This weekend was a total bust for me. Sat I got up and cooked breakfast, cleaned up after wards, cooked lunch, cleaned after words, cooked dinner, cleaned afterwords. My family made me so mad. Here I am cooking and cleaning all day while they play in the beautiful sunshine. On Sunday I woke up and said eat cerial Im not cooking. Well, my 6 year old started to cry cause she wanted pancakes and my 9 yr old was like I don't like cerial and my bf was like fine, so everyone make their own food, but left the mess for me. I screamed at them and said "CLEAN UP YOUR MESS, IM NOT DOING IT".
What can I do to get more help around the house. I ask and ask but I feel like all I do is yell. I work 40+ hours a week and my bf owns his own company so he works allot too. I have chores for the kids to do, but I feel like im constantly yelling at everyone. Weekends are the only time I actually have to relax and don't want to cook and clean by myself.
Any thoughts on how to change this?
2007-03-12 05:04:16 · 4 answers · asked by 2shay 5 in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
Yes! Girl, you have to expand the breakfast horizons to include frozen pancakes & waffles, breakfast hot pockets, instant oatmeal, and buy yourself paper plates/bowls! Make it easier for yourself and the little people won't make you so nutty. I speak from experience. Three kids under the age of 4...I'm a drooling idiot by dinnertime!
When I cook and clean all weekend and it makes me psycho, so now we have a plan. I cook ONE meal per day on the weekend. We go out to breakfast, eat cold sandwiches with fruit or pasta salad for lunch, and then I make a simple meal like tacos or a frozen pizza for dinner.
Your kids are bound to like the lunchables kind of things, and if they have them for lunch or dinner with some carrots or an apple while you and boyfriend eat cold cuts/sandwiches then everyone is getting to eat and you didn't slave over the stove.
You remember when you fly and they say if the plane loses oxygen, the masks will fall from their overhead compartments, right? And that the adults should put theirs on first then help the kids, right? Mama, you need to take time for you otherwise you'll end up resenting the hell out of everyone. Look at your toes. Are they polished and pretty? Next Saturday at lunchtime go get a pedicure! Boyfriend can make lunch, do the dishes and maybe start realizing you do too mcuh and he does too little.
What about your boyfriend? Does he cook a mean chili or like to cook on the grill? He should make one meal a day on the weekend, and one during the week, too. He can bring home dinner with him so he gets to drive though and make the effort to lighten your workload as well. When my husband brings home dinner he gets to see that even takes effort and is nerve wracking.
Buy paper plates and more convenience foods. Eat out once a week and get take out once a week for dinner. Have lunchables for the kids, instant mac & cheese for the microwave, or canned ravilolis. Let them choose it and they will eat it usually.
You cannot work all day at your job and full time at home without help...you'll end up losing it! And if you need to call in a cleaning service split that cost 50/50 with your man, they usually wake up when they have to open their wallet.
You teach people how to treat you and you have taught them that you are just fine with being the chef, busboy, dishwasher, grocery shopper, and paycheck earner! That's too much sweetheart, just too much!!
2007-03-12 05:33:38 · answer #1 · answered by wwhrd 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sit down with your family and decide on when you are going to have "no cooking-no cleaning day". On that day of the week, everyone fends for themselves - cereal in the am, sandwiches in the afternoon, delivery at night. Make sure they understand that the dishes they use must be cleaned or go in the dishwasher and the crumbs need to be wiped up. Let them know you need this to get a break to be a better, happier mom. My mom kind of did this with me when I was young. On weekend mornings since I was 5, I ate cereal, poptarts or had pastries and milk or juice. I had to clean up after myself. That way, my parents slept in and I still had a filling breakfast.
2007-03-12 05:13:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sister.I feel your pain!!!! I have 9 year old twins, and have been married for 10 years.....I am also a full time student working on a bachelor's degree....and have homework coming out of my ***....I cook, clean, do laundry, grocery shop, help out at school, and never seem to have any time for fun in my life!!!!! They go out and do "GUY" things while I sit here and clean up after them.......
Here is what I did....... A few months ago....... I warned them all that if they weren't going to help me out........ then I was quitting!!!!!!! They didn't seem to believe me, so I quit........ it was really hard to see my house in such disarray..... but I refused to clean up after anyone but myself. My god.....it got pretty bad for a while..... One Saturday....I got up and walked out into the living room.and it was clean! My husband had some company coming for dinner.....so he and the boys cleaned up..... I was shocked to say the least! Since then, I have ressumed some of my duties, however, they have a lot more respect for the actual work I put into it.....and they all help out a lot more than they used to.....my kids even keep their room clean!!!! can you imagine??????
2007-03-12 05:18:14 · answer #3 · answered by erin_foss8191@sbcglobal.net 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Set up a weekly calendar that lists who does what chores.
Choose chores for each child that are most appropriate for their age.
Make a reward and a consequence schedule. If they do all their chores, they get this or get to do that. If they don't do this or that, they loose computer time or tv time or telephone time, whatever would be more of a loss to them.
DON'T go behind them and do it over again. If it's not done right, send them back in for them to do it over again.
And most importantly STOP YELLING. No one listens when you yell anyway, so all you are doing is working yourself into a frenzy.
2007-03-12 07:19:55 · answer #4 · answered by Carol D 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋