desertmama
11-19-2009, 10:23 PM
Can we all brainstorm/share ideas that can be done to help simplify life as a mama? I am currently overwhelmed and am in desperate need of implementing some routines, habits, etc to help streamline our daily life.
Obviously what works for some doesn't work for others. I'll share what my situation is in case that helps with suggestions and hope others will feel welcome to do the same.
(side note...this got a little more ventish than I intended. sorry!)
H and I are separated. dd is 6 and in kindergarten full day and attends an on-site afterschool program. DS is 18 months and attends day care full time. I am a full-time PhD student with a 20 hr/week Research assistantship. This semester I am also teaching a course that meets 3x a week for my teaching practicum. H has the kids on Sundays for a several hours and picks up dd from school one night a week to have some focused time with her. That's it. I have no family in the area.
The things that are killing me: DS has asthma/infant wheezing and needs a neb treatment 2x a day (pulmicort) plus albuterol when he's sick (i.e., takes longer); this is hard b/c we are pressed for time in the mornings and evenings plus he hates it. It's basically a wrestling match with him trying to pull the mask off and chunk it across the room. DS also has food allergies: peanuts, eggs, and milk. This means he can't eat restaurant food, can't eat seemingly any quick fix meals (skillet meals, etc), and overall limits my ability to streamline dinner. I used to be able to get away with hitting the drive thru for dd and myself and feeding him safe food but A)he's starting to get really upset by that and B)fast food is not exactly good for dd and I as a long-term solution. DS's food allergies also really limit my ability to let him be cared for by other people.
DS is an early to bed kind of kid...like 6:30, no later than 7. I try to spend the time between his bedtime and dd's bedtime (8ish) with her because she gets so little of me these days. Time is so limited in the morning and the evenings that it's just rush rush rush and I feel like the kids and I never get to enjoy one another.
I am having an incredibly hard time keeping the house in decent enough shape that the health department doesn't show up (not really, but just letting you know that I DON'T have high standards), getting dinner on the table, and spending time with the kids. And all of the stress is really starting to wear on me. This week I left both my cell phone and my check card at separate locations/time within 24 hours. It is not like me to do stuff like that, but my brain is just overwhelmed.
I am already planning a massive declutter because I think that will help some. DS is 18 months and into the dumping every basket of toys game. They are both at school all day long and there is no reason for us to continue to have enough toys to run a daycare. :shake: Any other ideas? I'd love to know what everyone else has found to work for holding the chaos in check.
Thanks!
Obviously what works for some doesn't work for others. I'll share what my situation is in case that helps with suggestions and hope others will feel welcome to do the same.
(side note...this got a little more ventish than I intended. sorry!)
H and I are separated. dd is 6 and in kindergarten full day and attends an on-site afterschool program. DS is 18 months and attends day care full time. I am a full-time PhD student with a 20 hr/week Research assistantship. This semester I am also teaching a course that meets 3x a week for my teaching practicum. H has the kids on Sundays for a several hours and picks up dd from school one night a week to have some focused time with her. That's it. I have no family in the area.
The things that are killing me: DS has asthma/infant wheezing and needs a neb treatment 2x a day (pulmicort) plus albuterol when he's sick (i.e., takes longer); this is hard b/c we are pressed for time in the mornings and evenings plus he hates it. It's basically a wrestling match with him trying to pull the mask off and chunk it across the room. DS also has food allergies: peanuts, eggs, and milk. This means he can't eat restaurant food, can't eat seemingly any quick fix meals (skillet meals, etc), and overall limits my ability to streamline dinner. I used to be able to get away with hitting the drive thru for dd and myself and feeding him safe food but A)he's starting to get really upset by that and B)fast food is not exactly good for dd and I as a long-term solution. DS's food allergies also really limit my ability to let him be cared for by other people.
DS is an early to bed kind of kid...like 6:30, no later than 7. I try to spend the time between his bedtime and dd's bedtime (8ish) with her because she gets so little of me these days. Time is so limited in the morning and the evenings that it's just rush rush rush and I feel like the kids and I never get to enjoy one another.
I am having an incredibly hard time keeping the house in decent enough shape that the health department doesn't show up (not really, but just letting you know that I DON'T have high standards), getting dinner on the table, and spending time with the kids. And all of the stress is really starting to wear on me. This week I left both my cell phone and my check card at separate locations/time within 24 hours. It is not like me to do stuff like that, but my brain is just overwhelmed.
I am already planning a massive declutter because I think that will help some. DS is 18 months and into the dumping every basket of toys game. They are both at school all day long and there is no reason for us to continue to have enough toys to run a daycare. :shake: Any other ideas? I'd love to know what everyone else has found to work for holding the chaos in check.
Thanks!