In desperate need of a lot of cheering and a pad on my back.

[DanishMom]

Hi mamas,

I'm new to this particular forum. I'm a single mom to DS age 10. DS is an aspie and also has ADHD, Sensory Processing disorder and motor development disorder. His dad is out of the picture so I'm doing everything myself.

I have really lost control over house work during the last 8 months. DS had to leave school due to extreme anxiety and was home schooled. He is now in special ed. and I can breathe a little better. I have been under extreme stress for years and burned my candle in both ends. I now suffer from burn out and depression. I'm exhausted and just getting healthy dinner on the table takes a ton of effort.

While I'm trying to be gentle to myself and getting a lot of rest, I do acknowledge the fact that the state of our home is making me more stressed out. I feel like I've have lost control. Thinking about it makes me feel frightened and incompetent. I know that I need to take small steps to gain back control and I could really do with some cheering.

Thanks for reading!

[mkksmom]

I can cheer you on!!

I had a rough couple of years and then had to find my way back to a routine. I'm still not perfect, but doing better. When I first started trying to get organized, I really found it helpful to let my guard down and have people come in to help me out. I was able to find 2 different organizers who only charged $15 per person per hour.

Right now, I am doing the Bowl Full of Lemons organizing challenge. It helps to have support. There is a Facebook group where people are posting before and afters.


One thing I do to get ahead is make 2 or 3 days worth of dinners at once. Then I can just reheat for a couple of days. Or I freeze some of it and have an easy meal later. We are a family of 4, and I almost never make a meal without doubling or tripling it. I figure if I am going to cook, it better last a while.

[AfricanQueen99]

You can do this!

Whenever I feel the spiraling coming on I focus on one small area and just clean that everyday. When I can keep that area clean I move on to bigger spaces. For some reason, seeing the clean planning station keeps me going when the rest of the house is a mess.

[willfulmama]

I've also found that when I start feeling out of control, making "to-do" lists that include every single step can help me feel better. Maybe it sounds backwards, but "doing laundry" may not get done, but if I can check off "wash diapers," "dry diapers," and "fold diapers" I feel like I've accomplished enough to keep me happy.

Good luck, mama!

[mamaUK]

Originally Posted by mkksmom 

I can cheer you on!!
I had a rough couple of years and then had to find my way back to a routine. I'm still not perfect, but doing better. When I first started trying to get organized, I really found it helpful to let my guard down and have people come in to help me out. I was able to find 2 different organizers who only charged $15 per person per hour.
Right now, I am doing the Bowl Full of Lemons organizing challenge. It helps to have support. There is a Facebook group where people are posting before and afters.
One thing I do to get ahead is make 2 or 3 days worth of dinners at once. Then I can just reheat for a couple of days. Or I freeze some of it and have an easy meal later. We are a family of 4, and I almost never make a meal without doubling or tripling it. I figure if I am going to cook, it better last a while.

I also do this, I make at least double quantity of what I'm cooking and we eat half that evening, and save the other half in the fridge for the following night so I don't even need to find suitable freezer containers. It saves money too!