Pittsburgh Nesties
MrsAmers
member
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Share your favorite strategies for solo parenting
DH will be traveling for work for a week soon. He'll leave Sunday early afternoon and return the following Sunday about the same time. I'm trying not to freak out. :-) What would you add to this list?
My current plan:
-Catch up on laundry and dishes as much as possible before he leaves to minimize what I have to do each evening.
-Get back in the habit of packing Heather's and my lunch bags the night before.
-Meal plan and grocery shop before he leaves.
-Eat out at least twice during the week to make it easier on me.
-Hire a babysitter for Wednesday so I can go to knit night and get a break.
-Warn my boss. ;-)
Heather Margaret --- Feb '07 and Todd Eldon --- April '09
Re: Share your favorite strategies for solo parenting
Dh goes out of town frequently. It used to be a nightmare when the girls where smaller but the older they get the easier it gets. It sounds like you have a pretty good plan in place. That's good that you are getting a babysitter midweek.
I'm home ALLLLLL day with the kids so when dh is out of town it's all kids, all the time for me. Do you have any family near by? My parents come to my house some times and we'll go out to dinner and they help me with bedtime. I also try to keep the dinners as simple as possible (scrambled eggs, grilled cheese...) because the girls don't eat very much and it feels like a waste to make "real" food.
Kev usually tries to leave me with a clean house, so that he doesn't have to come home to a disaster. But we try to clean up after ourselves. I try to do some WFH, because for me the most intimidating part is waking EJ up early enough that I won't be late for work. So that would be no later than 6am, an hour earlier than she wakes for Kev. school opens at 6:30 and I would need to have her there by then. this will be my first week to have to execute this plan, at least once.
eating, I just keep dinners simple. And take it easy on yourself. some stuff just won't get done.
I think you have it covered! DH travels a lot (well, not a lot, but enough) and what I mostly make sure is done before he leaves, is that we are on top of cleaning/laundry/grocery shopping.
I don't meal plan, but make sure there is enough for some easy dinners (especially since he is the main dinner cooker in the house) and easy to pack lunches. And we always pack lunches the night before - that is definitely key for an easier morning routine.
I find eating in is easier than going out, but I may order a pizza.
And definitely give your boss a heads up! DH does daycare drop offs, so when I have to do them, I am always late (or later than I usually am
).
I don't get a sitter, but will sometimes ask my brother to stay over night because I am a fraidy cat!
Oh, and one thing you're missing - buy a bottle (or two) of wine!
Good luck - it's really not that bad! Sometimes I find myself a lot more organized and on top of my game when he is out of town - and DH does A LOT around the house. It might sound strange since you're handling everything yourself, but for me it's because I am more on a mission to get stuff done.
I'm a single parent M-Saturday and have been since October. Thank goodness Casey's movie is over in a few days!
It sounds like you have everything covered. G is a lot younger than T and H - but I also set out his clothes the night before. That helps me a lot. I also set out my clothes and wake before he does so I can be 90% ready when he gets up.
Good luck!
Yes, drop-off and pick-up is probably the biggest issue. DH does both 95% of the time. I hate to think how early we would all have to get up for me to make it to work by my normal time. And the last thing I need is the pressure of the click. My boss knows that I'll get here as soon as I can and I'll probably get up earlier since DH usually wakes the kids while I'm in the shower. I also can't stay a minute past 5 if I want to ensure that I get both kids well before 6...so any hours I'n short will get made up the following week.
I like eating out. No dishes to wash. :-)
oh my! My 3 1/2 year old peanut weighs 32 lbs...
I know! Mason is a peanut too...not sure where my Incredible Hulk came from!
My DH travels a lot also and has since we were dating. When DD was 3 weeks old he had to go away for the week. Now we are old pros. My in laws are retired and do help out lately to pick her up so I am not so rushed, but mornings are interesting sometimes. I've found get her up 10 mins earlier than I was and that helps. By the end of the week you will be good to go.
I find when he is away that I cook for DD and just eat either a big lunch for me or bowl of cereal for dinner.
Take one day at a time!!
MINE TOO!
Married, September 23, 2006
How time flies! Caileigh (9), Keira (6) & Eamon (3)
How time flies! Caileigh (9), Keira (6) & Eamon (3)
I'll be shocked if my 4 yr old has hit 30 lbs yet. And Eamon, well he's still in 9 mos clothes at 18 mos. Kid just stopped growing. Talk about little.
Amy - sounds like you have a good plan down. John is rarely OOT but when he has things planned at night I always find that I get the kids in bed earlier b/c he doesn't stay up with them and talk. I always start earlier too !
How time flies! Caileigh (9), Keira (6) & Eamon (3)