If you work F/T....

↑ TwinsMommy

Today at 1:24 am

I'm able to nap on Shabbos because my only kids are teens. I mean they're rude enough to wake me from a nap once in a while (Mom! I have a joke for you!--- grrr) but generally I can sleep a whole night on Shabbos AND nap and then during the week I can handle less sleep and catch up on Shabbos/ Yom Tovim. And then because I nap on Shabbos I'm up till 3 am on Motzei Shabbos (it's 1:20 now and I'm starting to get tired so tonight I'll be in bed by 2 or so. But Sundays I sleep till 8:30. Smile

amother

Tangerine

Today at 2:19 am

7:15 - wakeup. I usually press snooze till 7:30 which I shouldn't bec then I'm a bit pressured for time...
7:30 -8 quickly wake up big kids and get little kids dressed. Sit them down with breakfast (cereal and milk nothing that takes time)
8 - 8:15 - while they eat, get myself dressed
8:15-8:30 - put on everyones coats and do any last minute stuff....
8:30 - 9:15 is my "workout" my big kids walk to school themselves (it's nearby) and I walk to work dropping off my two youngest at their daycare and school on the way (so about a 45 minute walk altogether)
9:15-4 work
4-4:45 same as the morning, I walk back picking up my 2 youngest on the way (another 45 minutes of walking exercise).
4:45-5:15 say hello to all the kids, give them a quick snack
5:15-6 - turn on a video for them while I make supper and get some "me" time. Having this time makes my whole night different - I have renewed patience for the kids after.
6:00-6:30 supper
6:30-7:30 bath and bedtime for the little kids
7:30-8:30 H.W and time with for older ones
8:30-9:30 supper for myself and spending some time with dh
9:30-10:30 "me" time
10:30-11:30 cleanup and prep for the next day - kids and my own clothes, make sure all briefcases are packed. (somtimes schmoozing with bigger kids at the same time)
11:30-12 getting ready and going to bed.

I used to spend up to an hour at night working as well, and things where way more difficult and I ended up going to bed later. Now im working at my current job for a while and figured out how to get most of my work done during the work day plus work though some of my lunch break so only very occasionally have to do some work at home bh

In addition I have cleaning help 2xs a week for 4hrs . Also my dh washes the laundry ( and cleaning help folds and puts away ) so thats not something I need to deal with. I don't know how I would manage having to be on top of that...

amother

Maize

Today at 5:57 am

I work out 3x a week, so from 7:30-8:30am on those days, DH comes home 10min early and does the morning shift while I go to the gym.

ETA: I try to lay out clothes for everyone the night before, including myself, this saves a lot of time in the morning

7:00AM-Wake up, get dressed, shacharit
7:30-Get kids up and dressed
7:40-DH comes home from Shacharit, he does breakfast for the kids and I prep lunch and make the beds.
8:30-Kids and DH leave for work/school, I work from home and log on at this point
12pm-Lunch break, laundry
12:45-back to work
2:30-done working, prep dinner
3:30pm-kids come home. snacks, playtime, park, etc.
5:30pm-kids supper
6:15pm-bath and bedtime routine
7:00pm-bedtime, clean up *again* lol
7:30pm-DH comes home, we have supper together
8:30pm-Work for 2 hours
10:30pm-shower and get ready for bed

amother

↑ Goldenrod ↓

Today at 9:21 am

amother Eggshell wrote:

Only 1 poster here even mentioned her husband. Are the rest of you single moms? If not, what is your husbands schedule? This is just proving the other posters points that working moms nearly always end up taking on a fully double workload.

My husband helps a ton.

He does all grocery shopping, all laundry, watches the kids in the morning till 7:30 so I can sleep that late, helps make the lunches, but he works just as full time as me and he has to also make time for minyanim and chavrusas.

NotInNJMommy

Today at 9:48 am

Absolutely get into the habit of weekly not daily shopping. A large freezer is a life saver too. Menu planning at least for dinners is very helpful to do the weekly shopping and when I’m in the middle of the work week, it’s much easier to just execute the plan rather than plan it.

I’m most productive when I have lights out by 9-10p, so I can get up and dressed and out for a walk before the house is jumping in the AM. I also try to go for walks on my lunch break if I can.

amother

Periwinkle ↓

Today at 9:50 am

amother OP wrote:

From 7:45 to 8:00 you have enough time to get dressed? I assume you need to shower after workout. How do you do it? And do you eat breakfast before you leave for work? When?

This is one of my biggest challenges. I can get up early and exercise but I'm coming home with only an hour to get myself 100% work-ready. Shower, breakfast, brush and floss, dress, make-up, grab my lunch (hopefully packed from night before) and go. It's very hard for me to do this all in an hour.

I spend about 30 minutes getting up and ready. Clothes are laid out. Makeup super quick. But I shower the night before. Lunch absolutely packed the night before.

When I exercise, I do it in the evening for 30 min. Then shower. I always shower at night, not morning.

amother

↑ Canary

Today at 9:50 am

amother Blushpink wrote:

Most women posting here aren’t working full time. Full time is 8 hours a day.

Even for part time, you need to be extremely schedule and disciplined. BUT full time is way harder. Please don’t minimize the intense schedules of our full time imas!

My schedule includes approximately 9 hours of work, per day. I get about 1 hour in before 9am and then another hour or 2 between 6pm and 8. It's grueling.

amother

↑ Periwinkle ↓

Today at 10:07 am

amother Canary wrote:

My schedule includes approximately 9 hours of work, per day. I get about 1 hour in before 9am and then another hour or 2 between 6pm and 8. It's grueling.

So she wasn't referring to you. Other posters here are working less than 40 hrs per week and calling it a full time schedule, and it just isn't.

amother

↑ Olive

Today at 10:25 am

amother Periwinkle wrote:

So she wasn't referring to you. Other posters here are working less than 40 hrs per week and calling it a full time schedule, and it just isn't.

I agree. There are many responses that are 9/9:30-3

Bh I work full time out of the home

Wake: 6
Leave home 7:15 (with preschooler who I drop off at daycare/school on the way)
7:45: school drop off
8am-4pm work
4:15/4:30: school pickup
5/5:15- get home
5:15/6:30- whatever needs to get done (empty dishwasher, fold/put away laundry, finish dinner, set table, open and sort packages. Whatever (I cook primarily on Sunday for the week) unpack Instacart order, homework
6:30 dinner
7-8: baths, kids play etc
8-8:30: bedtime
9-12: combo of me time/couple time/preparing lunch for next day, laying out clothes etc . On Thursday night I do all cooking for shabbos.

Husband puts older kid on bus as well as laundry, ironing and cleaning.

BH BH

amother

↑ Goldenrod

Today at 10:27 am

amother Blushpink wrote:

I work full time but only 6 hours are during the work day. 2 hours are after the kids are in bed. Friday, I get up 2 hours earlier than my normal schedule so I can get in those extra hours. It's hard but it's manageable because I have that flexibility to work the 2 hours in the evening or early morning.

I don't think I could manage a 9 to 5 with young kids. Their school and carpool schedule makes it impossible. There are no babysitters willing to come for just 2 hours a day or family I can rely on. Also how are the kids getting to and from school if I was at a 9 to 5.

I'm lucky that I have flexibility even with full time. I truly don't think it's manageable to have two parents with inflexible 9 to 5 schedules and a large family and no support. At a certain point even throwing money at the problem doesn't fix it. If there are no paid drivers you can't pay double the going rate to no one. If there are no babysitters you can't pay a non existent sitter. I've tried in the past. It was a nightmare. Some quit mid year. Some committed and backed out 2 days before the school year. Some weren't reliable and would cancel often. It's a mess so I'm happy I have this solution so I don't rely on shaky solutions and scramble to constantly find help.

amother

Bergamot ↓

Today at 10:40 am

I live in Israel and officially work 9 hours a day. But my company is flexible - I don't count hours. Some days I work less, sometimes I need to do overtime.

I work from home some days and at the office some days. On days I work at the office I just say brachos at 6 am before I drive to work. On days I WFH I try to say shemonah esrei in addition but usually not much more than that. On Shabbos I usually daven more.

I exercise on Fridays in the summer and Motsei Shabbos in the winter. Occasionally fit in another exercise session at night during the week.

As others here mentioned, I make simple dinners: soup with soup nuts and melted cheese, rolls and scrambled eggs, chicken and veggies in a pot + rice, pizza once a week, etc.

amother

↑ Periwinkle ↓

Today at 10:40 am

amother Goldenrod wrote:

Full time doesn't mean 9-5. It doesn't matter how you split your hours, you're still working full time.

You're right that having two 9-5 inflexible just doesn't seem manageable. I think at least one spouse should have flexibility to either start earlier or later to really make things manageable but I'm sure people figure out how to manage whatever schedules they have.

↑ synthy

Today at 10:46 am

amother Eggshell wrote:

My dh usually comes home 9:00, so he takes the kid to the bus. He then drives me to daycare and office. Sometimes if I need more time he drops off the baby then comes back to pick me up.

At night he usually helps with bedtime, and if I have work he’ll do the dishes and tidy up the kitchen.

Yes, I do carry a heavier workload. But I’m happy that he’s able to learn in kollel for as long as it makes sense and I’m not tearing myself to pieces.

amother

White

Today at 1:16 pm

Exercise- in my dreams. Never.

Up at 615/630.
Get kids ready for school, pack lunches (no school lunches where we live).
Out the door by 740 for carpool, go directly after dropping off at 2 places to work.
At work from 830-5.
5- dinner, homework, baths, bedtime. Have quiet time with each kid if possible.
Sometime before 11pm is laundry, placing a walmart+ order, sweeping, prepping for next day, running to grocery store, shower for me..
Rinse, wash repeat.

I asked a shaila- I say brachos and if time, Shema.

I have to have this schedule to be able to pay rent. Husband chronically underemployed. He does afternoon carpool and some dinners. If he had a full time job I would be able to cut back and leave in time for afternoon carpool. Then I would have to do more homework etc

Yes I work FULL TIME. 9-3 is part time. Cannot compare to real full time mommies.

amother

RosePink

Today at 1:40 pm

My husband and I both work FT. He has his own business and works 8:45 to 3:45 usually, at his office. I work for a large corporation and work longer hours, but I work from home 2 out of 5 days per week. We both have a lot of flexibility in between our meetings and appointments. I don't have to take PTO to go to the doctor or to a Chumash play, for example.

DH cooks dinner, and also does drop off and pickup. We live OOT, and our kids are all at one school. My husband davens shacharis after dropoff at the school, and mincha there also, before pickup. He and the kids are all out the door by 7:30. I try to say brachos earlier in the morning, and then I daven the rest right after they leave.

We have a treadmill in our bedroom, and I hop on it whenever I get a chance. Sometimes only for 6-8 minutes, sometimes for 30 minutes at a time. I also have a gym at my office at work. I don't have time to shower and change during the work day, so I can only walk on a treadmill at a slower casual pace when I'm at the office. I try to get in an average of at least 45 minutes per day.

amother

NeonGreen

Today at 1:45 pm

I work full time leave at 7 am so no way am I exercising in the morning. I excercise from 7:45-8:15 while dh puts some kids to bed. I do a 30 min YouTube workout with weights or 30 min incline on treadmill.

I cook some dinners on sun and the rest are simple dinners I either make the night before or when I get home from work.

Sunday I shop, do errands, laundry and try to meal prep some lunches and dinners for the week.

I cook one thing every night for shabbos so it's not all left for Thursday night.