becomes a SAHM or works and manages the household duties at the same time. I am however very lucky that DH does do some of the household chores without me saying anything and I need to take your guys advice that I shouldn't change that or consider that as 'helping' - I agree he needs to do his bit! Times are changing and we both do need to work to help with living costs so I hope I can change the dynamics here. I am soaking in all your advice!

@BoredOfBeingTired I was about to ask how do you have the discipline to wake up at 5am every morning just to clean? I struggle so much with my time that often I end up going to work without showering and doing my make up. I would love to have that extra time where I can look forward to getting dressed up for work. Man, I struggle so much!

Then I saw your end line! Really admire this about you

@SiennaMillar I took notes on your method and Im really going to try this to see if it works for me. I need to start eating healthy and don’t have time to prepare my lunches for work so end up eating crisps and chocolate for lunch. So unhealthy!
I don’t understand how you get everything done within an hour (7am) though. Wish I could do that.

@Takenoprisoner Thank you for your reply, I really do appreciate it. I am going to take your advice and discuss responsibilities being shared before having our first baby.

@Ladymarycrawley1920 I am taking your advice and going to focus on my career and outsource my domestic duties so my husband can see I am serious about working full time even after kids.

@threeisquiteenough I so love this advice! Cleaner is my top priority now. Love the Friday feeling!

@SpaceChocolatel Thank you for your detailed reply, I took notes! Value your advice and detailed post

@perfectcolourfound Taking your advice thank you

@Gettingbysomehow gosh you’re so organised! Love the spreadsheet idea. DM me your template 😊

@category12 I understand I need to reply more but outdated attitudes is more of my culture to be honest

Could you potentially have quite high standards? I'm married, 2 DC, work full time (usually from home) and cleaning doesn't factor hugely in my life but I'm guessing that's because I do less than people who don't work full time with kids. I start work at 8am but kids usually out the door with DH at 7.30 so that gives me 30 mins to chuck done laundry in in the morning or nip around with the hand held. DH cooks in the evening. During the week things just get tidied up as we go and on a Friday morning I devote 2 hours to cleaning (I work a compressed 4 day week) - I focus on vacuuming and bathrooms. Haven't picked up an iron in 9 years.