Would love some tips

[scrapweaver]

on how to balance work, home, kids, scrapping (lol) . . I have been working full time for almost 12 months (was home with the kids for 8 years before that) and I'm just finding it so hard to juggle everything. My husband is great, he's a stay at home dad, but you know men I'm just starting to feel like I have the work side of things under control, but seem to have no time for anything anymore . . I miss my kids, miss spending time with my husband, miss being able to keep proper tabs on what's happening at school with the kids. But I have to work. How on earth does everyone do it?? Feeling completely overwhelmed right now, and would love to hear how everyone manages this balancing act??

[MamaBee]

I'm no help... SAHM here... and I still can't keep up... When I was working, I lived by to-do lists and planners... I should really get back on that...

[rach3975]

If you figure it out, let us know how, okay?

I'm a SAHM, and DH works. Except for weekends, he works and helps with bedtime, and everything else is my responsibility. He works long hours and has a long commute, so he's gone about 12 hours a day. When you give that much time to work (which he has to do but luckily also enjoys), I think there's no way to truly balance things. For our family, that's why I'm a SAHM--having each of us focus on one side of the work/family balance means that on the whole it works, but neither of us is entirely happy with our role. Our attempts to give each of us a better work/family/free time balance have all failed. I'm going back to work in 3 years, when my youngest goes to school. I have no idea how we're going to make it work then, because his hours certainly aren't going to get shorter to enable him to take on any of the family responsibilities.

I hope other people have some good tips for you!

[cardinalskate]

I'm not too much help, even though I work full-time . I have a wonderful husband who helps quite a lot (he works full-time, too). I meal plan, which sounds so simple, but truly does streamline things. No waffling back and forth deciding what to make and it's much easier making the grocery list because I just buy what ingredients I need for those meals (plus other basics, of course). I've came across a couple tips on Pinterest lately and I've been doing them...I never leave a room empty-handed (something's always gotta go somewhere else in the house) and even though I've done my nightly straightening, I drop EVERYTHING and clean somewhere for 15 minutes after my DD goes down for the night. So even if my kitchen's clean, I can clean all three toilets in 15 minutes. Or clear clutter. You get the idea.

[g8rbeckie]

I'm pretty happy

My hubby is a SAHD and I work full time, have a pretty demanding job in fact. I make a point to leave work every day in time to make it home by dinner time, even on the "bad" days. If I have something crazy going on at work, I always get up early and get there super early so I can get a head start on the day.

I spend every minute between getting home and the kids going to bed with them, plus all day during the weekends. I rarely scrap or do computer stuff during the day on Saturday/Sunday because it's family time.

After the kids go to bed, I grab my laptop and plop down on the couch Hubby and I are watching football together right now, in fact!

I also try to work from home on light work days, so that I can take any critical meetings/calls from home, but then I do try to sneak away for a bit of family time. So once or twice a month I'm able to pick my daughter up from school and we spend all afternoon together (from 3pm - bedtime).

DH takes care of critical day to day stuff, like making lunches in the morning (so I can help the kids get ready), he keeps up with what papers are coming in/out of their backpacks, etc. We have a family calendar in the kitchen that we all rely on, too.

To feel like I'm in touch with school stuff, I try to get in once every 60 days or so to volunteer for something in the classroom. Helps the teachers and I get to spy on what's going on

I hope that helps! I won't say its perfect, I definitely wish i had more ME TIME, but I figure it's just a few more years until the kids won't want us around as much, so I'm trying to enjoy it all right now.

Hang in there!!

[scrapweaver]

thanks ladies! I'm so glad I'm not alone in feeling this way . . I'm going to try some planners, and someone else suggested a printed roster on the wall so that it's right there for everyone to see what chores they have to do etc . . which my ASD kids will appreciate too!!! Look out, this weekend I am all about planning and NEXT WEEK I will be organised . . hopefully . .