For WAHM's or SAHM's

I have worked from home three days a week since the boys were born so this is nothing new but lately it just seems like I'm having trouble organizing my days and it is driving me crazy. For example, right now (at 11:00 a.m.) all of us are still in our pj's, breakfast dishes are still on the table, laundry needs done and I feel overwhelmed by all of the other tasks too long to mention here that need done.....including getting some actual work done too! So how do you do it? Can you share with me a run down of what your day looks like - such as when do you get your shower? Do you have a schedule for cleaning? If you are a WAHM when and how do you fit this in?

Thanks for any help! I need to get a handle on this for my own sanity I think!

 

I will be completely honest. A lot of things do not get done, I'm a WoHM with a 2 hour in each direction commute. There simply isn't enough time to do everything *and* enjoy the kids while they're kids. As for the shower thing, eh, I don't shower every day. But usually it's right as I'm going to bed.

So I constantly have laundry and dishes to do and right now my "to be done soon" chore list is:

I still have the xmas tree and decorations out, those need to be put away.
The books and toys need to be sorted and put away.
Old toys need to be pulled and donated.
Old clothes need to be pulled and donated.
Bathroom needs to be cleaned.
Cat boxes need to be cleaned.
Vaccuum Vaccuum Vaccuum.
Break out the swiffer dusters and let the kids dust everything.
Deep clean the carpet.
Mop the vinyl.

I'm thankful that I have a husband that does a lot of cleaning with me. And a dog walker. I need to hire a cleaning crew though.

I'm trying to empty the dishwasher as soon as it's done, so we can just put the dirty dishes directly in it, and that works nicely when my husband participates and doesn't just put his dishes in the sink. I also try to do a load of laundry a day, but that doesn't always happen.

Anyway, MY day looks like this:

4:30 am - up
* (would like to insert start load of laundry here)
5:00 am - walk the dogs
5:15 am - catch the bus
5:30 pm - pick up the kids from daycare
5:45 pm - home, wrangle everyone upstairs
** (would like to insert put clothes in the dryer here)
6:00 pm - start dinner
6:30 pm - eat
7:00 pm - get kids ready for bed (includes bathing them every other/third day), make any necessary phone calls to family, fold any dry laundry, put away clothes
8:00 pm - put the kids in bed, read to them for 20 minutes.
8:20 pm - dishes if my husband hasn't done them
8:30 pm - start getting ready for bed, shower, pick out clothes for tomorrow
9:00-10:00 bed

My problem is, I just bought Epic Mickey and I don't know when I'll get to play it. I might have to move back bedtime or just play on weekends. And I don't know when I'll get a chance to exercise other than walking dogs until we move closer to work. I already work 7ish-3:30ish so I don't really get any breaks during the day.

 

Beca, if you need a cleaner let me know.

I am also WOHM most of the time but some days I work at home (snow days, too cold to commute days, when I am annoyed with the office days), I get up before the babies and shower. Dishes get put into the sink after each meal and put into the dishwasher after the kids go to bed. Honestly, it is easier. Toys get picked up either at nap OR every 2 weeks when the cleaning lady comes. Also, I am working with the babies to pick up their toys when they are done and put them where they belong.
Also, I don't know how many hours you are working at home by you may want to look into hiring someone to come play with them or take them out so you can get your work done.

My work at home schedule looks like this.

6am--wake up, shower
7am--get babies up and dressed
7-8am, do morning things like let the dogs out, find food for breakfast etc
8am--breakfast, table is cleared as soon as everyone is done
830-11am--Play/fit in some work if possible (usually they will play by themselves for a good 1/2 hour 45 mins)My work does not require phone calls so the baby noise is ok
11am--lunch, again table is cleared right after
1130-12, get ready for nap
12-2Nap--this is where I get a lot of work done
2-3-play time, I can monitor email during this time
3-330--snack time
330-5--play time --again, while they play by themselves, I can get some work done
445--cook dinner, 5pm eat dinner
6pm bath
630 bed time
630-9pm more work if necessary

ETA--as for laundry--this is our system which many people may hate. We have 3 baskets outside the laundry room. 1 for babies, 1 for my older son, 1 for us. When the basket gets filled up and noticed, an adult throws it into the washer. Laundry gets put away on weekends.

I agree with Beca, there is not enough time to get everything perfect and with 2+ kids perfect lasts about 4 minutes so I do what I can to make the house livable and sanitary but the mess doesn't get cleaned until weekends or at night.

 

I WOH, but some times I work from home. Its more difficult now that the girls are older Here is our schedule on days I'm home trying to work.

7am: everyone gets up. The girls have a cup of milk and then go play while I shower.
7ish-9ish: After I shower I turn on my computer in the kitchen and try to get some work done while the girls play.
9ish: I empty the clean dishwasher, and start breakfast. After breakfast the girls get dressed and brush hair/teeth. While they do this, I load the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher.
10ish: Girls play or watch a little TV while I get some work done.
12ish: Lunch/hopefully nap/load lunch dishes into dishwasher/work.
2ish: Wake up and go run errands or play outside.
3ish: Snack and play (while I try to get some work done).
5ish: TV on while I prep dinner
6ish: Dinner, post-dinner dance party, clean up toys, baths, pjs, stories.
8pm: Bedtime, and then I clean up the kitchen, set the timer for the dishwasher, prep the coffee for the morning, put in a load of laundry, fold the laundry that is in the dryer from the night before, and then pass out of the couch with my laptop and try to work a little more. Usually by 10pm I'm fried.

On the weekends I clean the bathrooms, wash sheets and towels, and dust/vacuum.

 

I'm a SAHM... We're often in our PJs all day to be honest (well, not so anymore with preschool twice a week now). Kids get a bath every other night (or every third night when we're too tired to bother). I shower when dh comes from work in the evening, before or after dinner. Quite frankly we don't vacuum that much, because it's just a waste of time. They just dump more crumbs on the floor right away... I don't do throughout cleaning all the time either, just so that the house is presentable and the bathrooms/kitchen counter clean. It really doesn't take that much long... I'm glad the tile in the hallway and kitchen is dark... lol. Kitchen counter is cleaned when dishes are done (which is every other day pretty much). I pick up toys all day because my dog eats them and it drives me NUTS (both the eating and the picking). I do laundry any time during the day when the hamper is full, but we have EI therapy twice a week so it gives me some free time too.

Honestly I have a lot of free time, just can't do anything that can't be interrupted unless they are sleeping. My main issue was doing groceries because it's been a serious pain lately but now that they go to preschool I do it then (or during the week end).

 

one key for me that I found if I wanted a shower I needed to do that before the kids got up... I used to work at home 2 days a week, now I go into the office 3 days a week, but it seems like I can never leave the house for an extra hour after the nanny comes... ugh! I basically pay her an extra when I should be working!

anyway, as for cleaning! ugh! that just doesn't get done... I try to wash out the kitchen sink on Monday mornings... and that's about it!

 

Silly question... but do you have someone who comes in to your house to watch your kids while you work? If not, how do you do it? I work from home most days but there's no way I could care for my kids and work at the same time... I'd never get anything done and my coworkers would hear my kids on conference calls. (and actually, it's prohibited by my employer) But to answer your original question, on the days that I have to care for a sick kid while working, I shower before everyone gets up, and I use nap time to do house chores. I usually don't get much real work done until they go to bed on those days.

 

I WAH FT and I agree, you have to have some help to be able to focus on work and get things done. My coworkers and clients don't care if there are kids in the background. They know that I live in a small space. My DH is currently unemployed so he is now helping more, but prior to that we hired someone to come take care of the kids 2 mornings/week. They go to playschool 3 mornings/week. I'm fortunate that they both still nap and have always napped well from 1 or 2 until 4 pm.

My work day starts at 7 am. Sometimes the kids are up and sometimes not. All I really do before starting work is get a cup of coffee. If the kids are up I get them milk and put on a show. They are slow to wake up and I get an hour of work done. Then some days I get them dressed and take them to playschool by 9. I come home and work like crazy. I may throw in a load of laundry but that's about it. Then I go pickup at 12 on my lunch hour, feed them and get them ready to nap. They nap for 2 hours and I work. When they wake up, I'm done for the day. I work one night shift/week until 10 and DH does dinner and bed that night.

I usually take my showers at night. I don't have a schedule for cleaning the house, but I'm fortunate that DH pitches in on that as well. The things I struggle with the most are grocery shopping and doctors appointments. I'm still not fond of grocery shopping with my two. I find I have to set very defined work hours and stick to it. Having childcare arranged for some of that time can be helpful and planning your schedule around your family's schedule also helps.

 

I go to work at noon. On super organized says I get up at 6 and exercise before the kids wake up (around 7). We all have breakfast. At this point I need to be very disciplined to GET OFF THE INTERNET and either have a focussed activity with the boys (colouring, reading,...), or do housework. I usually give them a snack around 10am while I jump in the shower. I get ready for work while supervising them. I get their lunch and my lunch ready and then we all wake Daddy up at 11:30. I'm on my way out the door as he's getting up.
Most days are not that organized and I find we are all still in our pyjamas at 10:30 and we haven't done anything the least bit educational or even bothered with housework.
That reminds me that I stripped their beds first thing this morning, but forgot to turn the washing machine on! I'd better log off here and get busy.

 

I've been a SAHM from the beginning and this is my day:

730-8am:up, coffee for me, feed, dress, brush teeth of kids
830-930: cartoons for kids, me empty dishwasher, tidy counters, make chore list
930-1030: play time
1030:snack time
1100-1200: play time, any house work I can fit in
1230: lunch, then into bed for nap time.
This is when I eat, vacuum, mop, shower, do laundry, bake, bring in firewood, or maybe *gasp* rest.
2-300: kids up snack, playtime.
430: I start supper
530: supper, DH and older son take turns doing supper dishes and bathing twins.
630: playtime
730: bedtime
After 730, is family time for DH, older son and me.


Some days I'm Suzy Homemaker, clean house, fresh baking, happy kids. Other days, DH gets home from work and I'm still in jammies with unhappy kids and Treehouse TV on ALL DAY!! I'm learning that I am not the super woman I wanted everyone to believe me to be, and that's ok. I can't do everything for everyone all the time, and while I'm looking for work now, I honestly do not think I could work full time right now and maintain my sanity, house and family life. Sure, I could always try to have a cleaner house, or makeup on, or homemade cookies and happy crafting children, but I don't think the stress of trying to be perfect is worth it for me. I'm trying to be kinder to myself.

 

here in HOng Kong, my girls started school at 3 and takes the school bus, THAT is when I work as its really hard to work when they are here. Even when they are playing together, they want me to see what they are doing, and at times, they get so loud! They go to bed at 6pm (although they wake up at 6am!) so I do a couple more hours of work in the evening if necessary. I'm whacked by 9pm.... and try to get to bed before 10!

Before that when they NAPPED was when I could work.

Forget a clean and tidy house, as long as the food you eat is prepared properly and the plates and cutlery you use is clean that's fine. I get them to help me sweep up and wipe the table etc and put away their toys but honestly, just not that important!!

 

I've been a SAHM for about 8 yrs now, right now with 4 kids my schedule usually runs like this most days:

7am ~ get my older 2 kids up and ready for school. They leave between 7:30-7:40. I go back to bed after they go
8:30-9am ~ twins up. Breakfast can be anything from toast, cereal with milk, dry cereal in snack cups, poptarts, cereal bars....etc.
9:30-10:20 ~ try to get the dishwasher emptied and refilled, but with 2 "helpers" it takes forever.
10:20 ~ get dressed, shower FAST if I need to, get the twins dressed and leave to pick up my dd from preschool.
11 ~ preschool pickup
11:20-12:30 ~ kids play, I grab a few mins online and then make lunch.
1 ~ lunchtime, clean up table after everyone is finished and hopefully finish loading the dishwasher and starting it.
2 ~ naptime for twins. Snuggle time for me and dd while we watch a movie or play wii or do a craft or play a game...etc.
3 ~ older ds gets home from school, prod, beg, plead, argue and wrangle him into doing his homework. Grab a few more mins online.
3:15-3:30 ~ twins up from nap. They nap short
3:30-5:30 ~ help older ds with homework, get a snack for all the kids, contemplate what to cook for supper.
6 ~ cook supper, try to unload dishwasher and start reloading again.
6:50-7 ~ dh gets home from work and changes clothes while I dish out supper
7:45-8 ~ finish supper, usually leave dishes on table and help dh with bath time. Oldest ds showers every night, older dd showers every second night, and twins get a bath every 2-3 nights unless it's spaghetti night, then it's a given bath night! lol
8:15-8:30 ~ get my older 2 kids in bed.
8:30-9 ~ unload and reload dishwasher if I didn't get it done earlier. Run if full.
9-9:30 ~ spend time with twins and hubby on couch.
9:30-9:45 ~ get twins into bed.
10 ~ clean up living room. Collapse on couch with hubby. Watch tv or play on computers.
12 ~ dh goes to bed if he has to work at 5am. I go take a bath and read my book.
1-1:30am ~ bedtime for me.


I have a laundry hamper in the twins room for their clothes, a hamper for my 2 big kids clothes in our bathroom/laundry room, a hamper for our clothes, and a hamper for towels. I wash clothes when someone's hamper is full. Clothes rarely get folded, I have a basket for the twins, 2 baskets for my big kids and 2 baskets for us. I just can't seem to find the time to catch up folding clothes. But everything is always clean!

 

The problem with being a SAHM is that the kids are at home longer to make more of a mess. this was a point a friend of mine noticed on her days "off" work -- her house was a mess on her days "off" because the kids were there to destroy everything. sometimes showers might mean shave the legs this time, shave the arm pits next time. Or a quick bird bath in the sink for the day and then a shower in the evenings when you have more time. Sort of rotational cleaning.

 

I'm a SAHM. My pre-sick kids days were alot better than now.
7am wakeup, breakfast 7:45-8, morning poops (still diaper changing) & daytime clothes.
Out the door no later than 9:30. Home 12. Lunch, changes, naps 2-5. Dinner 6:15-7. Lights out 8:30pm.

Now it is a mess. We are fitting in nebulizer treatments on both 3-5x a day! And we have canceled most of our activities. I took them to BJs today because we all were getting cabin fever & ended up missing one of their primetime treatments. But being out seeing society & the world really helped them. Ugh! We have been sick end of Sept - now.

Cleaning your house... check out flylady. I love her! eventhough I do fall off the wagon too.

 

I go into the office 3 days a week and the other two days the girls are in pre-school for a few hours. I tend to work (shop, clean, etc) when they are in school and jump on the computer here and there until 7PM then I do more work. However, I would say a lot of my co-workers work from home and most have a nanny too. My house is too small so if I were to take a call I have to do it from the garage! If your boss doesn't allow background noise I would look into getting a nanny for your peak work hours and set up your office in the garage or basement if you can. I tend to spend a lot of my "extra" time cleaning since we have a nanny 3 days a week. I just can't get over having someone in my house unless it's perfectly clean! I feel like my home is her office and everyone wants to work in a nice office. Anyway, I get a lot of time back in the mornings since I started taking my showers at night AND I only take them the night before I go into the office. The other days people just have to deal with my "look"

 

We have a fairly scheduled household so it makes my life a lot easier. Plus with two older kids things run smoothly most days.
5.30 Babies have bottles and DH alarm starts
6.00 Everyone except older DD is up. DH off to work
6 - 9 Breakfast, dressing, tidy rooms, do chores for the day (ALL THE CHORES), off to school
9.00 Babies down for a nap and I have my shower. DS watches cartoons
Week days are usually spent at playcentre, music group or visits to friends
At night we have dinner at 5.30, babies in bed at 6, DS at 6.30 and big kids at 8. We don't eat till everything is tidy and the big kids do the dishes every night. As for washing, I just do it during the day as I have time since everything else was done earlier. We do a big clean on Saturdays. We set the timer for one hour, we have a list of what needs to be done and everyone helps. Even the 2 year old. Then we can spend our weekend relaxing together.

 

I work out of the home full-time so I can't really relate, but wanted to just mention that if you do work out of the home you simply don't have time to do any cleaning, grocery shopping, playing with kids, etc. while at work and if you are working from home it seems to me that it should be the same scenario. It sucks that I don't have time to do laundry or clean, etc. except in the evenings after the kids go to bed (7:30) or on weekends but that is the price I pay for working full-tim and bringing in the bulk of our household salary at this point. I think approaching it as if you are going in to the office in terms of what you expect to get done around the house is beneficial. If I do work from home and want a shower it has to happen before my kids get up at 7:00!

 

I just wanted to say I think this is a great thread - it's nice and inspiring to see other moms making it all work! I'll be going back to work at the end of this year or beginning of next year and I'm so nervous about it. There are days when I think how will I work and take care of the kids, the house, cook, exercise, etc.? DH is a military pilot so I know at our next assignment he'll be deploying/taking long trips again and I'll be doing even more and on my own too. I'm taking notes from you ladies, there are some really good ideas on here.