Most families I know have two working parents. Often one, or both of the parents, spend time commuting. With kid(s) in daycare/school, and extra curricular activities, it's hard to imagine where parents "nowadays" (I sound like I'm 80) find time to fart, let alone fold the laundry.
Well, since I've returned to work after baby number two, here are five things we've done in an effort to stay sane:
This was our first priority. With both of us working full-time, we quickly realized we didn't want to spend our oh-so-precious free time cleaning toilets (and with a son who now loves to STAND while he pees, trust me: our toilets need extra cleaning). When looking for a cleaning company though, we were very picky because my Mom used to have her own cleaning company, so our standards are very high. It was also important for us to find a company who used 100% natural cleaning products. We don't keep chemical cleaning products in our house (partly for the environment, mostly because I'm terrified of my kids coming across them) so I was ecstatic when we found PureClean. They sent two amazing women to our house, and to say we were impressed is an understatement. They also left us a little gift, so I clearly I fell in love with them even more (and cracked that vino as soon as I got home!)
Lucky for me, my husband likes to cook. Every other weekend or so, we plan one or two recipes that we can easily double or triple in volume. Then my husband does his thing in the kitchen, and we freeze Ziploc bag portions of the meals. Our deep freezer downstairs has a small inventory of meals that we can easily thaw throughout the week. We also use our slow cooker all the time, and write out a quick (not fancy) meal plan and put it on the fridge before we go grocery shopping on the weekend. This helps us make sure we aren't running to the grocery store throughout the week for silly last minute items that we need for dinner.
When my mom moved in with us two years ago, she had a semi-concerning addiction to popcorn. The problem was, whenever she made popcorn (every night) we wanted some too. (I dare you to smell popcorn and try NOT to eat it.) So, in an effort not to eat our weight in melted butter every week, we cut down our addiction to Monday and Friday nights. I know it's silly, but this little weekly tradition brings us so much joy at the end of a long day. I don't know how many times my mom has texted me after a tiring day with the kids to say "TGIPN" (Thank Goodness It's Popcorn Night!)
This one is pretty self explanatory.
Our house isn't new, therefore, there is always something that needs to be fixed or could be improved in some way. Pinterest and HGTV have a tendency to make you feel quite inadequate when it comes to home renos, don't they? However, at the end of the day: what is important? Playing in the sprinkler with your kids on the weekends? Or re-grouting your bathroom floor so that the shade of grey better matches your decor? I'll have time for perfection when my kids are older. Then again, maybe I won't.
Tell me, what are some of the things you do to help keep things on track while both parents are working? Feel free to add to this ever-expanding list!
RELATED: This Is What Every Parent Of A Stressed Out Toddler Needs
Maybe it's the German in me, but I've always had a fascination with poo.
(Is that a discriminatory thing to say? But I can sort of get away with it, because I'm German? What if I make that statement while wearing lederhosen and eating schnitzel? Did I just make this situation worse? Possibly...)
Anyway, it's true. I don't know why, but I've always openly talked about poo - and usually at the dinner table, much to the chagrin of my Dad who immediately freezes mid-bite and has to hold back the urge to gag. I don't know why I'm so naturally inclined to talk about poo at the dinner hour? Perhaps all of the food going in makes me subconsciously think about all of the food coming out? Hmm.
Over the years, I've talked about poo/poo habits/poo rituals with many men and women. In fact, I almost wrote a book once called "Fecal Matters: The Social Aspect of Pooping." (Trademarked. This is totally a legit way to trademark.) But I didn't want my first claim to fame to be "Poop Girl" so I let it slide. #punintended
And just to be clear, I'm not interested in looking at poop - or talking about it's physical properties. That's just gross. What I'm fascinated with, is how people feel about pooping. Are they comfortable telling others, "I need to drop a deuce!" Or are they incognito poopers who go to great efforts to hide the fact that they're pinching a loaf?
I have one friend, who will remain nameless, but she claims she doesn't poop. Or fart.
Obviously, she's full of shit (ha!) but it's now become a fun game (for me and my friends) to try and catch her in the act. My poor, poor friend. Weekends away are likely very stressful for her. Especially when I make batches of chili and fibre-filled smoothies...
It's such a natural part of everyday life, that I really can't imagine people being so uptight about it - especially in a relationship.
So this conversation came up again the other night (naturally) while I was having drinks with some friends: and there was a divide in the group: those that openly took a crap in front of their significant other's and those that hid it at ALL COSTS. I was shocked. I thought for sure once you had babies and had been together for over two years that everyone shat in front of their spouse!
But a friend of mine (who is all class, all the time) made an excellent point. This friend said that pooping in front of one another ruins the mystery and the romance. If you wouldn't do that on a first date, why would you do it ten years later?
Yes, true. I suppose that a grimaced red face isn't the most attractive image, but...when you've seen a placenta surely this isn't a shocker, right?
I don't know. I'm torn. I see both sides, and to be honest - I prefer to poop in solitude. But if my husband needs to grab his toothbrush - I'm not going to have a stroke at the thought of him opening the door, y'know? Sometimes, you need to talk about the weekend to-do list and the only way you can converse in silence and escape the screaming of the kids is to lock yourself in the bathroom with a bottle of vodka. I mean, err...
So tell me, what is your poop policy? I'm still doing research for my book. #bucketlist
RELATED: The Dirtiest Thing In Your Home (Hint: It's Not Where You Poop)
Printer-friendly version