*another post for the archives…one that I’ll probably look back on and laugh one day, but nonetheless.... I like to jot down how “shit goes down” …for lack of a better phrase;-)
I constantly get “how do you do it?” ….like, all the time. I get it, we go A LOT. But, I’m not supermom. There are a LOT of mama’s out there way busier than me and with more kids than me! But, still… some people seem to be amazed at how we run as a family. I do chuckle at the amount of “older” women that are totally shocked that I work with three small children. It’s like they are thinking, “oh the horror, why isn’t she at home tending to her kids and baking pies?” And yes, that’s a joke. All stay at home moms know that ISN’T how life is as a stay at home mama, but I swear that’s the impression some women give me. I guess it’s just that generations way of thinking…that a young mom with young kids belongs at home….so when they find out I work full time and do as much as we do…they just don’t get it.
Anyways…I digress….this is how our family gets by during these crazy years of life:
First off, let me also say to those women…our generation’s husbands are HANDS down more involved and more present parents. (Yes, I’m stereotyping, I’m sure there were some dads back in the day that did a lot…) My husband ROCKS. We are equal parts in marriage and family, hell…he probably does more than I do sometimes! He’s quick to change diapers, cook our meals, do the dishes, and help in EVERY aspect of child rearing and house chores there is. There’s really NO other way I/we could do it if we didn’t BOTH give 100%.
We have a maid. (I hate that word…but I don’t know what else you call it) We have someone clean every other week…and it is my favorite thing I pay for! Ha! Mikey tried to fight against it at first, but this was a big deal to me. Heck, I’d love to have someone come weekly and help with laundry…but I just can’t justify the expense. As a family of five…there is enough laundry to keep me busy for days…. We are still constantly picking up and putting away (toys, clothes, random junk, you name it)…and obviously like most…we still clean the kitchen daily (most of the time). The maid prevents me from having to clean bathrooms, dust, and vacuum/sweep/mop floors (unless there’s been a spill or something) …which is amazing!! I don’t want to spend my weekends cleaning…that’s for family time. So, this is a huge help for me.
I try and come home for lunch once a week and do random house chores that I don’t want to do at night so I don’t take time away from the kids…this is another huge help. One day, I sat for 30 minutes just ordering pictures for frames around the house. That kind of stuff is time consuming!
I let GO of my OCD/neat freak ways. This is probably the HARDEST thing for me, but the best. I used to be a freak about organizing and “straightening” the house. Every night before I went to bed everything had to look perfect…dishes done, toys put away, couch cushions straight, and clothes put away…you get the picture. This lasted a while when we only had one child…and then I got pregnant. Slowly, I cared less and less. And once our boys joined us, I just let it all go! Now, there are definitely nights I make sure everything in (atleast) the kitchen and den are tidy…but I just can’t do it every night anymore. Sometimes, we are both so exhausted and ready to crawl in bed once the kids go to sleep, we don’t even do the dishes! GASP! This one is also hard because as a mom I feel like it’s one of the “I’m not as good of a mom as you are if I don’t do this” type things. Even my best friend said the other day…she could never go to bed with dishes in her sink. And it made me pause, “does that make me less of a mom/person b/c I can?” And you know what? That’s ridiculous! There are some nights, I just throw all the toys in the playroom and don’t look back…I’m talking toys EVERYWHERE. But, I refuse to take time away from my kids to clean and constantly worry about picking up and chores. I also refuse to take time away from my husband at night… so we allow about 20-30 minutes after the kids go to bed of chores and whatever doesn’t get done, just doesn’t get done! AND I’M OKAY WITH THAT.
Sorry for the boring post, but I love to document our life and how we live and love. I’d love to hear pointers from others on any time saving tips, etc.
I also wonder how the hell you do it!!! It's inspiring. All your trips and goings and doings make me so tired. I do think you have super energy stored up somehow! :)
ReplyDeleteAgreed that it's a great investment to have someone help with the house. You're a great mom Caroline :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a tip that my Mom used to cut down on laundry time. She had a hamper made that had 3 compartments in it - and each compartment has a laundry bag inside - one for lights, one for darks, and one for colors. And from the time we were about the age Collins is, we were responsible for putting our own laundry in the hamper. She got those color sample strips from a paint store and taped them inside of each section of the hamper so we would have a guide on which colors went in each section. And then when she went to do laundry, she didn't have to waste time sorting the items into different colors. She would just grab one of the bags and throw it in the washing machine.
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