My last day of work was Friday. My teaching contract wasn’t renewed (don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’ll be called back before school starts) so for the next 57 days I’m a stay at home mom. Yay!
This was an actual convo between me and my hubby this weekend.
This was half of my day as a SAHM, but I still would’ve had to do all this anyway if I was a working mom. It just would have taken place before work, after work, and on my lunch break. It sounds like I’m griping, but I’ve actually got a point to this.
One of the coolest things about being a teacher is the teacher’s lounge at lunch time. We laugh, comfort each other, vent, and share what works for us as working moms. Personally, I’ll try anything if it makes my morning routine a little easier. Here are some ideas I’ve stolen borrowed from some of these ‘super’ moms.
My friend Mrs. A is a genius. She has 3 kids, and she makes her work week run smoothly by
- Setting out the kids’ clothes for the week on Sunday. This is such a great idea. Whenever I don’t do this, I find myself scrambling for 2 bibs, 4 socks that all go together, 2 pants with 4 shirts to match… you get the idea. Also, if you have feisty little girls who don’t want to get dressed in the morning, you have the upper hand if their clothes were chosen by them ahead of time.
- Three words: Power Outlet Timer. I felt like a moron when she recommended using one of these beauties for my crock pot. I was never using my crock pot because so many of the recipes say to cook for 6-8 hours, and I’m away from home more like 10 or 11 hours. Now I put the ingredients in the crock pot, set the timer for when I want it to start, and voila! No fussing over dinner when I get home. The only problem is that you have to be ok with meat possibly sitting in a crock for a few hours, but I’ll take the risk.
My Motto on Germs
- Once-a-week grocery shopping. I’ve posted about this before, but I started meal planning as a result of Mrs. A. It really does save time and stress if you plan ahead for the week’s dinners, and buy all the ingredients over the weekend. One less errand to do after work!
And some make-ahead-lunch tips from my friend Mrs. E:
- Did you ever make a sandwich the night before work/school and the next day when you go to eat your PB&J, the jelly is all sogged into the bread and the bread is all mushy? Mrs. E puts peanut butter on both slices of bread, with the jelly in between. I think this is how the Smuckers Uncrustables are made. No soggy bread!
- Mrs. E has 5 kids and a hubby. That’s at least 5 lunches to make each day. Her oldest boy has a healthy appetite, too! She said she’ll send him with hot dogs in buns, wrapped in foil. This is a great, super cheap school lunch idea that is also fast and easy to make. She also sent him with leftover pizza, too. I’ve sent my big boy to school with a hot dog or pizza for lunch and he’s loved it.
Well, that’s all I’ve got. If you have any tips for working moms to help make the work week easier, I’d love to hear them!