How much do you get done around the house in a day?

[cristeen]

Assuming your little one is under 6 months? What does a good day look like vs a bad day?

My DH and I have very different expectations of what I can get done in a day (while also watching the baby), so I'm wondering what other mamas manage to do. If you have help, please let me know that too (older kids, mamas helper, nanny, housekeeper, etc.).

[texaspeach]

ds is 6.5 months.. I manage to keep the dishes done, dinner cooked and mostly caught up on laundry and call it good.. dusting, vacuuming, mopping.. all that stuff has to wait till dh is home/weekend.

[tzs]

i have a relatively "easy" 6mo babe but not much ever gets done. i could do more if i made full use of her naps but by the time those roll around (like now) i'm telling myself that this is my "me" time to do whatever i want without someone stuck to me.

my husband doesn't get it...but he's never had to deal with it. or the few times he's been alone with her he lucks out and i come home to find him making dinner and her happily in the swing.

i have a friend also with a 6 mo who has the same experience. but just last week she had to leave her husband with his son all day long and apparently he GOT it and said the same thing, that they had a great day but he couldn;t get anything done. now if i could just get my husband to understand...

[LadyCatherine185]

At that age, pretty much nothing. DS was more than a full-time job. He was a very high-needs baby. Now I can get maybe one or two chores done.. but anymore than that and DS is screaming at my legs for "ignoring" him. Now of course, I could get things done while he naps, but since he is a horrible sleeper I need that time to nap too.

Everyone is different, and every baby is different. Had DS been a more laid back baby I probably could've gotten some things done.

[StrawberryFields]

Dd is my third child and she is 2 months old. I have a 4 year old & a 2 year old. In the morning when I get up I get everyone dressed, empty the dishwasher, put a load of laundry in and make breakfast. Then it is either downtime or errands. In the afternoon I make lunch, vacuum/mop/make beds, and do a specialty job like cleaning the playroom or cleaning the bathroom. Put the laundry in the dryer. Then it is downtime again. At 3 PM I make dinner. After dinner dh and I clean up the kitchen together, start the dishwasher, bathe kids and put them in their PJs. Dh does bedtime and then we are done for the night. I don't do any housework after the kids are in bed!

When I was a first time mom it was much more difficult for me to keep my head above the water. Now it is much easier to roll with the punches and get things accomplished.

[zinemama]

My kids are older now, but my memories are vivid.

A good day consisted of me being dressed, baby still alive, and dinner made by the time dh got home.

[kirstenb]

When DS1 was at school, I was able to keep up with laundry, keep the house tidy, clean most things on a regular basis, and have dinner made. Once DS2 got past the nursing constantly phase, he became a very easy baby. When DS1 was home, I was lucky if the house didn't turn into a tornado zone. I usually got dinner made and everyone dressed but not much more!

[MiracleMama]

I get nothing done. Seriously. it's a challenge getting dinner on the table. This baby is 2 months and my older kids are 4 and 7. I have a housekeeper who does the major cleaning and some straightening up. Sometimes she helps w/the laundry too.
I've been trying to write 4 thank-you notes for about 2 days now.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by zinemama

A good day consisted of me being dressed, baby still alive, and dinner made by the time dh got home.

LOL!

Yesterday I managed to get the kitchen cleaned, the dishwasher loaded/run, I actually ate 2 meals (which is rare), dinner was made, I sorted through the pile of mail, hand-washed and lanolized half a dozen woolies, and loaded the dehydrator with fruit. AND he was fussy and vomity yesterday (and he only took 1 nap). But because I forgot one thing that I had planned to do (wash the beer-making equipment), and I fell asleep before the baby last night (DH was rocking him to sleep) so I didn't get his lunch packed, it devolved into a nasty fight this morning. So I was just curious if that was a reasonable amount of stuff to get done in a day, or if I really should be able to do more.

[hakeber]

Originally Posted by zinemama

My kids are older now, but my memories are vivid.

A good day consisted of me being dressed, baby still alive, and dinner made by the time dh got home.

this

Originally Posted by MiracleMama

I get nothing done. Seriously. it's a challenge getting dinner on the table. This baby is 2 months and my older kids are 4 and 7. I have a housekeeper who does the major cleaning and some straightening up. Sometimes she helps w/the laundry too.
I've been trying to write 4 thank-you notes for about 2 days now.

and this, except she always does the laundry. She comes twice a week.

I do sometimes get dishes done.

ETA: I have been working on a quilt for dd since she was born. With ds this project took me a couple day...dd is a great night time sleeper, but she only catnaps throughout the day, so I never really get a long stretch to do chores unless I wear her, even then, not much.

I actually showered today.

[hakeber]

Originally Posted by cristeen

LOL!

Yesterday I managed to get the kitchen cleaned, the dishwasher loaded/run, I actually ate 2 meals (which is rare), dinner was made, I sorted through the pile of mail, hand-washed and lanolized half a dozen woolies, and loaded the dehydrator with fruit. AND he was fussy and vomity yesterday (and he only took 1 nap). But because I forgot one thing that I had planned to do (wash the beer-making equipment), and I fell asleep before the baby last night (DH was rocking him to sleep) so I didn't get his lunch packed, it devolved into a nasty fight this morning. So I was just curious if that was a reasonable amount of stuff to get done in a day, or if I really should be able to do more.

Oh my god...I will never ever let my dh see this. He will fire me and marry you for sure, plus you prove my MIL right that I am a lazy cow.

Chill out lady! You're making me look bad!

[StrawberryFields]

Originally Posted by cristeen

LOL!

Yesterday I managed to get the kitchen cleaned, the dishwasher loaded/run, I actually ate 2 meals (which is rare), dinner was made, I sorted through the pile of mail, hand-washed and lanolized half a dozen woolies, and loaded the dehydrator with fruit. AND he was fussy and vomity yesterday (and he only took 1 nap). But because I forgot one thing that I had planned to do (wash the beer-making equipment), and I fell asleep before the baby last night (DH was rocking him to sleep) so I didn't get his lunch packed, it devolved into a nasty fight this morning. So I was just curious if that was a reasonable amount of stuff to get done in a day, or if I really should be able to do more.

I think that is MORE than reasonable!!!! Sheesh!! I would consider that a super successful day. I barely ever get more than one "specialty" job done in a day (handwashing, dehydrating, etc) because cooking and cleaning and diaper changing sucks up so much time.

In my house, dh and pals drink the LIONS share of the beer... so he cleans the homebrew equipment LOL Maybe you can lobby for a similar arrangement. You have enough on your plate!

[Mama Khi]

Oh this makes me feel so much better! I thought I was a total slacker or something because I never seem to get anything done. Thanks, mamas!!

[jammomma]

Originally Posted by cristeen

LOL!

Yesterday I managed to get the kitchen cleaned, the dishwasher loaded/run, I actually ate 2 meals (which is rare), dinner was made, I sorted through the pile of mail, hand-washed and lanolized half a dozen woolies, and loaded the dehydrator with fruit. AND he was fussy and vomity yesterday (and he only took 1 nap). But because I forgot one thing that I had planned to do (wash the beer-making equipment), and I fell asleep before the baby last night (DH was rocking him to sleep) so I didn't get his lunch packed, it devolved into a nasty fight this morning. So I was just curious if that was a reasonable amount of stuff to get done in a day, or if I really should be able to do more.

Wow! You did all that?!? I wish I could get that much done in a day.

[marinak1977]

I usually get a couple of chores done but not too much. A few loads of laundry, sweep the floors, load the dishwasher and wipe the counters. I would really like to vacuum today. The dinner often gets made late while DH holds him and the puppies get shorter playtimes because I have to wear him or he has to be asleep.
My garden however is really neglected, and I really need to clean the fishtanks, but I have no time.
I also have to work - and that needs a lot more attention that it gets right now.

[marinak1977]

Oh yes - and another really important/annoying chore - pumping. I can't do it comfortably at all if I'm holding DS and it is around 20 minutes of time I have to find in the morning. Earlier on I was just happy if I got dressed.

[Alisse]

Part of my strategy involves having areas of the house that hubby and baby are allowed/not allowed in. For instance, only one bathroom is allowed to be used. I don't care how bad hubby has to go and is on the first floor; only the 2nd floor bathroom is allowed to be used. Dining room and "good room" are off limits. Also, hubby is not allowed to put any of his stuff in places that it doesn't belong in. For instance, the kitchen chair is not his closet and so his sweater cannot hang on it, even for a second.

Behaviour is limited. Our house is not a democracy.

[kismetbaby]

Cristeen--I think you are doing a lot!!! DH and I are having some issues that seem to revolve around the fact that I used to take care of him in a way that I now cannot manage. I have no help, just one 5.5 month old and this is what I get done in a typical day: run a load or two of laundry, if I'm lucky get it folded and put away, do some sort of errand out of the house (grocery store etc.), take a shower, and make dinner (usually DH does the dishes). On the weekends I try to sweep/mop/dust, but with DHs help. DH doesn't expect me to get more done around the house, but he does stuff like ask me to remind him of an appt of his.. .. ummm, I'm sorry, I can't keep your schedule in my head at the moment!

[mommy212]

I get laundry and food done... that's about it. DH thinks i should get more done "cuz he did" when he watched his niece as a baby. But, they told him to let her CIO if she wasn't hungry or dirty(not just for sleep either!), so I dont think his experience counts. I do grocery shop b/c the store is less than a block away and LO likes to go.

[cristeen]

Thank you ladies, you've made me feel much better.

I did forget a couple things on my list of achievements from yesterday - like thawing and scalding the baby's milk, sorting my yarn stash and repairing the snaps on 2 dipes. Not to mention the half an hour I spent trying to figure out how to get him on my back in the mai tei that arrived yesterday.

He was just insistent that I was the only mama who could manage to get so little done, so I was questioning myself.