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Pad Patter 6.27.15: What steals your time?

jenevang

jenevang

Rocking a two-piece under my scrubs
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Apr 20, 2011
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OK, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed this Summer with all of the demands on my time. It seems like I never get a break. And no vacation isn't helping (sent 2 kids to camp and DH/DS to Africa... no $$ left, hehe).

I just want everyone to leave me alone for 24 hours! Is that too much to ask? LOL. Even in the time I've been typing (about 40 seconds), I've been called away TWICE for minor crises (needed to retrieve a ball and break up a fight). Anyway, I've been trying to figure out where my time sucks are... you know why it is that an entire day can slip away from me without feeling like I've accomplished anything my good-intentioned self wanted to do.

Of course, social media and the computer is a time suck (totally need to close the FB/you tube tabs). But it's the non-computer things I want to get a handle on as well.

#1 ReCleaning. I can have this house company-ready one day and within 24 hours it is ready for a wrecking ball again. Disclaimer: this happened this week, but I was at work at the time of the destruction. Sigh. Why does every room in the house have to be re-cleaned over and over and over again! Why am I not a better mother/wife in training these hooligans better? (this is a serious rant, people, and I totally realize it is a bit absurd :whistle )

#2 Laundry. Tons of it. All the time. LOL.

#3 Settling disputes. My kids are old enough that I feel that it is a parenting FAIL that I have to intervene so often to prevent bloodshed. Seriously, what is wrong with these little people?

#4 ReCleaning. See what I did there?

OK. Rant over. Now for the productive part. How do we break the cycle?

Do you have a set time each day for the kids to help you? or for you to clean? or do you just do it all day every day (like I seem to)? P.S. if you have a cleaning person, do not respond with that knowledge lest you be banned from The Pad (kidding... sort of)

Do you have a set time for your computer stuff? I find this fun, but realize it can add to my stress.

Do you have times when you refuse to get online? or refuse to clean? or do something just for you?

When I am at work, I just "let it go" as the song says (you are welcome), but when I'm home, I can't stand living in chaos. And yet, here I am... Help me, LOL.

OK, being called again. Apparently, Uno cards scatter and sisters kick. :giggle
 
My phone and tablet are total time sucks. I'm on them all the time :(
I am trying to be better about it....
Laundry is my husband's chore, but I've told him over and over if he would do one load daily, it wouldn't be an all weekend long job! Lol
My chore is dishes, and I suck at those too.... haha. We have gotten really good about the kids having to pick up every morning before day care, and every night before bed, so it doesn't get as bad. After they are in bed, that's my time. I try very hard to not have any responsibilities due during that time, because that's my actual scrapping time.
 
My problem is that I'm constantly coming up with new projects for myself. Over the last four weeks it's been a CAL (crochet-along) blanket that I'm wanting to work on every free minute I have.
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Then I needed some new end table for my newly painted family room and Craigslist let me down. I'd been looking and looking since April and didn't find what I wanted until last week. I found some cute tables that were the right size and the right style, but the more I looked at them, the more I didn't want to pay $90 for them because I just knew i could make them cheaper. SO... instead of cleaning my house (hate it) I made more messes in the garage building new tables.
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One thing that has helped a bunch this summer is giving my boys a real chore list. They are 9 and 11 and I gave them things to do like wiping the counters and tables (which requires them to put away their junk on those surfaces first). They also help with dishes and sweeping the kitchen floor and picking up their rooms. All things that make it easier for me to keep up with the messes in the house. Plus gives me more time to craft! Win-win!
 
OMGOSH, KAREN! You are officially my hero! At least you have some awesome stuff to show for your time spent. That blanket is AMAZING... and woodworking, too. Geez, lady, you can do it all.

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Electronics... cleaning... and kids. lol!

Karen.. Simply awesome! I'm jealous! :)
 
Yes... but I should really post pictures of the mess that is my house. I would MUCH rather make things that clean up. Oh and my laundry pile. It's so bad that I'm embarrassed to post a picture of that debacle. :giggle
 
Jenn, your rant sounded SO FAMILIAR to me it actually gave me a chuckle (sorry, to find humor in your "pain"). Now that I have an empty nest AND am retired, I still have the laundry piles, dirty house, weedy garden, etc. etc. etc. But being nearly 67 yrs old and tired -- I DON'T CARE so much. I'll get it all done -- eventually. Hang in there, girl. You ARE a good mom, the kids WILL grow up and BE fabulous parents themselves someday (mine, did) and the house -- well, it'll still be there when your nest is empty too. Go eat some chocolate....


Seriously, Karen...Furniture building!! I am totally impressed!!!
 
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I could have written your whole thread post Jen! I feel for ya and just wanted you to know, you are NOT alone!!! How is it possible for kids to fight so much when they are together?! Over STUPID stuff too! My time-sucks seem to be the same as yours on days I am home. And of course work is a time-suck but I wouldn't have it any other way, because I love getting out of the house and the feeling of accomplishing something that doesn't get undone immediately like cleaning!!! :)

Karen...you are awesome - that blanket is amazing and the tables...really...you built those by yourself?! I am woman, hear me roar girl!!! Love them!
 
Jen, I think you inspired me. Last night I spend a LONG time cleaning and throwing things away from our main area of the house. I even shook out the rugs and vacuumed! Gasp! Lol!
 
Ugh, I feel the same! I seem to overcommit myself and then end up scrambling to get things done that then super stresses me out. Shift work and last minute call ins really don't help either. I try to do one big chore per day so I somewhat feel like I've accomplished something. Otherwise I'm flying by the seat of my pants on most days...
 
Karen said:
Jen, I think you inspired me. Last night I spend a LONG time cleaning and throwing things away from our main area of the house. I even shook out the rugs and vacuumed! Gasp! Lol!
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Don't go crazy, now... vacuum... say it ain't so. :giggle
 
I think I read the answer here somewhere: LET IT GO. House won't fall apart. Kids will not actually kill each other - probably only very minor blood shed... As long as you answer every call you will be called every time.

I wanted to be the perfect: fill in the blanks: wife, mother, housekeeper, cook, soccer coach, have a great career..... There was no ME left. Somewhere in there I finally let it go.

Everyone and everything turned out just fine.

Do I have the cleanest house? No
Did my kids fight and still turn out ok? Yes. They are independent, self supporting well adjusted men. They still do not get along as well as I might like with each other, but they have different personalities, so I conclude that's their problem, we remain a close family.
My husband likes modern, I like traditional - we have an eclectic home.
I don't make dinner every night, no longer try to keep everyone's schedule and do not take responsibility for things I am not responsible for..

Exactly everyone has the same amount of time in each day. 24 hrs. How we choose to spend our time is up to us. No one knows what tomorrow may bring.
 
That is such a great way to look at things, Lindzee! Thank you for sharing! Sometimes, I think we are not all overachievers, and would not be happy overachievers - yet our minds think we must be.
 
Planning steals my free time... I am a procrastinator so I think I am getting "organized" by making lists and plans, but in reality I'm just putting off taking action.
 
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