|
Multi-Tasking Mum…
(….or how to get out of the house in time)
By Rachel Newcombe
“Mum, where are my shoes?”
“Everyone, out to the car. We’re leaving now....I said NOW.”
“Mummy, I need to go to the toilet.”
When it comes to multi-tasking, women are supposed to be the superior sex. But faced with a screaming baby, young children needing attention and plans that seem to unravel by the second, it’s no wonder some mums get stressed when they’re trying to meet deadlines and get out of the house in time.
Many mums have busy lives to lead, not least when going out to work and coping with the demands of a young family. In fact, 55% of mums with under-fives work and mums make over 40% more trips a year than men, ferrying children around to nurseries, playgroups or other activities. Even if you have an organised schedule to die for, things can quickly veer off course, leaving you with last minute and unexpected scenarios to deal with.
So here are some tips on becoming a super-duper multi-tasking mum (and the envy of other frazzled mums), ready to tackle any situation life throws at you!
Forgetting to pack the changing bag
You’ve survived the morning madness and they’re all in the car. Halfway down the road reality hits: you’ve forgotten to pack the changing bag.
Solution: After all the palaver of getting the kids in the car and ensuring they’ve got everything, don’t let on that now you’ve forgotten something! Do a quick three-point turn and nip back home to pick it up. Why not put the changing bag near the front door, so you can collect it on your way out next time?
Losing your car keys at the last minute
Everyone is dressed, ready and at the door, but you can’t find your car keys. Cue a major panic and frantic searching!
Solution: Without looking worried, get the kids involved and pretend it’s a treasure hunt. To avoid future key hunting fiascos, buy yourself a key rack where you can hang your keys and know where they are ( www.grandillusions.co.uk sell a wire key rack for only £5.50). Even easier and cheaper, buy a whistling keyring (£2.50 from www.blueskymarketing.co.uk, Tel: 0870 321 7888), attach it to your car keys and whistle to find them!
Your baby is sick at the last moment
You’ve got your best clothes on, everything is organised and you’re ready to go out....then baby is sick all over you and herself.
Solution: Smelling of baby sick isn’t quite the image you’d intended to create, and it could make you memorable for the wrong reasons, so you’ve got to change your clothes before you go. Be philosophical about it – this is what babies do after all – and go back upstairs to clean and change her. Then give yourself a quick wash, spray on a drop of perfume, throw on fresh clothes and head back out of the door, head held high.
Your car seat takes ages to fit
Which bit goes where? Where does it do up? Car seats are great but, like flat-pack furniture, they can be a nightmare to put together. And it always goes wrong when you’re in a hurry...
Solution: Multi-tasking mums know when to delegate – and fitting car seats is always a good job for your other half. Give him a challenge he’ll relish: showing how good he is with his hands. If that fails, do the obvious and leave the car seat permanently in the car, so there’s no mad last minute fiddling to master.
Not another dirty nappy
You’re on top of things, organised and feeling good. You even begin to wonder if you’ve finally got to grips with this multi-tasking lark. But before your eyes, your clean and tidy baby develops a bad case of diarrhoea.
Solution: A dirty nappy at the wrong moment is never good, but this seems dire. There’s no time to contemplate what caused it, super-duper mum has to leap into gear, and clean it up in super quick time.
Not having enough petrol in the car
The car stutters and starts, then conks out completely. Whether you’re halfway there or haven’t left the driveway, running out of petrol is a nightmare scenario.
Solution: If you’re a member of the AA (or similar) and have Home Start cover, they’ll probably give you enough to get you to the nearest garage, but running right out of fuel isn’t good for your car. If you aren’t, now’s a time to put ‘phone a friend’ into action. Try and make it a rule never to let the needle on the fuel gauge dip into the red; you could enlist your other half to keep an eye on it for you.
You’re hopeless at waking up
You’ve been up several times in the night and finally get to sleep just as the day is dawning. Far too soon it’s time to wake up, but it’s a battle to keep your eyes open and stop dozing off.
Solution: Help is at hand! BT offer a reminder call service, which works like a hotel alarm call. The phone rings at your chosen time and you have to answer it to make it stop. You can book a daily or one-off reminder. It costs 20p per use or £1.75 per month (order online at www.bt.com).
Your ‘other baby’ is wrecking your schedule
Not content with having one baby in the family, your other half is acting like one too. Really useful contributions like, “There’s no clean shirts,” and, “I need a packed lunch,” are being thrown at you in all directions. Doesn’t he realise you’ve got enough to do already?
Solution: Don’t be afraid to show him the ironing board or let him loose in the kitchen! Make a stand, use your well-honed delegation skills and show him who’s in charge.
Morning Time Savers
Save time and avoid a mad rush in the morning, by using these handy time saving tips!
* Empty the dishwasher the night before and have clean crockery ready.
* Lay the kitchen table with the breakfast things the night before.
* Choose which clothes you and your kids will wear in advance, and hang them up ready to put on.
* Set your alarm clock, watch and kitchen clock 10-15 minutes earlier, so you’re working ahead of schedule.
* For an at-a-glance reminder that Tuesday is playgroup day or Thursday is parent and toddler group, colour-code your calendar using highlighter pens.
* If you need to prepare snacks or drinks for your children, do it the day before and pop them in the fridge overnight (and stick a post-it-note somewhere to remind you to take them out!).
* Bathe kids the night before, to save time in the morning.
* Learn to prioritise. It’s not a disaster if you can’t do the washing up before you get out of the house.
* Make schedule plans and let everyone know what time you need to leave – and stick to it.
| 
