I once saw an eCard on Pinterest that said,”Yay! It’s the weekend!!!! Oh wait, I’m a mom.”
It’s the truth though, right? We love our children (of course) but it’s so CRAZY on the weekends and all I (sometimes) want is to have the newlywed weekend back! Do you remember those? Brunch at a hip new restaurant, staying out late on Friday night and SLEEPING IN. Watching football all day on Sundays (maybe doing some laundry and cooking to get by). Those were the days….
Trying to tackle the weekend when you have so many things to do, places to go, people to see, it’s nearly impossible to do it all AND enjoy the little moments with your kids that you miss during the week while you’re at the office!
As a working mom, during the week I try to get as much done that doesn’t need to be with the kids, as possible (ie: laundry, food shopping, etc). This allows me to have more time to spend enjoying time as a family, going to the park, a playdate, birthday party or just hanging out and playing at our house! We’re never going to get these moments back, so I need to enjoy all of them!
Not Enough Time on the Weekends
It’s the age-old conundrum, there’s just not enough time in the day and not enough days in the weekend. I feel the pressure every Sunday to check more items off my to-do list, and feel exhausted at the same time. It wasn’t that long ago that weekends used to be relaxing and Sundays were super lazy. After having 2 kids, and still working full-time, that changes things dramatically. Life now on the weekends is full of swim lessons, birthday parties, playdates, food shopping, laundry and if we’re lucky, a date night. Using this free printable really helps me prioritize, and I hope it helps you too!
I’m not that much different from any other working mom – I get the guilt ridden feeling every morning dropping the kids off at daycare, but then remind myself, they will grow up with a strong female role model that goes to a job she loves everyday and contributes to the household in a meaningful way (for me anyway). This is NOT knocking SAHM’s because I have LOTS of friends that stay at home and I know their jobs are just as hard. Being on maternity leave cemented that for me, for sure!
To help you get through and win the weekend – I’ve got some helpful tips for my mom tribe. I tried to break it out so you focus on your family, yourself and tips to maximize time with your kids, because we all know, the weekend is our precious golden time with our little ones before Monday morning hits.
Also, download here the FREE Weekend To-Do List Printable:
Tips to Surviving the Weekend:
- Plan ahead on Friday night with your partner, so you’re both on the same page.
- Keep a running list of groceries needed. We use the Wunderlist app (my hubby and I can access it in real time, sooo helpful!)
- Plan outings around nap time if you can.
- Set aside time for yourself (either during nap or quiet time) for housework or (in my case, blogging!)
- Prioritize activities for the following week, looking ahead helps me prep and feel organized.
When I think about all of the things I “need to do” on the weekend, for the most part, half of it gets done (in all honesty) because at the end of the day, my kids and my husband come first. I cherish these moments, and days and I know they’re never going to be the same.
So while we try to be all things to all people, us working moms need to take a break, unload the dishwasher and then play with the kids before putting on another load of laundry. At least that’s what I do. Or, just watch the whole freakin’ Disney movie, because you want to.
We’ve got this.
xoxo, Lauren