“Today, I achieved no less than 67 tasks. And I'm sure every parent will relate.”

Yep, this is just an average day in the life of a parent…

5.15am: I spend 10 minutes mentally running through the day ahead. Philip and Caterina need sports uniforms today, but not Giovanni. Where did I put his tie? Task 1: Planning.

5.30am: I swing my legs out of bed and flick on the heater in the hall to warm up the house before the kids wake up. That’s Task 2, quickly followed by Tasks 3, 4 and 5 when I plug their iPods into chargers.

I iron Giovanni’s shirt and lay out uniforms, shoes, socks and undies. I make coffee and start unpacking, then repacking their school bags. Rubbish comes out, I fill up their water bottles, add fruit to brown bags and pack lunches which have been made the night before. Oh, and I check my emails and messages while I use the toilet.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by the Australian Government Department of Human Services, but all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.

 

6am: Coffee in hand, I turn the shower on and call out for Philip who stumbles in. Task 32, completed at 6am.

I have just enough time to post some story ideas for work, feed the dog and quickly edit an article I need to send in as all three kids use the toilet and have showers.

Then, breakfast.

8am: Time to drive the kids to school.

Back home and I need a quick jog to settle my nerves. I take the puppy, Sadie. I put on a load of laundry before I go. Task 44.

8.20am: I arrive home and hang up the laundry before I step into a soothing shower. I make my breakfast and a coffee to replace the one I lost earlier that day and sit down at my computer to get to work. I have one and a half hours before I have to leave for a parent-only appointment for my son – I’d better pay for that. A quick visit to online banking and task 46 is done.

11am: I work and chew and gulp and work until it is time to leave. Two and a half hours later I am leaving the appointment and racing to Coles to buy stuff for tomorrow’s lunches. I shall reward myself with a lunch of rice paper rolls and a green juice. I’m trying to be healthier. Note to self—online grocery shopping would make life easier.

1pm: I eat and drink while driving home. When I pull into the driveway I quickly check my emails and messages again before I even get out of the car. I eventually get inside and more laundry goes up. I then madly tidy the house which still looks a mess after our morning routine. I make the kids’ beds – does that count as one task or three?

Back to work. I have a uni assignment due and uni is not going well so I really try and focus. Thankfully I can submit this online, which will save some time.

3.10pm: My babies are almost home. The bus pulls up and I follow the kids into the house, bending down to pick up school bags, hats, shoes and socks that have been left down the hallway. Task 53.

3.30pm: It’s snack time. Philip wants corn on the cob, Giovanni wants another toasted cheese sandwich, Caterina wants corn thins with butter. Task 54, 55 and 56 done.

I get stuck into work again with the hour we have before Taekwondo then soccer training. I get up every few minutes to make dinner. Crumbed chicken drumsticks, mashed potato and cabbage. Then I grab the kids’ Taekwondo bags, belts, water bottles and the boys’ soccer gear for later.

4.30pm: My friend and I power walk while the kids do their lesson. Then the kids are out and we are back in the car. The boys put on their soccer gear and we race home to pick up our dog and head to the soccer field. The boys run off to find their teams and Caterina starts walking Sadie.

7pm: After soccer it’s back home for dinner and the kids descend on the food like a pack of angry wolves. I am so busy putting food on plates and filling up water glasses that I give up on sitting down and start eating from the kitchen bench. I start washing dishes as they finish eating and then wander off to fold laundry while watching Masterchef.

8.30pm: The kids sit down to do homework while I pack their lunches the next day. I help Giovanni with sentences and soon it’s pyjamas on and teeth brushing time. I read stories to Giovanni and Caterina and then they crawl into bed, complaining that they aren’t tired. I tell them to pipe down and go to sleep. Task 67, doneski.

And the day’s not even over yet…

Is one of your daily tasks catering for fussy eaters? Then you’ll get this…

What’s your typical day like?

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