When my son was born in 2010, I recall often thinking, ‘what did I keep busy with before I became a mom?’ Happy hours, pedicures and daily workouts perhaps? I never recall feeling like I had a lot of free time…so what the heck was I filling my hours with outside of work? The birth of my son quickly forced me to have a whole new appreciation for any down time I could get. Working full time and being a mom and wife often leaves little time for the other roles in my life – being a friend, being an individual (don’t forget time for yourself!).
And it just gets busier – Now that I have two children I keep finding myself thinking ‘how did I possibly think life was busy with one child? Having one is a piece of cake!.’
My husband and I each took one kid the other day for some 1:1 time and I had the most relaxing afternoon taking my daughter to the park and even to Fred Meyer. Taking two kids on errands is truly a nightmare, in my opinion. I smile thinking back to 2010 and how a day with my son at the park and running errands would have totally stressed me out. But now, life has doubled and so has my capacity for what I am able to handle daily.
The other night, after battling with my kids to finally get them to sleep, I finally made the trip downstairs to tidy up and get ready for the next day. In ten minutes, yes I timed myself, I accomplished the following:
- Emptied the dishwasher
- Loaded the dishwasher
- Wiped counters
- Vacuumed my kitchen
- Packed my lunch and snacks for the next day
- Poured a glass of wine
The point is that we will always fill our days no matter the number of children or commitments that we have. We get more efficient without even realizing it. Five years ago, I had no need to clean my kitchen in 10 minutes or less. But now, that is the time I have so I make it work. Moms adapt!
Soon I’ll be sharing with you on ways that I’ve found to improve efficiency at home and in my work. But, first I want to hear from you.
How have you become more efficient since having children? And, what areas did you improve in or cut back on without even realizing it? Where do you still struggle?
