I’m heading back to work at the beginning of 2021, into a role that will be quite challenging and require a chuck of my time.
My husband works FIFO, so home 9 days, then away 19 straight.
We have two kids 4 and 1 who will attend child care Mon - Fri.
I need your life hacks on how I can make this work. What should I outsource? How can I be the ‘perfect’ mum and wife whilst also being successful in my new role?
Life hacks for wife/mum/career balance
Life hacks for wife/mum/career balance
Posted in:
Life Lessons
9 Replies
You won't be a perfect mum or wife and that's perfectly alright!
- Have the kids been to childcare before? Asking because when they start, they are constantly sick 😑.
- cook over the weekend as much as possible.
- get a slow cooker and have a look at some FB pages for some inspiration.
It's hard but incredibly rewarding. Be kind to yourself.
You won’t be perfect. There will be compromises.
I’d prioritise a house cleaner and someone to mow the lawn.
Best thing I found was not trying to cook every single night. I used to cook double so I’d reheat the 2nd night. Saves soo much time and really kept the washing up and meal prep down and stopped takeaway creeping in too much.
Start training your kids to do chores. The 4 year old is old enough to put there towel away, put dirty dish in the sink, put there dirty clothes in the hamper and pack toys away before bed.
By 4 my son was sorting his own washing, chucking it in the machine and measuring his detergent. He'd put the machine on under supervision and he'd hand me the pegs as I hung it out for him :).
He washed spoons and plastics before I did the rest of the dishes.
And hung his towel up, picked up his dishes and put them in the sink, picked up his rubbish and put it in the kitchen bin.
They really are capable of a lot more than many expect.
Start cleaning, organising and chucking now. The more organised your house is the easier it will be to stay on top of. Having grab and go meals ready to go will make life so much easier. Use a dryer.
I have t hd a fifo hubby, but mine wasn't around to help (worked 6 days 12 hrs) when they where little i would big batch cook, if the kids are at daycare eating a hot meal for lunch dinner would be toast, or last nights left overs .
no such thing as perfect, if you can afford it get cleaner, and or lawn person . that will still give you a bit of time with the kids so it's not all chores.
I have run a career with 3 kids and a husband with a big job too, it's possible but you have to remember you can't be everything, and you will miss things.
Good luck and you have got this!
We have 4 kids, husband is FIFO, 2 in school (next year 3 kids in school) and daycare. Working full time, 40 hours. 9-5 Monday to Friday. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed and like I never stop. I have to use Saturday to clean the house, vacuuming, mopping and such. I too try and be the perfect mum and wife. Actually I think I am nailing it although I am exhausted all the time. I go to bed early to get up early and clean/washing and shower myself before the kids get up. I think in 2021 I will hire a house cleaner. Someone to sweep, mop, do some dishes or even put the washing on the line or fold it up just once or twice a week. I would be happy with once. Hubby helps when he is home but life is always go go go here. You'll find your groove, don't worry. And if ever you don't feel like doing the dishes or putting the washing away or don't feel like cooking. Then don't. Everyone needs a break some days. None of that stuff matters in the bigger picture. Make sure to hug your babies extra and read them a story. They'll never remember the unmopped floors.
I work full time have two young kids and my husband has always worked fifo. I am a sucker for routine, i meal plan, shop fortnightly so im at the shops less with two kids, make sure kids are in bed early etc. I get everything ready the night before (clothes, uniforms, pack lunches, i do a few in a row for myself so i dont end up eating crap) to make my mornings easier. I do washing throughout the week so i dont spend my weekends catching up. I make sure i can keep up with extra activities for kids and dont over commit myself. Do yourself a favour and get yourself a cleaner!!! And after drop off in the morn i buy myself a coffee and have some zen time as i travel to work. Juggling it all is tough but be kind to yourself!!!
Start lowering your standards lol I’ve had to after every child I’ve added 😂 I’m going back to work soon and getting a cleaner in once a week for deep cleaning of the bathrooms and kitchen and the lawns taken care of. Meal prep or even just meal planning will help a lot and setting daily tasks that must be done. I allocate separate washing days now, and just make sure that the toys are packed away each night, vacuum run roughly over the floor and the kitchen tidy. Online grocery shopping is pretty handy
Take a breather every day and make sure to look after yourself too 🤗 we can’t be perfect ❤️
I have 4, work full time. Husband works away. Its really not hard. Though, at daycare they will catch everything. Do a big throw out and only keep what you use. If you're only cleaning what you use, it's much easier. Dinners here are a boring cycle of the same things but all quick, easy and full of vege. Don't forget to enjoy your children, you can get so caught up in the everyday grind that you forget about just spending time and thats the most important thing