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Working Moms
morning/evening routine- tips for efficiency?
WOW....I didn't realize how how much WORK all this would be. I am very frazzled! Every night, after LO goes to sleep, it begins. I clean up from our dinner, prepare all his food and bottles for the next day, pump, run th dishwasher, do a load of laundry, and figure out what I am going to wear the next day.
When I get up in the morning, I BF, pump, boil all the used pumping parts and repack them for the day, unload the dishwasher, feed LO breakfast, play with him as much as I can, get ready for work, pack up the pump, make the bed, and get out the door.
This may not sound like a lot, but it is! And I have NO right to complain b/c I have a dishwasher and a cleaning lady. I am late to everything....I need to organize better b/c the mornings are SO FRAZZLED. Any tips for being more effiicient?
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Re: morning/evening routine- tips for efficiency?
Why are you boiling the parts in the morning?
I would either go with microwave bags, wash with just soap and water, or throw them in a ziploc bag and put in a cooler to take to work.
I'd also skip unloading the dishwasher in the morning, but I can't be late. Does it really have to be run every day? It's easier on me if i have enough bottles to go 3 days. One Dirty, One in Use and one for the next day. 2 sets doesn't work as well because at the end of day 2 all are dirty and I can't prep day 3's bottles.
Is there anything you can do to streamline what you're doing or cut things out?
On the choosing an outfit: a few of my co-workers actually have a spreadsheet where they plan their outfits a week or a month at a time. You could put together all your outfits for the week on Saturday or Sunday so all you'd have to do is grab them.
Do you have to do laundry and run the dishwasher every day? Or unload the dishwasher in the morning? Could you prepare LO's food a week's worth at a time and freeze it? Could you take your pump parts to work in a microwave steam bag cleaner deal and do it there?
Can you get more help from your H? It sounds like you are already leaving things as ready as they can get the night before.
Since you pump in the morning, can you buy an extra set of parts that you keep at home so you don't have to clean before you leave? Or, you can use the Medela Steam bags so you don't have to boil anything.
Things will get better when you are done pumping. I stopped pumping when DD turned one and our new daycare provides food so now we are more relaxed. We just put three sippy cups in DD's bag and go.
I try to do what I can the night before. I think part of it is just accepting a different way of life. There's no more coming home from work and relaxing on the couch. that has to wait until DC is in bed and the house is picked up. I've gotten really good at getting that done in 1/2 to 1 hour. DH helps too. We split everything in the evening so that we can both relax faster.
In the AM, he helps out too. It's changed over the years, but he always does some aspect of the AM routine so that I'm not doing it all on my own.
I had multiple sets of pump parts (maybe 5 sets) so I only washed every other day...and in the evenings. And reduce laundry to once a week, even if you have to buy more clothes to make it that long; it'll be worth it time wise. Same with dishwasher, it takes 2-3 days for mine to get full, and I wash the large and easy stuff that doesn't touch meat or anything like that; much faster.
Skip making the bed for the next year too :-)
Advice is to push a lot to evenings too, mornings are already so hectic just getting out the door, why add it to!
Bottles and pumping are a lot of work too, so you're doing great!!
quotes Michelle likes
I run my pump parts through the dishwasher in the bottle basket. They've done fine in there. I'll also use the microwave steam bags if I get in a bind or forget to toss them in the dishwasher.
I make outfits as I hang/fold laundry. I do only work 3 days a week (12 hour shifts), so my work wardrobe isn't very extensive. I try to match tops and pants on hangers, those go in the front of my closet to grab. My clothes are a bit uniform these days, but oh well- I'll worry more about it when I'm getting more than 3 hours of sleep at a time.
My bed hasn't been made other than when I change the sheets since I was about 3 months pregnant. Other chores happen on the weekends or when I catch a break.
Plan for your clothes on the weekends.
Skip making the bed. I dont know how often your cleaning lady comes, but let them do this for you
Why do you need to run your dishwasher every day? Are the loads always full? Since we had LO, we started using paper plates and cups and disposable napkins, which I know are not environmentally friendly. But this has cut down on the number of times that we have had to run the dishwasher and unloading them. Not to mention if we have visitors. We went from running them every day/ every other day to probably once or twice a week, and I appreciate the free time.
I have also started having DH's clothes sent out to the cleaner--since I used to iron them. I would wait until the newspaper has 20% coupon, then I'd send a big load of his clothes that need to be pressed.
Good luck!!
I usually work 7-7(ish) plus a commute and her Dad works 330-midnight. I'm pretty much on my own with K both in the mornings and night time. I get up, get dressed quickly and get her up and dressed quickly, finish packing her bag and out the door we go. We come home, while she eats I can sometimes start dinner, otherwise, she eats, gets a bath every other night or so, and goes to bed. Then I cook dinner, clean up after her, shower, and pack her stuff for the next day. I can get both of us ready and out of the house in 20 minutes flat. And I can get her fed and to bed in 30 minutes.
It will get easier. Her and I have been on this schedule since she was 8 weeks old. Once she starts feeding herself it improves a lot!