Mynyel Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Can I get some advice? I just started back full-time this week. I get home exhausted (mentally and physically) and school work has been pretty much non-existent. Ds10 still needs a lot of help, he can't do everything on his own. DD14 is fine, she needs help maybe once a day. Laundry is piled up everywhere because I haven't done it. Everyone is complaining about nothing to eat because I am not home to cook it. Dishes have been done and the kitchen is pretty clean so I am grateful for that but how do I get the rest done? I need to make a grocery list to go grocery shopping after work tomorrow but I am too tired to think about it. I can't pull anything out of my brain, it goes blank when I try to think about a menu for the week. I just don't know what to do, there is so much I just shut down and do nothing. Any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbmom77 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 (edited) Single mom here, working full-time and homeschooling for about a year and a half. #1 - At your kids' ages, they should be able to do their own laundry and pick up a lot of the chores. My kids rotate weekly between the bathroom and kitchen, do their own laundry, and are responsible for their own rooms. They started this at 8 and 10. They can cook simple meals for themselves, too. Yes, my kids eat way too many hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches, but we can't be superwoman. Freezer cooking does help. Take a day off and cook up a bunch of meat and freeze it. It's much easier to put a meal together with that part done. #2 - You probably have to lower your standards some. I did. My son sweeps and mops the middle of the floor, for example. It's not spotless, but it's ok. When I have time and energy, I do deep cleaning. I figure I'll have the rest of my life to have a clean house. Right now I need to focus on them. #3 - Don't beat yourself up. We had a rough year, school-wise, mostly because I had such a hard time keeping up with everything. It's been an adjustment, and I am determined to do better this next year. :grouphug: I know it's exhausting. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... ETA: Just re-read and realized you have a little one, too. No advice on that. And I've also tried making rotating weekly menus. It works well except I don't stick to it. :) Make 3 or 4 weekly menus and then rotate between them. If you want to be uber-organized, make a shopping list to match each one, then just highlight what you need to buy when it's time to shop. Edited June 9, 2012 by mrbmom77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle My Bell Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 No advice... I couldn't hack it... Actually working while the kids are sleeping has been better than a daytime job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 may I also offer that you will get used to the work-load and schedule and will have more energy in a week or 2. It takes me a couple weeks to adjust to scheduling changes myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Give yourself some time to adjust. You will get your groove. You will use the weekend hours well. When I worked full time, I made all the meals on Sunday afternoon; it was quick. My dh did the laundry with the kids help. You will figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Who is home all day? That changes what I will say. I was a student and my dh and I flopped schedules. It was nuts. We kept a big schedule. I made lists daily. I found my kids schooling really took a dive. If I had to do it again, I would: Get curriculum on the computer like Teaching Textbooks and maybe a few SOS subjects. Create checklists for a few months of work but no set days. Post how to clean each room in the room. Schedule kids to help each other with school work. Have the kids help me put together a schedule some they know what each of them should be doing. Not trust my dh, who has ADD, to be able to figure out stuff. Buy enough clothing, underwear, socks to last for two weeks and only let them have three days at a time:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezrabean2005 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Honestly my advice is to pick one or two things to focus on for the next week. So focus on laundry and working full time. Everyone helps with the regular (new) routine. Schoolwork is on hold. Use paper plates. Be kind to yourself as you start this. Then next week, assign laundry (instruct and oversee) while you focus on a basic meal plan and the kitchen. The following week, add math as a subject each day. Then a new one (like english) the next week. Continue adding one thing each week until you are back to a normal school day. You can do this. PM me if you need any other specific advice. We've always homeschooled while working full time, but it is an adjustment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Honestly my advice is to pick one or two things to focus on for the next week. So focus on laundry and working full time. Everyone helps with the regular (new) routine. Schoolwork is on hold. Use paper plates. Be kind to yourself as you start this. Then next week, assign laundry (instruct and oversee) while you focus on a basic meal plan and the kitchen. The following week, add math as a subject each day. Then a new one (like english) the next week. Continue adding one thing each week until you are back to a normal school day. You can do this. PM me if you need any other specific advice. We've always homeschooled while working full time, but it is an adjustment. This is terrific advice. I've always homeschooled and worked full-time too. It IS HARD. It is tiring. It isn't impossible. Right at this moment, my kids are eating dinner from paper plates and the house has been played in all day and it shows. They finished their schoolwork and skimped their chores. I worked all day and managed dinner and a load of laundry. Tomorrow, I don't work and will spend the whole day doing house work and being a Mom along with trying to sneak in some additional reading and a game with dice so my youngest can practice her addition (sneaky). Sunday will be very similar except I need to pull weeds and cut the grass too, then it is back to another 50-60 hours during the week. I never feel like I'm doing enough of anything, but I've learned to give myself a break and appreciate the fact that it is working. It isn't perfect, but it is working. It takes a while to find your groove, but if you keep working at it, it will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Woods Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 No advice... I couldn't hack it... Actually working while the kids are sleeping has been better than a daytime job. :iagree: I work overnights and it works great for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 Who is home all day? That changes what I will say. I was a student and my dh and I flopped schedules. It was nuts. We kept a big schedule. I made lists daily. I found my kids schooling really took a dive. If I had to do it again, I would: Get curriculum on the computer like Teaching Textbooks and maybe a few SOS subjects. Create checklists for a few months of work but no set days. Post how to clean each room in the room. Schedule kids to help each other with school work. Have the kids help me put together a schedule some they know what each of them should be doing. Not trust my dh, who has ADD, to be able to figure out stuff. Buy enough clothing, underwear, socks to last for two weeks and only let them have three days at a time:lol: Dh is home all day with the kids but he also works part-time from home. He is not a good multi-tasker (to say the least :P). I love the checklist and posting cleaning in each room. That will be employed tomorrow! I will most certainly be getting more clothes for them to wear too! Although I have no idea where it will fit! Honestly my advice is to pick one or two things to focus on for the next week. So focus on laundry and working full time. Everyone helps with the regular (new) routine. Schoolwork is on hold. Use paper plates. Be kind to yourself as you start this. Then next week, assign laundry (instruct and oversee) while you focus on a basic meal plan and the kitchen. The following week, add math as a subject each day. Then a new one (like english) the next week. Continue adding one thing each week until you are back to a normal school day. You can do this. PM me if you need any other specific advice. We've always homeschooled while working full time, but it is an adjustment. Good idea here too! I may just do this one! This is terrific advice. I've always homeschooled and worked full-time too. It IS HARD. It is tiring. It isn't impossible. Right at this moment, my kids are eating dinner from paper plates and the house has been played in all day and it shows. They finished their schoolwork and skimped their chores. I worked all day and managed dinner and a load of laundry. Tomorrow, I don't work and will spend the whole day doing house work and being a Mom along with trying to sneak in some additional reading and a game with dice so my youngest can practice her addition (sneaky). Sunday will be very similar except I need to pull weeds and cut the grass too, then it is back to another 50-60 hours during the week. I never feel like I'm doing enough of anything, but I've learned to give myself a break and appreciate the fact that it is working. It isn't perfect, but it is working. It takes a while to find your groove, but if you keep working at it, it will work. Whew, sometimes I fell I am alone in how our life is. It makes me feel better to know I am not! I will be getting paper plates asap! may I also offer that you will get used to the work-load and schedule and will have more energy in a week or 2. It takes me a couple weeks to adjust to scheduling changes myself. I hope so but my job is in retail, I may not have a set schedule. I am hoping to get at least the shift I want, I don't expect the same days off every week. Give yourself some time to adjust. You will get your groove. You will use the weekend hours well. When I worked full time, I made all the meals on Sunday afternoon; it was quick. My dh did the laundry with the kids help. You will figure it out. Yes! I told them all that cooking will ensue this weekend and there will be plenty in the freezer! Thank you so much for all the ideas and support. It has lifted a very heavy burden I was carrying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in OH Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 may I also offer that you will get used to the work-load and schedule and will have more energy in a week or 2. :iagree: I also found that somewhere between three and six months at my new job, I no longer had the same degree of mental exhaustion. By then I was no longer learning the job, the workplace culture, etc.--it was all comfortably familiar. Along with all the other great suggestions, just know that the overwhelm will improve with time. Hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.