Interesting… I tend to agree. For me the key point is that workdays are way more predictable. Especially with toddlers, they can change habits every couple of months and you constantly have to reinvent routines. My daughter is 17 months old and she is now transitioning to only taking one nap a day. On Saturday she did not want to sleep in the morning and i thought she would then make a solid nap in the afternoon. She was down for barely 45 min. On Sunday, total opposite. She slept for 1:30 in the morning, then nothing in the afternoon. And it is really hard to fit it what needs to be done. The only solution I found so far is just to break down chores in smaller tasks and do a bit when I have time (kids play quietly or my husband can take over).

I feel the same (resentment about « the good old days » included) and I also did this mindset shift. I keep low expectations for weekends. The only thing that really makes me consider that I had a good weekend is if I managed to sit down for at least 15 minutes, reading my magazine and drinking coffee uninterrupted. And I rather use my commute time during the week for the things I like (reading, listening to podcasts, watching series). I now accepted that it is going to be like that still for a couple of years and it is good to hear from others that there will be more possibilities for more exciting weekends later on. But yes, toddler years are hard! (Never said enough! ;-))

So, I am rethinking what an ideal weekend looks like and am planning to take some time out of the house to myself this weekend. Fingers crossed for a joint nap or two also!

I completely agree, @Erica. I feel like the mess comes alive and taunts me.

I also struggle with my expectations. When I have my kids or husband help me, I’m rarely satisfied with how they complete the task. I know that’s an issue on my end, but sometimes it is just easier to do it myself, on my timeline…but then I feel grumpy about it.

Sigh.

+1 for Emily Oster!

Who else will do them? Future Erica? Certainly not my kid…

I think some of this depends on personal preference – whether you are bothered by physical disorder. Dirty dishes lying around is one thing that gets to me, and leaving them for longer tends to make the problem worse as food cakes on, milk left out goes bad, etc. Maybe I’m just not very good at keeping things tidy *during* the meal.

I think, also, it can be a meditative practice. I listen to a podcast or an audiobook and put my home and my mind in order for the afternoon. It’s more productive (and less likely to drag on for the whole nap) than surfing the web.

Yes! Emily Oster would be a great guest! Between her new book and her last one, she’d have lots of really relevant ideas for your listeners.

@Marthe – love this 🙂