Reply to FT working moms: how do you stay organized so weekends aren’t a shitshow?

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[quote=Anonymous]DH and I are currently working from home full time, but pre-COVID went into an office anywhere from 1-3x/week. We’d try to swap off so at least one of us was at home on any given day. Not sure if telework is an option for you, but it’s a huge reason we’ve been able to maintain some sanity as working parents.

Things that help:

Short commute (like maybe 10-15 min.) or telework for at least one parent who can handle the preschool/school bus pickup and drop off. Or be able to work in flex bands so one handles morning pickup and one handles afternoon drop off.

Creating a chore schedule and sticking to it. For instance, I always sort dirty laundry into baskets on Sunday nights. Then I do a bit of laundry each day and fold at night during any slow times I can sneak in or while watching tv. DH has his schedule too for taking out garbage, feeding pets, etc. It’s basically automatic. Kids are expected to help with basic toy cleanup, putting dirty clothes in hamper, taking dirty plates to sink, etc. Start your toddler helping out young even if it’s not much help.

Dinners during the week are beyond simple. Think rotisserie chicken and a bagged salad. Kids eat what we eat with slight modification. Twice a week we use a healthy meal delivery service that only requires heating and serving. We do take out (often pizza for the family) nearly every Friday when we’re just spent.

Outsource housecleaning and maintenance like mulching and gutter cleaning. This helps a ton. Even just one thorough house cleaning each month alleviates some stress.

We use ToDoIst to manage our entire lives. We check off the recurring chores, things like camp registration deadlines, sports practices (before COVID), and DH and I enter any important work obligations so the other can look in the app and know when the other has a busy day.

Bedtime is no frills. ONE book. Tuck in. A big hug. Then goodnight. No crazy routines that take 90 minutes to finish.

Doing all this helps us have weekends free. I refuse to do laundry or major cleaning during the weekend. I mean we do prep weekend meals, wash dishes, some light vacuuming, etc. But everyone deserves some downtime!

Not going to lie it’s still hard at times and I have to manage expectations of everything going to plan. But this is how we at least manage things.[/quote]

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