Working Moms

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Replies

  • _DaniD_
    _DaniD_ Posts: 2,186 Member
    If you want to find time you will.

    Also, I'm a super hero on the side which helps.
  • SoViLicious
    SoViLicious Posts: 2,633 Member
    I ignore my kids. No really there is an app I use for that.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. Here's my routine:

    M-F - Get up at ~5:45/6:00 and get myself and get the kids ready, get them to daycare, work an ~11 hour day including commutes, get home, make dinner (husband and I actually switch off taking the kids to daycare and making dinner - whoever doesn't take the kids gets in earlier and can leave a few min earlier and therefore makes dinner). Dinner is usually on the table by 6:30 or so. Eat, clean up, get in some precious play time with the kids. Bath time is at 7:45, bedtime for my 1 year old is right after bath (I put her to bed), then bedtime for my 3 year old is 8:30 (husband gets him to bed usually). I usually sneak in a chore or two (husband will do some as well after 3 year old is asleep), then change and head to the gym around 8:45/9:00. Get home at 10:00/10:30, try to get myself unwound, then get to bed around 11:30. Rinse and repeat.

    Saturday and Sunday I go to the gym during the kids' naptime, usually, and the rest of the time is split between household work, errands, and hopefully some fun time with the kids.

    My life would be a lot harder if I didn't have my husband (and if he wasn't a really helpful guy). I think our household labor is split pretty evenly, but we both do totally different types of things. He does a lot of surface cleaning (dishwasher, etc) and all of the outside stuff. I do the laundry and all of the deep cleaning (organizing closets, etc) and ALL of the errands, shopping, bill paying, appointment making/keeping, etc. If my husband didn't stay on top of the basic house cleaning I would never get to the gym because I'd be doing chores til 10pm every night.
  • MidwestAngel
    MidwestAngel Posts: 1,897 Member
    If you want to find time you will.

    Also, I'm a super hero on the side which helps.
    This
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    Why is it ALWAYS about working moms and NEVER working Dads..... :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:

    Maybe the defeat-us attitude...
  • Me, at this point, I'm not trying to work in a specific "work out" (I work in a law office full-time, am working on my fourth book for publication, have twin 2 y/o girls and a 7 y/o boy). I'm just upping my activity level. I got the fitbit and I'm going out of my way to climb steps (my goal for May is to be able to climb all eight staircases in the parking garage in one fell swoop at a time) and get at least 10k steps in every day. Yesterday I hit 10k for the first time (just shy of 5 miles walked), today I'll come close to 11k. I got a total of 18 staircases climbed yesterday and hope to hit 20 today (not all at once - I manage 4-5 a shot right now).

    So me, no formal workout. Just making myself move more, move constantly. Heck, when I go to the bathroom (which is on the other side of the floor from my office), I walk in circles to pick up 100 additional steps before I actually go to the bathroom.
  • verdemujer
    verdemujer Posts: 1,397 Member
    Commitment to yourself and your health benefits everyone. Planning is a requirement with back up plans. Being ok with it all when it falls apart. When my kids were little I did things with them, biking with a trailer, park trips - I often used that equipment for things like dips and push ups and what ever, swimming - anything that was family fun. Now that my kids are older, I go to the gym and do my fitness and my kids go swimming or play. Sometimes they walk with me. We have a karate class that we do together so we still have family time. The meals are the hardest. I tend to try to cook the main dish on the weekend or a lower activity day so that the more active days have food. The hardest part for me right now is making lunches. I have to start doing that at night and I tend to wait until the next morning. It means making breakfast and lunches at the same time. And we don't eat boxed foods or grain items so it's all cooking and putting things together that are edible finger foods. Its doable though and I just keep getting better. You will too.

    And for the guys out there - in my house, it's more about making him accountable for some of it and not letting him skip out on his share of the household chores. Thats an on-going daily negotiation activity.
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
    I'm a full time single working mom of a 3 yearold. My daughter and I commute for an hour + each way to our office/school by subway. Her daycare is in my office building, not as convenient as you might think. There is also a gym in my office building. So I do most of my workouts on my lunch break, or if we get in early enough I can keep her at school an extra half hour and do it then. When the weather is nice I'm likely to cut out one subway ride by running with her in the jogger the 5 miles between home and the office, running takes less time than the subway. Sometimes I'm to busy during the day and I have to resort to a workout dvd at 10pm, rather than skip it, I do it. I do one long run on the weekends, but I have been taking advantage of family help for that so I don't have to push the jogger for 10 miles. I also go to a parent participation ballet class on saturday mornings. If she wants me yo carry her and dance, it's quite a bit of work.

    Meals I prepare after bed time and heat up the next day. It's a pain and I have to do a lot of things later thsn I'd like, but it works.
  • sem41278
    sem41278 Posts: 89 Member
    Why is it ALWAYS about working moms and NEVER working Dads..... :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:

    Maybe the defeat-us attitude...

    The majority of the time moms are the primary care giver. My husband comes and goes as he pleases and doesn't consider childcare because he assumes i will be there. A father who does 50% or more is a rare gem.

    I walk during my lunch hour. I cant even do an exercise video at home without my 3 year old begging for my attention. Im not a morning person- already up at 5am anyways. Its hard but you do what you can. Good luck!
  • 2stepscloser
    2stepscloser Posts: 2,900 Member
    Unfortunately, I sacrifice time with my daughter in the evenings so I can go to the gym. She made me feel extremely guilty at first but has since realized the importance. I had to make myself a priority! I try to make up for it by planning fun things on the weekends or taking her to a family Zumba class etc.

    It's so difficult :(
  • I don't plan my meals but I am cooking more often and that is really helping me with my weight loss since I am controlling the ingredients. Finding the time to exercise is hard but I am taking more stairs and walking the dog an extra block when I can