How the Multitasking Mommy Does It All
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An old acquaintance of mine recently posted a question on her facebook page. It made me laugh. She wanted to know how a working mom could manage to keep the house clean, spend time with the children, spend time with the husband, and cook dinner. But that?s not all?she also insisted on having time to sleep, and to do something fun.
If you?ve been a working mom for more than a few weeks, you know that the woman who figures all of this out will become rich and famous. Most moms, whether you are employed inside, outside, or not at all, are exhausted, overwhelmed, and demanding of ourselves. Still, that didn?t stop many of her facebook ?friends? (myself included) from offering advice. But the truth is, I?d like to know the answer to the question myself. Here is what some people suggested, and why I still haven?t found the answer.
- The most common answer: you can?t do it all! Give it up. The problem with this is something in my personality that won?t let me give it up. I?d guess my friend can?t, either, or else she wouldn?t have asked the question.
- Hire a housekeeper. Problem: I?ve always felt that if I could afford a housekeeper, I?m working too much. Besides, I?m a little bit of a perfectionist, and don?t think I?d like the work someone else did.
- Go out to eat every other night. Problem: ditto with the housekeeper. It?s just too much money. Going out to eat three times a week, four weeks a month, equals a lot of hours of my life spent working. Besides, it doesn?t really save time.
- Cook convenience foods: mac and cheese, frozen dinners, chicken nuggets, apple slices. Problem: YUCK!
- Make your ?chores? fun and do them together. This actually works to some extent with the older kids. But if you only have babies, it doesn?t work. You can only clean when the baby is asleep, and that?s no fun at all. I had a friend who taught her toddler to always walk around with a dust rag in her hand. She cleaned while she cruised! Hahaha. Genius.
So what do you do? How do you keep up? Even if you don?t have it all figured out, you might have figured out part of it. I?m dying to hear your wisdom, and I?d bet others are, too.
Lis Garrett says...
Delegate!!
I’m a freelance writer and editor working out of my house. I manage a website, a social-networking site, and I’ve just picked up two additional clients. I’m busy.
However, I’ve got three perfectly-abled kids and a willing husband. Our house is not spotless, and our meals are sometimes thrown together at the last minute, but everyone helps (even my three year old).
I’m a Type-A control freak, and I had to learn to ask for and accept help when it was offered.
Lis Garretts last blog post..Write for Root & Sprout
Lissa says...
I agree with Lis, delegate chores to your husband and other kids if they’re old enough. Also with convenient foods, I like foods that you can just bake in the oven like pre-marinated meats. They at least taste better than frozen dinners. If not, I am a big fan of those mixes that you can use for meats (kinda like shake and bake) and then you can put it in the oven while you do your other chores. Using the crockpot is a great idea too. You can leave it on all day while at work and you get a home-cooked meal when you come home.