How do you coop with work and home life?

Question

cooking and cleaning washing and pressing

Answer 1

Just take it one thing at a time, one day at a time.

Answer 2

Either eliminate work by strategic planning, or cut down on your expectations of yourself. Here are some of my tricks - I work about 60 hrs. a week and have a husband and baby:

1. Instead of folding and hanging up clothes (except the nice ones - those get hung up) each person has one or two 18 gallon bins (Wal-Mart $4) and all the clean clothes get thrown in by person. We don't buy clothes that are not wrinkle free.

2. Reduce the number of dishes in the cabinet to two sets or less per person (set = ONE bowl, ONE large plate, spoon, fork, knife, and cup) No need for different cup sizes, and types - a mug that will take both hot or cold liquid. Also, get rid of the small plates. When there's nothing to eat off of, all of a sudden either the dishes get done or something gets re-used! That way all the work doesn't fall on you. Box up the extras and put them in the garage in case one in the set gets broken.

3. Open mail over the garbage can. 75% of what comes in your door is junk and envelopes - just save what is relevant - that way there is less paper clutter.

4. Cooking - not my specialty - if it's not yours either and you just need a break, don't try so hard to make home cooked meals. 3-4 nice dinners a week and soup (made ahead or canned/sandwiches for lunch should suffice, and use convenience foods and treat yourself to going out the rest.

5. Embrace simple living by downsizing your living space. We have a 900 sq. ft. house and we are VERY happy, have lots of free time despite long work hours, and are not in debt. Huge house = huge ammounts of work!

6. Buy everything with the mindset of "What is it going to take to clean this?"

7. Get rid of slider/opening shower doors and get a simple shower bar with a curtain. Shower doors take forever to clean. When a curtain gets nasty it can be replaced.

I hope these hints help!!

-Angie (housecleaner for 4 years)

Answer 3

Attitude. That's the best way. I work, have children, volunteer and try real hard to keep a good house we are all proud of. My husband really likes the house clean, but does not participate.
Insofar as cooking, I read through cook books and the internet trying to get different ideas and often try to start tomorrow's meal tonight. Makes tomorrow easier and then later start the following day meal.

Answer 4

All these suggestions are fine, except for one thing. You need to incorporate the other people in the house to take on their fair share.

I worked full time +, went to college, raising 2 children, and a lazy husband. I hired a lady to come in once a week for $20 to clean (3-4 hours). I know it costs more now, but I never, ever spent money that was more worth it. Just to have the vacuuming done, the bathrooms, the dusting, dishes, floors mopped was a life-saver. It kept Mama happy and more time with the kids.

You know, when Mama ain't happy, nobody's happy lol.

If you are working full time, this is money well spent not only for your family but it prevents nervous breakdowns!

Good Luck!

Answer 5

All the above answers are great! Especially Angie's. Two suggestions I have to offer are 1. get rid of any clothes that need ironing 2. invest in a crockpot; these are incredibly helpful and useful. You start your dinner in the morning and when you come home at night your dinner is ready to be served, plus you don't have a big clean up in the evening.

Answer 6

Angie did have some great ideas.

You do have to be organized, and at times you do have to cut back on your expectations of yourself. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Husbands can help out too. They can do laundry, they can cook meals, they can clean bathrooms, vaccum, etc. Basically, anything you do, they can do as well, and should.

Children can help with household chores as well, but keep it age appropriate. It's best to teach children these skills at a young age, mine are older now (13 and 17) and I regret not putting them to work at younger ages, it's very hard to get what they consider "extra" chores out of them now. Younger children LOVE to help, and to feel like they're helping. No, they won't do it perfectly, but don't go behind them and re-do it. Let them learn at a very young age the satisfaction of a job well done. This will pay huge dividends when they are older, plus will make them better adults.

But at times, you're not going to get it all done, and that's ok. My husband says that even though our house isn't perfectly clean all the time like his mother's was while he was growing up, we're happy. He grew up feeling like if he put his foot on something, he'd get in trouble. That's no way to live either.

So relax your expectations of yourself, make everything as easy clean as possible, and put the rest of the family to work on it as well. After all, it's their house/clothes/meals as well. You're all a family, and that means everyone has to pitch in and do their share to keep the family running. It's not just mom's job.