Managing a house with two children and being pregnant is tough.  Together with a FARMER for a husband (he has little knowledge about cleanliness) and a bunch of different animals that come in (not the cows, thankfully), sometimes I feel like it’s impossible.  “Doing it all” can be discouraging at times, I honestly don’t know how my grandma did it (and I only work on a casual basis anyways)!  Below I have listed a few ideas that help me complete the daily/weekly/monthly tasks around our home:

1. Adjust Your Expectations
I know I have very high expectations of myself and what I want to achieve each day.  It’s called perfectionism and along with lack of sleep (pregnancy insomnia), it messes with my mental health.  I often feel frustrated by the end of the day at how little I have accomplished in terms of tasks.  I’ve had to teach myself to set a certain amount of tasks per day and use a tick list to feel positive at what I have done (glass half full).  Planning every little detail of my day (as much as is possible) and working around the childrens nap times, seems to be working well at the moment.

2.  Make Tasks Simple
When caring for a baby and a toddler, one thing you are definitely short on is time.  What I  do have is small pockets of time available which usually last around 10 minutes at a time and they can be used to clean the toilet or give the kitchen a hoover and mop.  Instead of completing housework in one go, I break it up into smaller tasks throughout the day.  I try to complete one load of clothes washing (and drying) per day too.  

3.  Delegate
Sharing the responsibility of housework with your partner, older kids, extended family members or paying for a cleaner (can be a blessing in disguise and worth every penny)!  What I found was Gavin did not help out around the house (apart from his designated jobs of the dishwasher and the bin) because he wasn’t aware of what to do, so giving him strict (step by step) guidance helps a lot.  

4. Priortise Sleep
During the first trimester I was exhausted all day, every day of pregnancy number three.  So when Hamish napped I did too, on the sofa, with Tobias watching television (perfect parenting I hear you say).  I had no choice otherwise I would have been a very grumpy mama bear!  Taking care of babies and toddlers is TIRING, especially when your baby starts to crawl – everything becomes a lot harder and a lot more like a juggling act! 

5. Keep Your Children Busy
Some possible ways are:

• Use the high chair and give them a few things to play with.
• Have a bucket of toys that come out during cleaning time.
• Encourage real play, a few clothes for them to try to fold or a duster to copy you.
• Put on a children’s video/ favourite television programme.

Overall, I’ve had to come to realise that I can’t continue to live in an ideal clean home, it just isn’t realistic.  I try my best but will always prioritise spending time with my children instead! 

Much love
Rebecca