i can't keep up with my life

[natalielongstaff]

at the moment i used to be super-organised and still seemed to have loads of free time ( to post on here ) but just lately i seem to spend each day rushing around !! today i rushed lunch down the kids and took my little boy to pre-school to find it was closed seemed that i had failed to read the letter properly that was sent home
i work at home as well, goodness knows how i would cope if i had a REAL JOB! as everyone knows apparently that being a childminder is easy and i just sit around drinking tea !! even dh says i am sponsered by PG.
how do you all find time to work and run a house ??
ps dh is very helpful and isn't the sort of bloke not too help but i do have to delegate jobs and then i sound like i am nagging

 

[Miffy2003]

Natalie - the funny thing is there is no way I could do your job!!! To me, being a child minder would be the hardest work ever.

I work full time and I have to say of all the things that "slip" in my house it would be the housework before anything else. I was not born with a "tidy" gene, LOL

Chin up - it will get better

 

[Frances999]

I have off days too when I think I can't cope. Thank god our elderly neighbour offers to clean the house for me three times a week for a small fee. Without her, I would definitely struggle even more. The thing I hate mosr about working is coming home to a messy house.

The problem with me is the thought of doing a specific job. Once I actually get down to it I can get on okay.

I find looking after my own two young children a struggle, looking after others I, too would find difficult!

There just aren't enough hours in the day!

 

[Scottish_Maleficent]

Natalie you're not alone.....
I work full-time, and find it extremely difficult. I like the idea of being very efficient and organised, but in reality, it's not always the case. I rush most of the time too, and only get to relax when the kids are in bed and I'm DIS-ing....


BTW - men need to be delegated...... so you're not nagging, just taking control!!!

 

[KayleeUK]

Well no kids in the picture but both DH and I work full time. Luckily DH loves to cook and hoover

 

[AndRu]

Even though there are times at work when I feel really hacked off with everything (especially my female, no kids, career motivated boss), I know that it's easier to be at work than trying to do a million and one things when you have young children at home. My wife used to be a childminder and on some days it was pure chaos with three of our own plus others in the house. I'd ring up and hear what sounded like pitched battle going on in the background - and come home to help tidy the Somme ready for the next days battle.

My DW is working her months notice at the moment as her secretarial job (which should've been 25 hours a week) has grown to her having to cram 50+ hours work into those 25. She has spent countless (unpaid) hours at home trying to keep on top of it all AND look after our children. In the end it was just too much and something had to give. So she starts a school admin job after Easter working 2.5 days a week and she won't have to worry about childcare etc in the holidays or being given mounds of work to do at home. The major downside is that we'll get royally mugged by travel operators now as we'll have to go away whilst the schools are off. Grrr. Bloomin' rip off merchants! Even though her salary will be greatly reduced by this change, at least she'll have 2.5 days a week at home and be there for the kids during the holidays. Money isn't everything and I'll be happy if she's not as stressed as she has been over the past year.

What annoys me most though is people that don't have children and seem to think that having them doesn't make a difference. But it does! A few people at work (my current boss is the worst) have no idea how difficult, stressful and time consuming bringing up a family can be. I'll admit that I have the easier end of the deal as I can walk out of the door before the kids are dressed and taken to school - and I don't get back until after 6pm. Even though I'm away from the environment for most of the day doesn't mean to say I'm not thinking/worrying about what's going on. Occasionally I'm late to work as something happens at home with the kids that I need to deal with - not getting dressed / fighting / being stroppy etc. Sometimes I have to leave early to get them from the childminder, or take them somewhere etc. This can be frowned upon from a work perspective - but what am I supposed to do? Walk out the door and leave WW3 behind me for DW to clear up? Leave the kids at the childminder / miss childrens medical appointments just to keep work happy?

No matter if you stay at home or go to work, being a parent isn't easy. No one gets formal training for what must be one of the most daunting, hard and utterly frustrating jobs anyone could ever do. No one applies to be a parent, some do it by mistake, others through choice but all of us take on huge responsibilities when we have those little bundles of joy - but we love 'em, no matter the cost! So, even though like Natalie I've had a nightmare of a day (one weeks work out of the window when the business changed their requirements ), it'll all be forgotten when I walk upstairs and get a kiss and a cuddle as I tuck up our pride and joy, Emily, Danny & Howard.

I feel for your Nat - get a PG brew on, grab a good book and forget about the world until the alarm rings in the morning!

 

[Dimplenose]

I saw on the news recently an article about "Rushed Woman Syndrome" (yes it has an official title) causing stress in an increasing number of women. This week DD is away on a residential trip with the school - I can't beleive what a difference being one child down makes to my day!

Libby

 

[Scottish_Maleficent]

I saw on the news recently an article about "Rushed Woman Syndrome" (yes it has an official title) causing stress in an increasing number of women. This week DD is away on a residential trip with the school - I can't beleive what a difference being one child down makes to my day!

Libby

Hurried Woman Syndrome.........found this on it (www.hurriedwoman.com)

The three major symptoms of the Hurried Woman Syndrome are:
Fatigue or a low mood, Weight gain, Low sex drive. Women, usually between the ages of 25 and 55 and often with children between the ages of 4 and 16, are most often affected by the Hurried Woman Syndrome. Many Hurried Women work outside the home, but a large number of women who suffer with the syndrome stay at home.

Wow, it has a name then, and is actually being treated by Doctors in the US, and someone has written a book about it!

 

[SammieG]

Personally, I have done both. I haveworked whilst having kids but also spent most of it being a SAHM.

For me, working was MUCH easier than being at home with the kids.

Of course its a nightmare getting up and out with kids in the morning, when you are on a specific time scale..but once you are at work you may be busy, but the time belongs to you..

At home your time is entirely devoted to looking after the children AND in that time too, youre supposed to do the washing/ironing, make the house look like no kids live there (this is a full time job in itself - and one I cannot master!), make countless meals, many of which dont get eaten, but much of which DOES get thrown onto your clean floor!
And do the shopping.
That is without all the other activities that you might do with your kids.

Oh and the worse thing? You cant even go to the loo by yourself... at home the kids come.. even the cat miaows at the door if I close it!!
When I was working, I was so happy to have 2 minutes by myself in the toilet!!!

I do admire people who juggle working and home life (although when you are not at home it doesnt get trashed either!) - but have to say...my experience of working and staying at home.. staying at home is more stressful for the most part.

Then, your other half comes home and wonders why the house is a complete tip!

 

[natalielongstaff]

thanks for the fantastic support guys, funnily enough i was at a governors ,meeting last night about acheiving a work-life balance how i laughed !!
ive decided after reading kevins post about the tag fairy that i need a housework fairy ( does the tag fairy do housecalls ?? )
on a more serious note ive also decided to get the kids to help a bit more, and delegate more jobs to dh

 

[allie5]

Tell me about it!

I dont "work", but I never seem to have a moment spare. Im only sitting here now because DS refused to eat his lunch and I have 10 minutes before the next job on the list! DS starts pre school this afternoon. If it works out well, he will be going Monday and Thursday afternoons, so a little bit of peace!

Im lucky, as when I worked full time, my mum did my ironing, and now I dont work, she still does it (what a gem!). I still struggle to fit in cleaning, washing, shopping, school runs, meal preparation, doctors appointments, DISing and after school clubs though!

DH is sending me on a training course to learn AutoCAD so I can work from home (doing all the work he cant fit it)!! LOL! I dont know which spare 3 seconds he expects me to actually work, but Im feigning enthusiasm!