"Beat the children"

When I woke up this morning, I tried really hard to hit my internal snooze button. But since it something that doesn't really exist, just me trying hard to ignore the fact that I have to leave the sweet comfort of my Ikea comforter, I kept tossing and turning.

Then my mental "to-do" list program kicked on and I knew it useless. So my game of "beat the children" began.

To explain: last week at Mom's Group, someone asked for tips on how to manage the parallel universes of "Mom: the one who spends time with her kids" and "Mom: the one who manages all things household." One of the suggestions came in the form of trying to beat the kids out of bed. Getting out of bed, showering, getting dressed, and maybe enjoying one cup of coffee before their little voices start to demand our attention.

Somehow that all got twisted in my brain and became a game of "beat the children."

I have won for the past three days. I don't always get my cup of coffee (because I am worried that the coffee grinder will wake Fuller), but I still get showered and dressed.

And it really makes a difference in my productivity. I know that it goes back to the Flylady philosophy of lacing up my shoes, which is something I need to explore again, now that I am "Mom: the one who manages all things household (except bills and major repairs)."

Since being home I have struggled with the balance crossing items off my to-do list, playing with Fuller, and attending outside the home activities. And I admit, I have had a bit of a struggle stepping away from the computer as well. Since I was used to being in front of the computer 8 hours a day, it was a difficult adjustment when I started to stay at home.

The other day a friend of mine had an epiphany and wrote a rather convicting blog post about it. So I decided to buckle down and keep to a specific schedule and reward program. I am starting with the "beat your children" and sticking to my guns on the computer time only from 8 am to 9:30, during Fuller's nap, and after Fuller is in bed.

However, the computer is also the reward. I can only get on the computer during naptime if I have three items on my to-do list checked off. (Today I cleaned Fuller's room, started the laundry, and went to Mom's group.)

I'll see how this goes. Fuller is awake now, so the laptop needs to sleep.