Any exhausted full time working parents out there??

AHill842

How do you do it all??

I wake early to make my adgenda for the day and it's a marathon until I hit the sack! I work full time, half of my week I work second shift. I need advice on doing it all. I wake up make breakfast, clean up dishes, bath time, dress myself and my kiddos, check e-mail, clean the house ( I have a schedule for this), make lunch, take my 4 year old to school at 1230 (days I work 2nd shift), home to lay my 2 year old down for her nap(at this time I get ready for work), wake up my 2 year old and drop her off at the sitter...than off to work! On top of this I need to fit in my workout. I'm doing T25. I tried waking early and doing it but I have no energy. I have not cleaned the house and fit it in that does work but I don't want a dirty house either.

Any suggestions?? Mon-tuesday I work 9-5:30 and wed-friday I work 3-11:30pm. How do you ladies or gentlemen fit in your workouts and still juggle kids, home, bills, and LIFE?

Thanks!

Angie

CheatinLil

Try small changs. I'm tired in the morning too. I get up at 5:00 and drink coffee in bed till 5:45. Then I get up and get dressed and go for a 25 minute walk. Then I'm back on the couch with my dog drinking more coffee. I get up at 6:45 and get in the shower. I wake my son up at 7:15 and am out the door by 8:00. So I'm up for 3 hours before I leave the house. I just try and be gentle with myself. Do small things like walking. I also drink black coffee Mon - Friday and treat myself to coffee with cream and sweetner on Sat and Sun. Sometimes I walk 25 mintues when I get home too. It adds up! I do nothing Saturday and Sunday. But by the end of the week I usually have over 3 hours of walking. Hang in there!

har465

Hi Angie - I'm a full time working mom with a 1.5 and 3.5 year old, so similar ages to your kids. I'm doing P90X3 right now (5 weeks in, haven't missed a workout), 30min/day, 6x a week (I think T25 is the same time length?) and I always do it right after the kids are in bed. After I am done working out I tackle the dinner dishes or tidying that needs to be done from the day, as I need to wind down a bit anyways after working out. It has worked well for me, and even if I don't feel like it, you just have to convince yourself that hey, its only 30 minutes, I can do it.

A few other thing that have helped me - if you can afford it, get a cleaning service in every other week. It is a time and sanity saver, even if you can only get them in for a few hours to do some of the big stuff, and you can just do the easy stuff in the in-between weeks. That is the bill I am the happiest to pay at the end of the month, as it lets me spend more time with the kids when I am home.

The other thing that really helps me is planning our meals for the week in advance. After the kiddos have breakfast on Saturday mornings I take a coffee and watch them play and plan out meals and make a grocery list. I move anything we need from the basement freezer into the freezer fridge so it is right there for me to take out the night before. Sometimes I can do some quick prep before I go to bed - things like putting everything for a breakfast smoothie into the blender and leaving it in the fridge, and putting the cups out and base on the counter for the morning. I get out things for dinner the next night, whether it is non-perishable stuff or pots and pans, or prep veggies. It is little time saving stuff, but somehow seems easier and faster to do it when I have the kitchen to myself without 2 kids running around. If there is a grocery delivery service in your area, it is a big time saver as well. I get my produce delivered, and while it is a bit more expensive because it is organic (I've never been adamant about organic, I just like the home delivery) I can order from my phone from anywhere, and it saves me time in the grocery store which, as you know, can be an adventure with kids in tow. Planning ahead also saves us from eating bad meals too - if its up on the fridge and semi-prepped we are less likely to decide we're tired and make KD because its easy and the kids will eat it. We still eat KD once and a while on the weekends, but I don't feel as bad about it if I know we're eating well through the week. There are lots of good meal planning websites, and it gets easier once you have done it for a few weeks. Or, if you have any frozen meal prep businesses they can be a life saver too. Where do you live?

AHill842

Great suggestions! thank you!

AHill842

Wow, I think getting up early is the key! I'm gonna try that next week. Thank you for responding

lmhbuss

Are you raising your kids by yourself? I only ask because I would probably tell the significant other to start picking up a smidge of the housework, if it's an option. Also, I had to learn to prioritize. My daughter is 3. I, like you, work swing shift....so if I don't get home till midnight, and she's up at 7am...yeah, you know. Some days the house doesn't get to be perfect. I have to sleep. I need to work out. I prioritize in order of Must be done, really needs to be done and "ok, that thing CAN wait." Otherwise I'd go crazy and drive myself into an early grave trying to do it all. Also, I'm in school part time...so that fall's into the "It must be done" category.
People aren't perfect. You can't hold yourself to a standard of perfection. Just focus on the Must and Need...and give whatever energy you have left to the other stuff when you can.

Adrianqq

Hi, early work out is the key. You have the benifit of having done your workout first thing, feeling great during the day and the fact you have got up at some unholy hour and put the work in, means you are less likely to eat badly throughout the day.

I found that when I started I was in the gym at 6.30. Home for 7.45 and off to take the kids to school. My work was done, no excuses. It also means that no matter what curve balls come during the day you have already done your workout and are good to go!

Happy exercising - feel free to add me if you like.

geeners81

I had to start small. becuase I work out of town and I am tethered to a desk. (Hooray customer service) I started walking or doing squats at my desk.. when I finally get home. I am exhausted its about 8:30pm by then and of course gotta get the kiddos in bed.. so I dont really have time to take walks after work... So I tend to watch a little tv. and so while I am watching tv.. I jog in place. or dance or something. and I try not to eat food past 5:30pm.. .. but I noticed when I cut out a bunch of carbs.. the weight started sliding off..