Stay at home moms..... could use your opinion!?

Question

Okay so every morning, I like to get my man off to work and I creep around the house trying not to wake up my little man, because I REALLY enjoy having my coffee in the morning alone while i'm online.... my problem is I GET STUCK!!! It seems I can't ever get off this thing! He'll wake up I'll make him breakfast then i'm sucked right back in it's becoming an addiction it seems!! I have to shut it down completely in order to get something done.... my question is how do you motivate yourself?? and is your house "spotless" my house is well lived in, it's not thrashed, I've seen other houses that make my house look immaculate! I keep my kitchen the cleanest but the rest of my house I seem to let go and it's usually toys, it's not nasty by any means, i'm just curious how you motivate yourself? do you get things done you intend to everyday? I seem to have a hard time getting myself going and staying busy.....

Answer 1

Maybe try to prioritize your day.  Don't jump on here first thing to read your email in the morning with your coffee.  Try reading a chapter in a book in the kitchen with your coffee.  Then maybe while you're there you will be inspired to do some housework or something.  lol

Maybe set a limit on yourself that you have to get things A, B and C done before you can turn on the computer.  Or a time perhaps.  I can't use my computer until noon.

I say this all, but you see where I'm sitting.  It's all good in theory!

Answer 2

You have a child, so it's not going to be spotless, but it should be cleaner than those where both parents work outside the home.  

You just have to get off the computer and do other things.  There is no magical thing you can do that will make you do it.

Something you could do is start running around with your kid a lot.  That will get you into shape, and your kid will absolutely LOVE his mommy running around and playing with him.

Please don't do what my neighbor does.  She's a SAHM, and babysits as well.  Those kids are NOT supervised.  She often has no idea that her son is going around the neighborhood, going into people's enclosed porches, many of whom he does not know, asking them if he can mow lawns.  I have no problem with him asking, but she doesn't care enough to, well, care that her son is basically going into strangers' homes.  The kids she babysits are 3 and 4 years old.  Some of them have climbed over her fence, into my yard, and I have never seen these kids before.  Often times it's just one child out alone, and how easy it would be for me to kidnap them.  I tell these children to stay in the yard there.  The mother usually has her head stuck in the TV or computer too much to care what the kids are doing.

Answer 3

Its an addiction. I can't help you though, the cleanest my house has been in a while was when my modem went down and I had to wait on a new one to be delivered. Try shutting down the computer when you finish your coffee and then don't turn it back on until you have done your housework for the day.  

Answer 4

It seems like for every item I check off my list, at least 2 more are added, LOL! Don't beat yourself up, no one's perfect. But it sounds like you need to get out and you are using the net as an escape of sorts. Maybe take your son to the park or even just in your backyard, take walks, etc. And as far as house cleaning, tackle one room at a time. It can be overwhelming. You can even get your little guy to help with some small things, like picking up toys, etc.

Answer 5

I was doing really well for a while and had a good routine going to get things done. Then my son got an ear infection, after that he got a cold, then I got it, dh got it...anyway now my house is a mess again and I can't seem to motivate myself to get it cleaned up again. We have parents as teachers coming tomorrow though so I need to get on it. It's hard to be isolated at home like this and most days, other than dh, the internet is my adult contact. Sad but true.

Answer 6

I tend to have the same issue - other things seem so much more appealing than cleaning.  What i've taught myself to do is use the computer as a reward and do "cleaning spurts".  

I will look at the clock and tell myself that if I clean until (insert time - usually a half hour) I can reward myself with a little bit of computer time or check my e-mail or something to that nature.  Also, get a bunch of bins and get organized (if you need to) so that when you do clean it doesn't take long because you know where everything goes and are not waiting time trying to find or make a place for it.

Answer 7

Basically you do things in moderation. If your child is doing something by himself, playing or whatever then you can come on here, but once hes done you just have to be an adult and mother and remove yourself. As far as house cleaning goes, its your job. All part of being an adult and mom.  

Answer 8

It must be a stay at home mom thing because I find myself doing the same thing.  It's must be our way of communicating with the outside world and not just our kids all day long!

Answer 9

Scheduale the time for you when you child goes to sleep so that u can do things with the baby and you will still have time for yourself

Answer 10

I have 4 children all in elementary school, when they were little I was very strict and my house was to clean, now I don't care so much on the house.  Train your kids to clean up after themselves, several smaller toy boxes work better than one large one this way if they dump a box it is a smaller mess and you sort the boxes cars in one, dolls another, kitchen center ect. it is easier for them to find what they are looking for. Smaller children love to help more than bigger ones, let them make their bed for a little one just getting the pillow at the top of the bed counts, they like to put laundry into baskets, mine even liked to fold and hang up stuff, It doesn't have to be perfect you get help and are teaching them responsibility at the same time and have the excuse if it is not up to someone elses standards that the children worked hard and if you redo it you have messed with their emotional well being.  I had set nap times for mine and would get on the computer then.  I also have a list of what I would like to have done every day,  I have mark off what I get done and my husband will sometimes do a chore or two, what I don't get done I try to do the next day.  People think it is easy to be a stay at home parent, it is the most isolating experence of my life and if it wasn't for the computer I would never feel like I had contact with anyone who didn't involve my children and they are all getting some type of payment when you do talk to them.  Try to make a schedual for him and you, get the time for yourself, I would see about getting your little one in a play group it will get you out of the house and around adults it could be good for both of you I find when I get lonely that is when I have a hard time getting off the computer, I have to force myself to get the kids outside and go play with them it works as a regrouping of sorts then the motivation to do house stuff comes around. (my husband encourages a clean home my mom only shows up unanounced when it is messy)  

Answer 11

I limit myself to the computer only when my son is napping or gone to bed for the night.

If I have to clean or do laundry, I do that right after I've put him down, then "reward" myself with a little computer time.