No kids in my house :)
I have a big whiteboard above my desk that I use to keep track of things I have to do that day/week. Also I have a dayplanner that I use constantly for appointments, deadlines, homework, assignments, bills etc. I would be lost without these.
I find it very helpful to pay the bills as I open them (this way I don't misplace it or forget)
Growing up we always laid out our clothes for the next day the night before, packed our school bags with everything we needed and Mom would have our lunches all made and waiting in the fridge. This made mornings go by much smoother and with a lot less drama.
Earthtone~ Girl, you got it made! I hate housework and would love to find a man that cleans.
Stay at home Dads and Moms
by jayhawk1 25 Replies latest jw friends
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damselfly
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Bryan
I am a stay at home dad. Our son is 14 months. Currently I'm remodeling the house, selling a book, cooking 95% of the meals, laundry, ironing, 50% of house cleaning.... oh, and fighting the Tower!
Since he is so young, I do most of my computer work during his two naps of 2 hours each. He loves to be with me and my tools so for short periods I have him in his play yard with a ruler or a play, plastic, tool near me while work in the house. If I need to work outside, I set up his baby pool next to me and he'll stay there for an hour, easy. Once my wife returns home from her office, she takes care of him and get a good 2 to 3 hours of good work on the house.
Usually one or two days a week is devoted to house work. Yesterday I ironed for 4 hours... I'm slow. Yesterday, during his nap, he also took his diaper off and and wrote "I love Mommy & Daddy" in poop. That was an hour cleaning him and his bed!
We look at our family as a business. There are jobs to be done. Who ever has the best opportunity does the work.
As for your wife. Don't leave a lot of work for her when she gets home. Remember when you used to work the mill and you like to come home and relax/wind down.
Bryan
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jayhawk1
I am replying some of these as I read them.
Earthtone said,
Personally I don't have any advice to give. My husband does all the housework ( laundry, and household cleaning). I might wash dishes everyonce in awhile but I just mainly cook. He does work partime(30hrs) and I work 40+. It a perfect arrangment since I hate housework. But we do not have any kids. But I think in the future this arrangement will continue. I think it will work for us. I'll ask him how he keeps the house so spotless (and I not exaggerating).
That is the advise I am looking for. You have nearly the same arrangement my wife and I just entered into. I work a little over 30 hours from Thursday through Sunday, and my wife works 40 hours from Monday through Thursday. Our daughter has somebody who can watch her Thursday while I am at work and I will pick her up around 8pm. So I hope you get back with me on it.
As a single man, I kept this same house spotless. I have a ways to go to get it back to that condition, but it will in a month. My wife is not as tidy as I am. She is already surprised on the progress in the Kitchen. Plus this arrangement allows me to do more home improvements. I have several unfinished things that have already been listed out in the order I want to finish them.
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jayhawk1
Gill, Katiekitten, Fe203Girl, Dansk, Mamacat, Damselfly, Bryan, thanks for the advise! A real pick-me-up for certain. Last night it just felt wierd being here alone with the kid for the first time ever. I mean, I have taken her with me to a couple of places, but I had never spent a whole evening with her by myself. Mama was always around and it was tough seeing the girl miss her mama.
Dansk, I hope you have continued success with the chemo.
Bryan, at least the girl is past diapers. I couldn't have done it. Had to clean up after the cats throwing up. I was forced to buy a cheaper brand of cat food and clearly this is the payback for that. Okay, I get it, from now on only Purina Vegitable Mix. Damn cats!
Based on the replies to this thread, there seems to be an accidental underlying cat theme.
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jayhawk1
Oh, and I've always handled the bills and the money. My wife prefers that I do and since I have lived in this house 6 years longer than she, it feels more natural that I continue to take care of that responsibility. My system of bill paying relies on a cork message board. I pin all bills to it and as they need to be paid, I pay them. A large calendar is near the message board, and yes, I keep notes on it too. I also did most of the grocery shopping before the change in arrangement. So really for me, the only thing that has changed is not seeing my wife in the evenings and having a daughter to take care of. Two major things that will take time to adjust to.
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jayhawk1
Bringing this back up, still want to talk on the subject.