Working mum schedule?...please help!!

[twoby2]

I've always been very independent and 'keep calm & carry on' but I'm really struggling to stay on top of things.
I had to return to work when my ds was 3 months old for financial reasons. He is now 6 months old and its getting harder everyday.
I wake up at 6am rush around to get us ready to leave at 7.30am, go to work and we both get home at 5pm. After we've had dinner & bath there isn't much time for anything else.
Any spare time I do get I'm torn between spending time with my lo or doing the long overdue housework.
There must be loads of other people in my situation. How do you manage it?? Whats the secret??

The secret? Don't bother with the housework.

Really. It is hard, and you can't do everything. Do you have a partner? Could your family budget stretch to a cleaner once a week?

Try and speed up your morning 1.5 hours seems long to get ready. I get up at 7 and can get myself dressed, showered, hair dried, baby give bottle and him and 3 year old dressed in one hour. Get everything ready the might before. Drop the bath every night. I bath mine Sunday and Wednesday, and if they're very dirty!! Get a cleaner? What do you feel you are missing out on doing?

Your standards may need to change.

I expect someone will mention FLYlady soon. She is a bit of a loon, but the premis is "set a timer for 10 -15 minutes, spend that time sorting out one room, then STOP". It is, honestly, impressive how much you can do in 10 minutes.

Set 1 or 2 or 3 things that get done every day ( leave the diningtable clear when you go to bed, dishwasher loaded and on, clean kitchen sink etc) NOT everything, just small number of thing sto get into a habit with.

oh, yes, bath every night is not necessary for a tiddler...although it may be nice and perhaps part of bedtime routine??

90 mins is long time for getting ready in am...I take about 45 mins (shower at bedtime) but that's cos I am a lazy so and so and want extra time in bed, rather than so I can do a swift bit of dusting!!!

I don't do flylady but I guess my approach is similar.

I ruthlessly declutter all the time. (as in several bags to charity shop or wherever every month or two) - perhaps you need to start off with a major declutter? If you have a lot of stuff to sort through/clean all the time then it takes much longer to do chores.

Drop your standards as much as you can. if you have to iron then limit it to work shirts and other essentials.

Most tasks can be done in 10 minutes or so. You could easily squeeze a couple of things in each day ime. (washing a floor for example, 10 minutes. Changing bed linen, 10 minutes and so on). Cut down on ornaments/pictures if you don't have time to dust.

Cut right back on cooking. e.g. jacket potatoes are fine. Get some easy to cook stuff from M&S if you can afford it.

Really challenge yourself in terms of being realistic. What time does your baby go to bed? Even if it is early (7 or 8) then there is time between 5pm and bedtime to do a couple of things. If have a dp/dh then he/she should be doing stuff too.

WipsGlitter - 1 hour to get three of you ready in the morning! How do you do it?
I spend about 45 minutes getting myself ready, 15 minutes making bottles, doing pots, etc... and 30 mins feeding, changing & dressing baby.
I feel my whole life is one big rush and I never get anytime to play or spend quality time with my ds.

tigana- I am definitley going to try the "15 minute rule"! It makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

twoby2 30 minutes seems to be a lot of time to feed, change and dress the baby. 5 minutes tops to change and dress him - if you speed up. Does he take a while to feed/take a bottle?
Don't try and wash pots or make bottles in the morning. Could you switch to ready made formula to save time?
45 minutes is a long time to get yourself ready also.
Leave clothes ready the night before. (entire outfit). I take 5-10 minutes in the shower. My hair takes maybe 10 minutes. I don't dry it straightaway, I wait for it to air dry initially while I get on with other stuff. Make up 5 minutes maximum.

(I have 2 young dcs and on work mornings need to be out just after 7.30, ready to drop them off at 2 different places)

onepieceofcremeegg - I don't have a lot of clutter, but I could probably get rid of a bit more stuff.
dh is a non-starter, he had been made redundant - which is why i went back to work so early, he has now been back at work for 3 weeks and doesn't do much else!
Wish I could re-instate my maternity leave...I'd have another 6 months off.

I think part of the issue may be your dh - he should not be a "non-starter". He should be pulling his weight with household stuff and childcare. Does he work significantly longer hours /have a much longer commute than you?

If you are both off weekends, you could maybe use that time to do a mega tidy/clean up and prepare for the week ahead?

It sounds really stressful, sorry you had to go back to work sooner that you would have wished.

Working mum (FT) of 3 DCs. During the week do bare minimum: no housework except loading diswasher and getting meals (cook some ahead at the weekend). Get loads of clothes (2nd hand) for DCs so no need to do laundry during week, big wicker baskets for toys (don't sort except now and again in school hols) just sling all in baskets and bung behind sofa. Hoover and laundry and bathrooms on Saturday morning. All stuff ready the night before including table laid for breakfast: get kids eating as soon as they are awake whilst I get dressed (10 mins tops, shower the night before),then kids dressed and out the door (all bags packed and in car the night before), leave all dishes etc til get home from work. It's doable but you don't get any time for yourself at all til they leave home , plus you have to have easy hairdo (ponytail!), hardly any slap at all, and low expexatations in the style stakes! (black skirt, white tshirt, black jacket, flat black shoes for work and a few variations there-on)

Sorry to be harsh but you're lucky to be home by 5pm! I finish at 5.30pm like most people I know and then have to get to nursery by 6pm , home by 6.30pm
Doesn't your nursery make up bottles during the day? They're not meant to be made in advance any more
Instead of bathing ds at night have a bath yourself so less time in the morning
Set out clothes the night before
Make lunches nightbefore
Don't do housework during the week
Lower your standards
And dh should do 50% if you're both full time