Tips for organization/schedule before going back?

katiekate1974

I'm headed back to work mid-August so I want to take this month to get organized and start getting DS on a better schedule (as much as possible at his age, anyway) to hopefully make the transition easier for everyone. Any suggestions? What is the biggest time saver for you? What does your schedule look like? Do you do a big clean on the weekends? How to you keep up on housework, work-work, and baby? What chores do you and your DH share? Thanks! I'm nervous about this--I'm not the best at getting out of the house on time when it's just ME, I can't imagine having to do it with the LO, too!

sara1104

housework - hire a maid! seriously.  otherwise, its the weekends & you learn to live with a mess or less sleep

pack everything the night before - I even put stuff in my car.  I lay out all DDs clothes for the week on Sunday. 

DH & I split everything at night.  I found you often have to TELL them what needs to be done - they can't read your mind.  He was always in charge of cleaning my pump parts at night as well. 

menu planning for the week helps a great deal too -- so you aren't thinking about what is for dinner - its already planned.  freezer meals are good options too   GL! 

 

smiley007

I've been back to work 2 weeks now and I feel like we have a system down.  DH helps alot with laundry, cleaning and washing bottles.

I work a 4 day week.  My work days look like this:

5am-pump and get ready for work

545 leave the house. 

DH drops DS at daycare. 

I pump at 10 and 2

Leave work at 4 and pick up DS

Come home.. DH cleans all the bottles and gets 4 ready for next day. bath, play with and feed DS

7:30-8ish DS bedtime. 

We do all the cleaning on the weekends (we have a small house though) and DH does the laundry through out the week.  I do my 4 days worth of ironing on Sunday nights to save time on weeknights.  I shower at night and dry my hair to save time in the morning.  DH makes our lunches and gets them ready for the next day. 

So far this works for us! HTH!

EveryNameIWantIsTaken

Well I have learned that spending time with ds is more important than a clean house, so that usually gets put on the backburner.  I do try to clean something small each day though so it isn't one big cleaning day on the weekend.  DH helps with the cooking alot so that helps.  We menu plan, not what we are eating each specific day but we have a list of recepies that we have ingredients on hand to make.  Paydays we go and get everything we will need for ds for the next 2 weeks and our groceries for that time period.  I'm trying to keep the laundry going throughout the week but it usually ends up being a big production on the weekend. I pack what I need to bring for ds to daycare the night before, and do all my ironing on the same day so I'm not having to each night.  Really, mornings are fairly easy.  I get up and get ready before ds wakes, then when he does I get him changed and fed if we have time and if we don't have time his daycare has no issues feeding him right when he gets there.  Hope that helps some.  Really I think they key is little bits at a time and planning ahead.

The_Jen626

We have a housekeeper that comes to clean every 2 weeks, it's a lifesaver. 

I wake up at 6, BF, pump, shower and leave for work by 7.  DH drops off DD at daycare around 9 am.  Then I pump 2 or 3 times at work, and pick DD up at daycare about 5:45.

I uaually makea "dinner in a bag" frozen meal for dinner, and while that's cooking I wash my pump parts and bottles from that day.  Then we eat dinner, watch some TV, go for a long walk, maybe have some sex(!!), and then go to sleep around 10.

I was really nervous before I went back to work...you'll be just fine!

MargieMom

biggest timesaver/housework - get a cleaning service.  no joke.  like pp have said - unless you do, you'll spend all of your time on the weekends doing housechores.

Although we have a cleaning lady, DH takes out the trash, vacuums and plays w/ DS.  I do everything else (except dust & bathrooms)...

our schedules looks like this:

Mon-Fri:

6am, wake-up, get ready for work

6:30am - get DS changed and fed

7am - I leave for work, DH takes DS to daycare

4:45pm - I pick up DS from daycare

5:15pm - DS and I are home, I make dinner, DS plays

5:45pm - DH is home, we eat, go for a family walk, play

7pm - DS gets bath, book, bottle, BED

7:30pm - I do laundry, clean up the kitchen, get ready for the next day

9pm - RELAX w/ DH

It's harder in the beginning (or at least it was for me) b/c DS didn't always want to eat/sleep when we wanted him to, or when it fit into our schedule, but now that he's 16 mos old, it's WAY easier.

Do as much as you can the night before, and again, get a cleaning lady :-)  or man.

bride1126

Most of the girls have hit all the good points. Here's my two cents:

try to cook a meal or two over the weekend that you can reheat or freeze/cook during the week. I find if I dont cook over the weekend then we spend too much money on takeout.

Also at the very least, do your child's laundry over the weekend so you have a clean bunch of stuff for the week. It's the worst when I get behind on laundry and have nothing for him to wear. I tend to put my DS in the same 5-7 outfits for daycare so I don't mind if they get stained. I keep separate outfits for weekends that are cuter/more expensive.

When you get home from work, spend time with your child. That's why I cook ahead of time. So I can just heat it up in the oven, not waste time cooking. I look forward to those 2-3 hours I have with my son before his bedtime so much. No calls, no checking email, no cleaning etc when he is awake. 

As far as cleaning, my husband and I take about 15-20 minutes a night to clean together. Honestly, if I could afford a maid, I'd get one in a heartbeat...but 15-20 minutes isn't so bad if you are both doing it.

Good luck!