I feel like I'm constantly catching up with everything and i'ts doing my head in.

I work 4 mornings a week although at the moment in the run up to Christmas I'm doing 6 mornings for the extra cash, so I leave the house at 8am, drop Chloe off to her nan's and go to work, I normally get back around 1.30 to pick her up depending on where I am, or if I'm working from home. We get back I have an hour or so with her then she goes for her nap around 2.30/3pm, during which time I have an hour to do the housework before she wakes up again. I then start making her dinner while trying to entertain her, she has hers, then I start on mine and Matt's. He gets in around 6.45pm so we have dinner, then he baths her, and puts her to bed while I wash up. Then if I have cake orders I start on those and usually finish around 9.30pm where I sit down for half an hour, by which time I'm knackered and go to bed. In between this, I have to fit in the shopping, errands, appointments and everything else

Now I know I'm not the only one in this situation, but I feel like I'm ready to drop. I'm having some health issues at the moment too which is worrying the hell out of me, so am not sleeping properly. I'm absolutely shattered. I've not had any time of work since April, other than the odd day, and most of my weekends are filled with the cake business. I feel like somethings got to give, but I don't know what. I can't afford not to work. Matt does what he can but he's out of the house for 12 hours a day working and he's studying for exams at the moment too

Please tell me I'm not the only one in this situation

No mate, you're definitly not the only one. I erik 3 full days then have 2 days to do shopping cleaning and everything else. Saturdays are taken up by football and Sundays it's getting all us all ready to start the week again. I need a cleaner but oh won't let me have one!

Hope you're ok and aren't too worried about your health issues as the worrying can sometimes make things worse!

xx

your not the only one. defiantly not.

i've so much going on i keep forgetting and muddling things up.

i know it's easier said then done but maybe you can work a 5 day week one week instead of 6? and have chloe off to her nans and get what you want done including some rest

I know how hard it is hun.

I was working mornings too until starting maternity leave last week and just didnt seem to have enough hours to get everything done.

I wish I could offer some help somewhere, but other than giving something up/taking some time out then nothing will help.

Hopefully going back to 4 days a week after Xmas will help xx

Thanks ladies, at least I'm not alone!

I've got 3 more weeks of working weekends, so the end of that is in sight. I just can't wait for Xmas then I get 2 and a half weeks off

A cleaner would be good, wonder if I can persuade him

I can feel your pain Mandy!! My week is roughly:

Monday - Work all day (lily at nursery) get home about 6 - dinner, washing, vacuuming etc sit down about 9ish when Lily in bed
Tuesday - Drive 25 miles before work to drop Lily at mums, work from 9am til 7pm, dinner and tired!
Wednesday - work all day - drive 25 miles to collect Lily. get home about 7.30 play wiht Lily for an hour - collapse
Thursday - day off with Lily so we do playing etc and visit friends and kids. Also do food shop, washing, housework
Friday - work all day (Lily nursery) - get home about 5.30, washing, clean bathroom and make dinner - have wine
Saturday - Dans parents visit (all day!!!!!!) Takeaway
Sunday - housework, ironing, sunday lunch, parents visit, work emails

It is depressing - i am always tired and have no time - anyone got any tips as i dont think i am managing the time that well. Dan is ok at helping but he rarely gets in from work until 7.

Aww Kate, it's hard isn't it. It's becoming a toss up between having the money to afford nice things and to pay all the bills but sacrificing yourself and your time with them or something giving at work, and having less financially but more time. Why does it have to be so hard. Unless you get a cleaner in Kate, I have no idea!

TBH Mandy I am considering the cleaner option! However i am not sure i like the idea of someone I dont know being in my house when i am not there.

I have started doing the food shop online which helps a bit. I think i am going to have to tackle the parental visits every weekend but it is a difficult one....

If you are not sleeping that really does not help either, hope you are ok and the things you are worried about are resolved.

I am with you in that I cant wait for the Christmas break!!!

Okay ladies this is what I do and how I do it.

I work 5 days a week 8.30 until 5 with a 20/30 minute commute when I am in the office but often I am out on the road so it can be a longer or slightly shorter day.
OH does the same hours at the same office.

We have Wil plus 2 dogs who need walking twice a day.
Wil has a childminder from 7.30am until 5.30pm Monday to Friday

Our normal working day when we are in the office is:
up at 6-6.30, I get Wil and me ready while OH takes the dogs out
I sort out dog and cat refreshments for the day while Wil runs round with a slice of toast and a cup of milk
We grab breakfast and leave the house about 7.30-7.45 (sometimes we all go together or if we need to take 2 cars then one of us takes Wil while the other gets off to work)
7.45ish drop Wil off and drive 20 mins to work
finish work at 5 (if we are in 2 cars only one of us needs to finish at 5)
pick Wil up at 5.30ish and get home at 5.45ish
play with Wil until 6.30 then OH takes the dogs out while Wil and I get a bath
7.30 Wil in bed
OH cooks dinner while I tidy up, sort washing, empty dishwasher etc
8pm ish we sit down, eat and either watch TV or talk for an hour or so
9pm ish we go off and do our own things - cleaning up after dinner, he does money related stuff etc
10pm ish we go to bed (this is when I occasionally get online after he is asleep)

Sorry that was quite long but maybe useful.

I used to work until 7pm 3 days a week including the commute and it just used to mean the dogs didn't get walked until then and we ate slightly later.

Thanks Gill, Lily does not go to bed until about 8.30 which is why we probably feel like we have less time in the evening.

When do you manage to do your jobs like food shopping, ironing and cleaning? If i never had to do those i think i would be fine

I iron on either a Saturday or Sunday afternoon while Wil has his nap. I only iron the things that absolutely need it, work shirts mainly.

I have a cleaner to do the bulk of the housework, she does 2.5 hours every other week to clean my bathrooms, hoover my stairs and landing and mop my kitchen floor. Anything else that needs doing we do it when we see it. Wil does some of the hoovering under supervision because he loves it.

We do food shopping online once a month then top up with milk and veg on the way home from work or on a weekend when we have time to go into town.

On your family visits issue I have limited my parents to every other weekend. The best way to do it might be to need to miss a week because you are going somewhere then gradually make that happen every so often until it stops being accepted as an every week thing. Alternatively could you make it that they play with Lily while you get on with stuff in another room for part of the day (I do this with my parents). They come to see Lily really I guess so a polite would you mind if I just went and did x for half an hour shouldn't be such a problem.

GillandWil wrote:

On your family visits issue I have limited my parents to every other weekend. The best way to do it might be to need to miss a week because you are going somewhere then gradually make that happen every so often until it stops being accepted as an every week thing. Alternatively could you make it that they play with Lily while you get on with stuff in another room for part of the day (I do this with my parents). They come to see Lily really I guess so a polite would you mind if I just went and did x for half an hour shouldn't be such a problem.

To be fair they are good and never mind if i go and do other stuff but when they come i then feel obliged to offer lunch/dinner etc and it all leads ot more jobs to do - ooo i bet i sound ever so grumpy! I have tried hinting that its difficult every week and that has not really worked so might try your suggestion.

I know how you feel Kate. It is difficult because they want to see Lily but you have so little time yourself that to give a day up every week is a lot to ask. I also get the meals thing because we have the same with my parents except Philip does all the cooking. He often does a stew or roast in the slow cooker when they come so he gets it all prepared the night before or early in the morning before they arrive and then it is just ready for when we want to eat.

No chick your not the only one but that doesnt make it any easier for you.
Can you afford to give up the cake making for a while? I imagine that takes up a lot of time.
xxxx