Fitting "Most" of It All In

well walking can be done with the child in a stroller thus a change of scenery for the both of you. It helps trust me my daughter is 2 and we both get cabin fever and live in such a small town that there is not local store such as walmart. So any shopping has to be a drive of at least 10-15 minutes. But I have a harder issue I'm a stay at home mom with number two on the way along with being a full time student. I understand how hard it is to get things done.

Take advantage of daddy get him to distract little one. I found while my daughter was little that my dogs made very good babysitters. They are very intelligent and gentle with her and would not let her get into trouble. Hence I could do dishes while she was on the floor. I also found some of the baby movies helped a lot. Such as baby einstein they would keep her calm. As for the phone and computer I fixed that by giving her her very own. She has a toy phone and copies me while I'm talking on the phone. She likes to put her little computer next to mine and watch what I'm doing.

Don't dwell on what doesn't get done that got me into bad moods for a very long time. I'm just now realizing I do get a lot done even if it doesn't seem like it. Laundry is never ending and so is cleaning so only do so much at a time. when cleaning I focus on accomplishing one thing at a time usually one room a day. But do try to schedule time to just relax and enjoy something even if its only for 5-10 minutes.

Try to involve your child as much as possible.
Everything takes more time with a 14 month old but gets impossibe otherwise.

When my son was 14 months, I would have him "help" with laundry (mostly playing with a couple of towels in the hamper and in my arms to push the start button), the cleaning (he had a mini brush, a mini broom, a paper towel...). All house chores tuned into play. Longer but at least some got done!

Same for the workout. You can either (depending on your child) exercise together (let's run, arms up, ...) or do the mammy-and-child kind of work-out (where the baby is used as the weight for strength training!)

The nap time is then reserved for things that you absolutely cannot do with your baby (emails, shower). I have some friends having their baby in a high-chair or small rocking chair in the bathroom while they shower, but in my opinion, this removes all the "get relax under the water" magic time of the day!

Depending on your schedule, the other way to go is to wake up 1-2 hours before your kid does, get the work out and shower while he/she still sleeps. My son used to get up VERY early (around 5), so this wasn't an option for me, but now they both work around 7, so I'm trying to get up earlier.

If you have someone who can help you (your husband in the evening...), then take this time either to go to the gym or to your back room and get things done. It it gets part of your routine, your child will miss you less and daddy-baby time will give them precious memories.

I am a stay-at-home mom with an almost 4 year old son and 2-1/2 year old daughter. My husband works full-time. So, this is my daily routine: I get up between 5:30 and 6 to work out on the elliptical, be showered, make-up on, hair done, dressed, and the first cup of coffee drank before my kids get up. Then, I make a list of everything I need to do that day; breakfast, make beds, dress kids, son to school at 11:00, etc, etc. My son is at preschool from 11 to 2 every day. Usually my daughter takes a 1-1/2 hour nap and that is when I have time to do e-mails, phone calls, etc. It is not easy. Our house is always picked up as I am constantly picking things up but not near as clean as I would like. My husband is good about giving me time to take care of things while he tends to the kids.
I wish you the best. It's difficult to figure out how to take of everything without losing it. You can only do so much in a day and that's all you can do!

At this age well its hard because they want you to play with. Some kids being more independent or not.

But keep to a routine. Daily. Over time, the child WILL get used to it.
For example: in my usual day, which is a lot like yours... my kids KNOW that at certain times I have "Mommy" things to do, and that that is when they play on their own. Sure I am around and supervise them... and I know their limits/abilities and attention spans, and I know and can predict when they will call me. I also KNOW how long I have.
But, when I announce "Okay Mommy has to work now... or do chores..." my kids know. They know that is when I am "busy." I PROMPT them, verbally. They know. BECAUSE it is a "routine" that "we" do.

Also, as my Hubby says: we all revolve around our kids. Sure, its the way it is. BUT... kids need to understand as they get older, that there is "adult time" too. Whereby the Parents do things around the house, or just do work. And then the child, will learn to respect that. For example: when he was growing up, at a certain time of the day, the kids would be prompted to stay in the playroom... when Mom was cooking dinner for example. It then brought sanity to the daily things the Mom had to do... and it taught the kids to respect that and to play independently. That some things just had to get done, and that they ALL cooperate and "help" in the daily scheme of things. AND... I am one who rushes around doing things too... major rushing around. Like you. Trying to do EVERYTHING before my kids call me or whatever. My Husband, being a "man" says to me: "The kids got used to you being there for every little thing even if they can do it themselves, and you taught them that... and you rush around like a mad-woman constantly & get stressed.... BUT the kids have to learn to just WAIT sometimes. And that you CANNOT be there for the constant little whims of theirs...." So... that is my lesson. He tells me: just tell the kids to wait. You are busy. They are fine. Its not an emergency. Its not going to damage them... just tell them no or wait.
And he has a point.
So I DO tell my kids "Mommy is busy.. you need to wait..." And they know that now. LOL

So, when he gets older, he can learn that. But you need to have a routine... so the child gets used to it and understands that. Realistically, we Moms CANNOT give our every second to our child. We have daily work/chores/responsibilities to do around the home. Both Mom and Dad. This doesn't mean leaving the kids by themselves, nor all the time... but 'teaching' them that everyone has a role.
And when he gets older, he can do things too, to "help."

Babies/toddlers go through a phase where yes, they don't want you to be on the phone or computer or anything... and they grab everything and type on the computer and get clingy. Both my kids did that too. So, you just try to distract them.

BUT if you have a routine about daily living habits, the child WILL realize that... and when older, they will know it. My kids KNOW like auto-pilot, that at certain times I do certain things around the house. All I need to do is announce that, and then I go and do it. I "cue" them. They understand. It brings lots more sanity to the whole daily rush of things. Things that Mommy has to do and cannot avoid.

All the best,
Susan

When my kids were little and I was a SAHM I came up with a daily duties routine. I had things to do in the morning and in the afternoon. I included nap time and meals and park time. Just try to list some things to do each day and before you know it it becomes a routine and you can do more or less and keep a nice clean home and have me time. I usually took a nap with baby but then again we didn't have computers back then and emails to check all day long. As the book says don't sweat the small stuff. When you see something fall pick it up and keep going. Good luck to you. The other S.

You could start showering at night while your child is in bed for the night. Then you can shave and do all that other fun stuff without rushing. When you're done, then check your emails, FaceBook, Mamapedia, whatever. Also, if you like to walk, I would take a stroller and go outside. Where you live in California, the weather is probably lovely for walks. (I live in Maine where there's snow and it's really cold outside.) So I would use that two hour naptime to make phone calls that you can't make at night because offices are closed. And during the day, clean up little by little as you walk from room to room. That way you won't need to superclean. I hope this helps. This is just what I usually do. Although, with the shower, I just take my one and a half year old in with me. Yes, she's a girl, but I used to do that with my boys, So, I hope these little tips help!

It's a constant struggle for any mom I think, but you need to look at what things can fall by the wayside. With my first, he started showering with me at around 15 mths, and at first I had to sit on the bath floor while I washed my hair and such, but he eventually got the idea that he needed to stay sitting.

For cleaning, grab a green cleaner (7th gen, Mrs. Meyers...), an extra spray bottle with water and his own little sponge. Let him 'help' you.

As for the gym, I don't intend on sounding rude, but what's wrong with the childcare? If it's dirty or you have had issues with the staff in the past, bring it up to the manager. Otherwise, try it a time or two. He needs the social interaction, even at this age, and even without parent. Yes, every childcare center is a petri dish, but it's ok!

I found that baby sign language DVD's kept my kids' attention the best, I think I have 3 or 4 and rotate. And, again don't mean to sound rude, but he's at the age where you can start disciplining especially if you are on the phone or whatever. Or start by giving him a few pretzels in his chair while you make the call. If he whines, tell him sternly that you are on the phone and he needs to be quiet. If my 15 mth old continues after some gentle prodding to be quiet, I give her a little pinch on the back of the hand.

Sorry for the length, but I was the same way for awhile. You can not continually put your child first, he needs to learn boundaries, and it can start at this age. It will seem like a daunting task as first, but you need to stay on top of it. I could go on and on, but I won't! Good luck!