Getting stuff done when you have young kids

discobolus_ · 2017-07-02T12:29:20+00:00

Sometimes the best thing for kids is to see their old man owning his shit. If that means a lost weekend to paint the trim, so be it.

fuckmrp · 2017-07-02T13:36:41+00:00

Divide and conquer bro(time and tasks) 5am - noon get shit done. 12 - 4 kiddo activity with or without mom. 5pm - 8pm get shit done. 8pm - 10pm dinner/ wifey time, 10pm - 11pm deadlifts.

I dont run this kind of schedule regularly but sometimes its the only way.

Considering your first excuse is boo hoo im tired. Start by fixing your weak ass frame.

Side note: do you think your wife is concerned about you working all the time like you're concerned about her? Whos frame are we in?

InvincibleKraken · 2017-07-02T12:30:04+00:00

How young are the kids? Get them playing outside and/or helping you while you work. There is almost always something the kids can do.

What is your diet like? You've made a bunch of excuses--low energy being one of them. Clean up your diet and get enough sleep.

Make the weekends fun. You can paint the windows over two weekends. Paint in the morning and early afternoon and surprise the family with a trip to a park for a picnic (that you've prepared) and a hike or a swim.

Your wife won't care as much if she sees you actually taking care of things. My guess is you come home from work, sit on the couch all night, then complain on the weekend that you "would love" to get things done but "it's not fair" to leave her with the kids, and you're really tired anyway. Guess what? So is every other man on this subreddit...but we lead our families by planning and doing. So, make your plan and do it.

Triadis3 · 2017-07-02T08:48:23+00:00

Pay someone else to do it? What's your time worth?

GargantuaBlarg29 · 2017-07-02T12:35:55+00:00

Last time I was changing the brakes, the kids were playing out front. I called them over and asked them how they thought the car stopped when we were driving down the road. I explained to them what they were looking at (rotor, etc) and that the brake pads clamp down on this, slowing the rotor and thus wheel. Then I showed them how everything was put on.

How much did they understand? Probably 10% of it. How much did they understand before though. 0%.

ragnorak71 · 2017-07-02T11:15:44+00:00

Get the kids involved, mine are more practical than I ever was at their age but we get it done and have a real chuckle, wife always joins in and it ends up being a good day. end it with a nice meal/movie and you have a good weekend and shit gets done. This has become a proper little win for me and a real turnaround from where we were as a family.

rp_findingmyway · 2017-07-02T11:30:43+00:00

I don't think you have to look at it all linearly as work all day on the weekends on projects or nothing.

Most projects can be broken down into several smaller parts. How about painting windows/repairing the deck/doing other projects from 8 am to 11 am on Saturdays, with the balance devoted to family and such? Might mean it's a several week project, but you'll be making steady progress on a respectable path.

AmericanViking64 · 2017-07-02T16:38:36+00:00

I fight a similar battle in that I work 50 hours 6 days a week doing a lot of physical work and I'm beat as soon as I come home. Everything hurts and no energy.

You just have to suck it up and get started. Overcome the temptation to sit down with the kids. Just think of it the same as going to the gym when you don't want to. The initial get up and go is the hardest for me.

slappysq · 2017-07-02T19:38:16+00:00

Early mornings are when shit gets done.

kamenr · 2017-07-02T19:39:35+00:00

I have the time with kids blocked in on the calendar. It's persistently scheduled.

As the kids get a little older they can help with DIY. Maybe you can find something for them to paint on the side as you work. I recall having the four year old help me with painting and other tasks.

thebionicmandrake · 2017-07-04T17:36:18+00:00

I've struggled with this a lot and what I want to say is that spending time with your kids IS getting shit done. Yes it's important for them to see you productive around the house on the weekends, but it's also important for you to hang with them and just play. Play dates help a lot. Having their friends over keeps the kids happy and busy. Plus you get to hear them laughing and having fun. Helping out. Yes my kids are very "helpful" and can make a job take 2x as long as it should. Keep them running errands and getting shit for you, soon enough they'll fade and go play on their own. Midday trip for lunch and playground is a great idea. A lot of times on the weekend I kick my wife out of the house for s while. She's a SAHM. I get her to go for coffee, walks, see friends. I love having the kids at these times.

Title	Getting stuff done when you have young kids
Author	Grahambell35
Upvotes	3
Comments	13
Date	July 2, 2017 8:16 AM UTC (9 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askMRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/askMRP/comments/6ks8sr/getting_stuff_done_when_you_have_young_kids/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askMRP/getting-stuff-done-when-you-have-young-kids.205919 https://theredarchive.com/post/205919

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