Juggling Work and Home
Posted by Peggy Hambright on 28 Jan 2009 | Posted in: Life After School
One thing I have always admired about teachers is their ability to juggle so many things at once. In the classroom, we are grading papers, planning lessons, and dealing with all the events and emotions that come with 26 to 30 students. Then, at home, many of us are managing a household with meals to cook, rooms to clean, and maybe even children to take care of. I, like you, have become very adept at finding shortcuts to getting dinner on the table. I began to depend on slow cooker recipes. One of my favorite recipes is this one:
Hearty Chicken Picante Soup
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I also found a few housecleaning shortcuts that helped me keep my home, well, if not spotless, at least neat and orderly. For instance, every morning before I left for school, I did what I called a quick “clean sweep.” I simply walked through the house picking up books, mail, and anything else that was out of place and returning it to its rightful place. Or, if I couldn’t get it to the right place before work, I would put it in a basket next to the door as a reminder to put it in its rightful place once I got home. In fact, the “clean sweep” is something I still do every morning.
How about you? What shortcuts have you found to help you balance work and home? What recipes do you use to make your life easier? Won’t you please share some ideas with us?
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Check out flylady online, it has been really helpful to me. As far as cooking goes, fish cooks quickly and is so healthy, a salad and baked potato with refrigerated rolls has saved me on many nights. I also use the crockpot.
I am a kindergarten teacher and have a husband to take care of. I applaud those of you who have small children and are able to manage. I don’t have any children and sometimes feel overwhelmed with cooking and cleaning. One item that I have put all my trust in is my SLOW COOKER. Thanks to whoever invented that. I gather all the items needed the night before and just plop it in before I walk out the door. My favorite recipe is steak over spaghetti. I cook the spaghetti the night before or when I come home since it doesn’t take long. You get steaks I usually use Delmonico’s but any steak will work. You place the steaks in the crookpot then you cover them with 2 cans of Italian Stewed Tomatoes (any flavor you like but the Garlic one is divine). You then place the lid on and let it cook on Low setting till you come home. Then just heat up your spaghetti and pour the steak/tomato mixture on top.
I am a kindergarten teacher and my husband is a full time nursing student, and he also works part time. We have 4 children ages, 16, 15, 13, and 11. When they were younger, and I needed to be both teacher, wife and Mom more than full time I relied on a book called: “Once a month cooking”. It was a miracle. I would make my list, shop in the morning, and then clean and cut up everything in the afternoon. My husband took care of the kids during this time. The next day was spent putting all of the meals into the freezer. That way I would take out the meal in the morning to thaw, and it would be placed in the oven when I got home and done in time for everyone. Later I was able to get an oven with a timer, so I would set the timer to start the oven, and place the frozen dish in the oven, so it was ready when we got home.
It takes a whole weekend to prepare every thing, but well worth it when you are wiped out after teaching. Good luck to all! It is possible. I also have the quicker picker up basket that I use every morning. It helps.
Now that my children are older, they are all given jobs. They need to learn responsibility.
I am a full time kindergarten teacher with two
children at home. One son is 13 the other is 2. I have been overwhelmed by all the responsibilities and had been talking about hiring help to clean the house. My 13 year old was wishing he could earn money so we sat down and worked out a deal that he would be my weekly house cleaner. I make a list of things I want done and he has to do all of them in order to get paid. This has been amazing! My son is learning to clean and care for a home and I have more time. He even does the dishes! It has been great to see him grow and become more responsible.
I am a home childcare provider also. I am licensed for 24-hour care. I presently do first and second shifts, and i go to school. having dinner on the table every night is deffintely my challenge. HELP!!
The slow cooker thing sounds like a winner!
I loved the ideas above, and have two more thoughts. Since I began working again, I can’t wait for the “perfect” time, or even a “good time” to do things. I just have to start cleaning, or whatever,with what time I have. Getting something done is better than nothing. Also, if I have errands to run on Sunday afternoon, I’ll take one child with me and go get a special drink, or something else simple and special along with running the errand. My kids get one-on-one time with me, and they feel special, even if we’re just going to get laundry soap and dog food at Target.
One thing I try to do at home that I find helps me is I space out my “house work”- I try to do at least one “cleaning” thing each day instead of piling it all up for the weekend (which I began to dread!). When I come home I might sweep, or fold/put away laundry, or clean the bathroom, etc. I find that if I do one thing each day, I’m not overwhelmed and there is less to do when Saturday rolls around. I really like the clean sweep idea too!
I run an in home childcare and am always short on time. I have found doubling recipes and freezing half for another day REALLY saves time…and money. Often meat is cheaper when you buy more.