I've been trying to implement a fair number of changes in my life over the last few weeks and months. Working out on a regular basis, changing my eating habits, spending more time going places with the girls, making sure I set aside some time for me so I don't go insane. These are all things that I'm happy about, proud of myself for, things I want to continue doing. My issue right now is finding the time and the proper balance for all of these things.
For example, there for a while I was doing really well at keeping the house under control. I managed to keep everything fairly clean, none of the rooms were out of control, the laundry was always manageable. But it seemed that while that was all good and well, my kids were spending a lot to time in front of the TV and when I did have an hour or so to do whatever, I was so worn out that I didn't even think about working out but rather plopped onto the couch with a bag of popcorn and a soda and flipped on an episode of whatever TV show I happened to be in the middle of.
What I've noticed recently, however, is almost a complete 180 going on. I've been working out regularly, spending more time with my girls, heading to the park when it's not too hot and heading to the mall when it is, eating a cut-up cantaloupe and drinking water instead of popcorn and soda. While the kitchen used to be my nemesis, now it's what stays the cleanest for the most part--mostly because if I'm going to eat properly, I need a clean space to work in. But the rest of the house has kind of fallen to the wayside. The living room is constantly a mess, the floor is covered in dog hair (which used to never happen) and I can't find an empty laundry basket because they're all filled with clean folded clothes that I haven't bothered to put away.
So here's my thing: how do I find the balance in all of this? How do I find the time to get everything I want to get done done and not run myself completely ragged? What and how do I prioritize my day-to-day activities? Is it okay to let the housework slide a little bit to make way for better health? Is letting the kids watch The Land Before Time three times instead of two worth the extra hour's worth of housework I can get done?
How do I balance being a good mom, a good housewife and just me?
Schedule. Get on a routine. Make one or two days a week laundry day. On laundry day you take the girls out to the park, you go do stuff, you come home and play with them while you do the laundry. But you remember to switch it around and put it away. Make one big cleaning thing a priority each day, work out at the same time every day, plan your meals ahead and make one day a week a prep day for food so meals don't take so long. Scheduling is your friend. I am learning this the hard way
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