DH and I both work full time and I do shift work. DD goes to child care 5 days a week. We have no family here and our friends are limited in the help they can provide. It is hard to manage things at times. We have a rule that DD does not start CC before 8am and isn't there after 530 unless there is something major happening.
Like MR, I make a meal plan in advance (I do a monthly one as soon as my roster is out) and super quick meals are used on nights we get home "late" (so 530 pick ups) or I use the slow cooker on those nights. Things that take longer to cook are saved for when I'm on an early shift (so home with DD by 430) or weekends.
I do my washing whenever I can and often leave notes for DH to hang it out or bring it in when he gets home (if he's home before me) or set it so it is ready for me to hang before I leave for work. I also have a dishwasher and that goes on every night before bed.
DD's CC provides her lunch and morning/afternoon tea so I don't have to worry about that. But we do pack snacks in her bag for the trip home as sometimes she is starving at that time. Her bag gets packed the night before and I always leave her clothes out the night before so that it is quicker dressing her.
When we get home from child care/work, it is all about routine. Getting dinner on the table and bathing and getting DD to bed. She is usually in bed by 730 at the latest - but that varies.
But mostly, DH and I communicate and share as much as possible so we can cope. We both have designated me time which we can do whatever we like with and we also have organised sleep ins. And there are some things we turn a blind eye to like cleaning. We aren't pedantic about it being spotless - so long as it is clean we're ok.
Thanks so much for that MG, that was a great help.
The girls CC provide meals as well, so that's one less thing I have to worry about. I'm like you, I don't like the girls being there longer than 5pm, so hopefully between dh and I, we'll be able to pick them up before that time.
I am not back full time but I work 4 days a week and to be honest this is more than 40 hrs most weeks...i agree with the tips above and would add a few things
I often cook food for DS on a Sunday so I havea back up of food for him for the week, I provide his food at day care so need lunches etc as well as dinners etc.
I also have an arrangement with a friend with a baby the same age (who also works) and when we cook up a batch of food we give a few serves to each other, just to add to variety for the kids. this works really well - keep them in the freezer.
i often cook double so DS can have some of our dinner for lunch or we can have as left overs
I have a range of easy meals i can make in under 30 mins for dh and i
we have just started having alternative 'nights off' - ie one does the night routine bath/bottle/bed - we used to do this together... this gives 20 mins of 'down time' or one of us can go out or to gym or whatever without having to be there for bed time ever single night - this was bc i was struggling with no time for myself
obe of us drops off and one of us picks up from care each day usually
good luck - i find the guilt i feel is a lot worse than the reality for DS
xxx
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