Are you just fried and exhausted by Friday night?

[That Is Nice]

Are you just fried and exhausted by Friday night?

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have any time to run loads of laundry, do the dishes, get groceries, run errands, etc during the week and on the weekends I'm so tired but that is when I cram in all the things I need to get done. I only seem to be able to get about 25% of what I need to get done on the weekends and the backlog just builds and builds. I mean, I have shirts, sweaters, and pants that I wore a year ago that I haven't washed. They've been in my hamper for a year. A year. Because other clothes got done before them (mainly my kid's...). I seem to live in clothes from two wash loads that I repeatedly do over and over again, every weekend because that is all I ever seem to have the time to do.

[MamaChicken]

Absolutely, word for word, what you said. Once every few months I get all the laundry done, or vacuum, or sweep. Almost never more than one of those at a time. Ugh. I spent time this morning repairing the kitchen drawers since two boys like to hang on them.

[That Is Nice]

Yeah, there is just no way to get it all done. Even the rare times when I've had a week off, I will attack the laundry full force, and I don't get it all done.

I just don't think it's possible to work outside the home, raise a child or children and still keep the house clean unless the kids are older or you have outside help on some things.

[laurabfig]

Originally Posted by That Is Nice

Yeah, there is just no way to get it all done. Even the rare times when I've had a week off, I will attack the laundry full force, and I don't get it all done.

I just don't think it's possible to work outside the home, raise a child or children and still keep the house clean unless the kids are older or you have outside help on some things.

I completely agree. I'm tired by Friday night...all I want to do is veg out.

[GuildJenn]

I'm burnt by Friday night, but a good night's sleep helps.

I don't have trouble with laundry or the regular cleaning much, but what goes for me is a) house maintenance & gardening - I have a tree half demolished in my backyard right now that is killing the grass (long story) and b) my car, which has a big scrape down the side and has for more months than I currently care to admit.

Also a social life and a few other things.

[RaeDyCo]

Yes, I am exhausted on Fridays... I usually try to schedule absolutely nothing critical at work on Fridays unless there is no other choice because I am worried I will make huge mistakes. My job is very flexible though so I am usually able to leave by 3-3:30 at the latest and I just have to transfer calls to my cell phone. I never cook on Fridays -- DH has to pick up dinner or we get delivery that day. If I do cook, it is soup / sandwiches only.

DH and I split the housework fairly evenly and our house (the inside) is in good shape. The outside isn't in fantastic shape though -- the grass gets cut, walks are shovelled but we really need to stain the fence, do some additional "pretty up" work but that just will have to wait til the kids are older.

For the laundry, we throw a load in the wash in the morning, in the dryer right after work and then fold when the kids go to bed. Otherwise, we'd never have clean clothes!

[mojobin]

During the school year I absolutely am! And I don't catch up like I should over the summer. I too do laundry all week long and clean up messes here and there, but our house is in need of several things, and I feel like we are always late on our utility bills and it doesn't have to do with $. I really did not intend to have to work once my babe was born, but my dh is still trying to finish up his ph.d. which makes us both very tight financially and extremely short on extra time to get major things done. Some weeks our house gets totally out of control as far as the clutter, but we always manage to pull together over the weekend. What I hate is that in order to do this we never get to do fun things. I always have work that I bring home too. It is exhausting!

[midstreammama]

I had the laundry problem...word for word. Finally I decided no more. I took it one load at a time. For every load that I washed, I got rid of one- third of it. It's funny I don't even miss them because like you, I only wore a small rotation of clothing. I called the Vietnam veterans pickup service and they came super quick and took seven huge bags of clothes off my porch. Best. Feeling. Ever.

[choli]

Originally Posted by midstreammama

I had the laundry problem...word for word. Finally I decided no more. I took it one load at a time. For every load that I washed, I got rid of one- third of it. It's funny I don't even miss them because like you, I only wore a small rotation of clothing. I called the Vietnam veterans pickup service and they came super quick and took seven huge bags of clothes off my porch. Best. Feeling. Ever.

Yep. Apparently the norm is that 20% of your wardrobe is worn 80% of the time. Donate or sell the rest, and stop stressing about it.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by choli

Yep. Apparently the norm is that 20% of your wardrobe is worn 80% of the time. Donate or sell the rest, and stop stressing about it.

Well, right. I see your point. And I have majorly decluttered the last few years and have literally given away several truckloads of usable items to charity.

But I do need work clothes for four seasons and clothes for weekends and home as well. Two loads isn't going to cut it, unfortunately. I work in a field where I have to give a lot of formal presentations, dress up for meetings...I can wear jeans if I don't have a meeting, but still need professional work clothes and clothes for mothering and being around the house. So, it's like two wardrobes.

[waiflywaif]

Eh, not really. Sometimes I'm tired but I wouldn't say "fried." Either I or my DH do a lot of laundry weekday evenings.

[DCMama01]

Originally Posted by That Is Nice

Yeah, there is just no way to get it all done. Even the rare times when I've had a week off, I will attack the laundry full force, and I don't get it all done.

I just don't think it's possible to work outside the home, raise a child or children and still keep the house clean unless the kids are older or you have outside help on some things.

I have a girlfriend who WOH FT, is in school PT, cooks and makes babyfood, pumps around the clock, keeps a clean house, and has an infant.

She is MISERABLE. Her husband is of no help, but she prides herself on being superwoman and getting things done in spite of him. It comes at the cost of any social life, sleep, "me" time, etc.

Once I can afford it, I'm getting housekeeping every two weeks. Until then, my house is messy sometimes. I walk over it and live life. Don't like it, don't come over!

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by DCMama01

I have a girlfriend who WOH FT, is in school PT, cooks and makes babyfood, pumps around the clock, keeps a clean house, and has an infant.

She is MISERABLE. Her husband is of no help, but she prides herself on being superwoman and getting things done in spite of him. It comes at the cost of any social life, sleep, "me" time, etc.

Once I can afford it, I'm getting housekeeping every two weeks. Until then, my house is messy sometimes. I walk over it and live life. Don't like it, don't come over!

Hmmm...I give her kudos, but how long has she been going like this Superwoman? You wrote she's making babyfood and pumping so she must have a young one, and maybe she's new to the attempt at doing it all and finding balance.

Two years in to working and raising a child, I'm burned out. I feel like I've been trying to be Superwoman for two years too many.

I wonder how long before your friend runs out of energy or momentum? It doesn't seem sustainable to me to live like that. I know.

[Skippy918]

I'm exhausted on Friday nights. I find myself going to bed early most Fridays or conking out on the couch watching TV.

[KSLaura]

Originally Posted by That Is Nice

Yeah, there is just no way to get it all done. Even the rare times when I've had a week off, I will attack the laundry full force, and I don't get it all done.

I just don't think it's possible to work outside the home, raise a child or children and still keep the house clean unless the kids are older or you have outside help on some things.

Um, it is possible... I get all the laundry done every week. I usually spend one of my days off cleaning. And yes, I am fried at the end of the week. I NEVER sit down at home. I am always cleaning. DH is probably right, I should just clean less...

lol...I only sit down at work (as I am right now)