About how to manage everything at home) I've already learned that everyone has their own definition…

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About how to manage everything at home) I've already learned that everyone has their own definition of 'managing everything.' But the issue of cooking itself has been quite pressing for all 15 years I've been on this forum: many women are almost offended when their husband suggests they can also cook while at home with a baby. Yes, days can be different if the baby isn't calm, but there are dishes that take only 5-10 minutes of active time. Marinating chicken legs or any meat in the morning for a couple of minutes, and then tossing it in the oven by lunch – that's another minute and a half. A salad or side dish can be prepared when your husband gets home if you didn't find a moment during the day – it won't take much time in most cases. Let's say you don't have an oven or its alternatives (I haven't encountered this, but let's assume): cutlets take minimal time if the mince is thawed in advance. I come home after a night shift, put bread to soak, and while I'm taking off my uniform and starting to fix my face... A couple of minutes to mix the mince and another 5 minutes to form the cutlets. While they're frying, I finish getting ready. Voilà: the main meal is ready, and I can calmly go to sleep). There's an even simpler and faster option that my husband likes: just quickly fry the mince, add a few types of canned beans, spices, and simmer a bit (I call it 'food for large breed dogs')). And these are all quick options. Yes, if the family is large, cooking this quickly won't work, but those who complain most often have only one child. P.S. Delivery is probably wonderful and has its own charm) It's just that where I live, they mainly deliver fast food, and I find it easier to keep that in my freezer as a backup. You can buy ready-made meals, but 1) it's not economically viable (and during maternity leave, this is especially important for those who aren't standard 'Babyru millionaires' 😂) and 2) personally, I just prefer to eat what I cooked myself (not out of squeamishness, but because of the taste)), even if it's something 'quickly thrown together.' My husband, by the way, didn't mind cooking something quick himself if I was swamped with the baby and didn't have time (provided there was thawed meat), it just turned out in practice that I could manage it myself.
This topic has been brewing for a while, especially since many are noticing how the behavior of some…
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Kristina
I totally agree with you 👍
I also sometimes cook quick meals after work) We live in a village and there's simply no delivery here)
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Kristina At one point, I even thought something was wrong with me because I could cook something no matter what! Frozen convenience foods are more often used when you consciously don't feel like cooking today, rather than because you don't have time)
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Kristina
Kristina I have a constant aversion 🤣 because the whole family are gluttons and troglodytes 🤣
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Kristina
It doesn't bother me at all... If I don't manage, I don't manage... The sky won't fall.
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Agapitova Anya
Besides cooking, there are other household chores.
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Efremova Evgeniya
I honestly don't understand how someone can't cook. I'm expecting my third child, maybe I'll test it with them, I'm actually curious. It was like this with my first two, but I was just lazy, or I was lying around, or I went for a walk
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Kristina I just eat it myself)) Don't have time to feed myself? Why would I?)
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Kristina That's why I specifically mentioned the family composition) We don't have many eaters, but most people who don't have time to cook anything while on maternity leave have the same number of eaters)
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Agapitova Anya Yes. But since I'm used to eating every day, cooking is my priority) If I mop the floor tomorrow, nothing much will change, but if I skip eating tomorrow instead of today... well, that's not a great idea)
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Efremova Evgeniya The purity of the experiment won't be achieved – the first two are old enough to help with cooking, and they can whip up something simple themselves) My daughter has been helping with small things in the kitchen since she was about five – yes, slowly and clumsily, but it also gave me the opportunity to do a little more)
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Mataxari
Sometimes you just don't have the energy to cook, do laundry, or clean. It's such a relief when your partner is understanding and doesn't pressure you about meals, clean clothes, or tidiness. And it's pure bliss if they even help you out with it!
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Olga
Well, I think there are frozen vegetable mixes everywhere for every taste.

Throw them in a pan, add some sauce – and you have your main course. In parallel, you can put rice or any other grain (God bless the inventors of multicookers) or pasta to cook.

Throw the same bag into boiling water, add salt and spices – and you have soup. Frozen meatballs probably exist too, I haven't checked, but you can find them or make them from minced meat and add them to the vegetables.

20 minutes – half an hour maximum.

Miso soup is 10 minutes, really. Yes, it won't be like in a restaurant, but we have a different goal. And maybe it will be even better, depending on luck.

I also taught my kids to make pizza toast. I bake a loaf using a pizza dough recipe in my bread maker. We almost always have it at home because we bake bread daily. You can also always buy bread at the store. I slice it into square pieces.
They spread sauce on it (we have ready-made sauce or I make it ahead of time). They put on whatever toppings they have and cheese. 10 minutes in the oven, everyone's happy.

But I don't have time for everything around the house. My carpet is regularly not very clean, things are lying around somewhere, the garden isn't weeded, not everything is washed or ironed. But I don't care. When I have the time and energy – I tidy up, involving the whole family. We live normally.



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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Olga I'm not great at housework either)) I found a balance for myself: it's never outright messy, but I wouldn't recommend performing surgery on my table either) I usually have unfinished tasks "in the corners": the kitchen cabinets need more attention, any storage spaces, dusty baseboards… But food is the priority) The dishes I wrote about can be prepared even with a baby in one hand, with the right skill)
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Nadezda
Oh, I only ate with my daughter when my husband was home. Otherwise, she was only in my arms, or she would scream.
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Olga
Olga Yes, there's always a stock of quick snacks.

It's the same story with the cabinets. I went on a spree and organized the basement/bomb shelter. We replaced and properly arranged the shelves, got rid of the spiders, and sorted through and threw out unnecessary junk.
We have a big freezer there and supplies – all sorts of pickles, dried fruits, grains, and canned goods. Now I walk around and admire it 😂

All that's left is to do the same everywhere else in the house.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Mataxari The keyword is 'sometimes': in this case, it's useful to keep something in the freezer that doesn't need cooking. And you can't 'nag' me: I'll nag myself much better if I see a reason, but I won't accept such treatment from anyone else. I've worked hard enough on my reputation throughout my life for it to be obvious that if I haven't done anything today, there's a reason for it (whatever it may be)). And I'd hardly live with my husband if he had old-fashioned, patriarchal views: we lived together for about three years before I decided to get pregnant by him.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Olga Oh, I can imagine the scale of the work... I recently bought some adhesive film for cabinets on a whim: I've already cleaned and covered a few of them in the kitchen with protective film. For a while, I'd just open them for no reason just to praise myself again) But I couldn't tackle a whole basement: we go through our garden shed once a year, and that's only with a strong push!)
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Nadezda I can totally manage to eat even with a baby in my arms (you think all these extra pounds appeared out of nowhere?)). And I can make that same ground meat with beans with one hand (even making a sandwich needs two hands, and I'm not willing to sit hungry))
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Nadezda
Nadezda I'm not as capable)
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Nadezda Don't think about yourself like that)) I'm currently with my elbow on my left side, of course, I haven't turned into a lefty yet, but I can do much more with one hand than before... It's a matter of priorities again: either get used to doing things with "my left hand" (literally)), or endure the pain)
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Nadezda
Nadezda Oh, I've gotten so lazy lately, with so many helpers.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Nadezda That's right)) I'm also doing less around the house lately: some for my husband, some for my daughter… And I'm still considered the most overwhelmed because the organization falls on me) But mostly, cooking, laundry, and dusting are still my responsibility, and I delegate everything else effectively)
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Yulichka Sidorik
Oh, I'm so happy I didn't end up with a "domestic invalid" and didn't latch onto a man for support. We don't live in a pigsty now simply because we don't make a mess, and my husband is rarely home. On weekends, or when he gets home early from work, he can easily throw his clothes in the wash, turn on the robot vacuum, and then mop the floors. I wash dishes once a day, wipe up dust/dirt as needed in 10 minutes, and can get back to my own things. At most, I'll cook something simple in 15-20 minutes or start a load of laundry. Once a week, I have the energy for a more thorough cleaning. My husband isn't an invalid in the kitchen either; he can stand at the stove for 10 minutes or an hour, or however long it takes. If he doesn't know something, he'll ask for advice and do it himself. He even shoos me out of the kitchen if we've agreed he's cooking. If we're both too lazy to cook, my husband will calmly bring home takeout or fast food for both of us for dinner and breakfast without any complaints or whining about "you're a woman, you should cook."

Plus, having prepped meals in the freezer really saves the day when you have the energy to cook but not for something elaborate.

After giving birth, we plan to continue living like this. I don't think I'll be up for lengthy cooking or fancy meals anytime soon.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Yulichka Sidorik My husband and I lived together for about three years before I decided to get pregnant. He lived on his own before we met, and his place wasn't a mess. So, from the start, it was clear: we have the same number of arms and legs, so there's no reason to consider any household chores as exclusively women's work (though it's a bit different with men's tasks, of course)).
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Mataxari
Mataxari And what does that have to do with you? I was talking about household chores in general. I believe that sometimes you can just do nothing, for no reason at all. We're not in a competition to see who did more, and we're not at work with an internal boss breathing down our necks.
I think everyone is different. And if cooking is torture for someone, that's their choice. I, for one, don't like washing dishes; I can't stand it. If I can delegate it to someone, I delegate it with a clear conscience. And I don't beat myself up for having half the dishes in the sink. If I feel like it, I'll wash them. If not, who cares, let them sit there.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Mataxari This is a response to your comment: “And how lucky you are if your partner is understanding, doesn't nag you about meals not being cooked, laundry not done, or the house not being cleaned. And it's pure bliss if they even help you with it themselves.” — I don't consider it luck if I'm not nagged. And I don't consider help something to be amazed by at all. Especially considering that a husband isn't just a neighbor who kindly came over to help. The order of the house concerns him too, and he's not helping me, he's helping himself)
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Yulichka Sidorik
Yulichka Sidorik This is so us! Initially, I was the one who was clueless about household chores in our relationship. I always lived with my mom, so we mostly cooked together (I didn't even know how to cook meat), and I only started doing laundry myself when I was already living with my husband. Well, washing the floors and wiping dust is something everyone can probably do. I learned little by little, and at most, I could ask my mom or grandma for advice. I once called my mom asking, "Do I need to wash ground meat?" 😅

My husband, on the other hand, has lived alone since he was 15. He always did his own laundry, cooking, and cleaning. He lived in a village and could even slaughter livestock himself, go fishing, and fix the house. When we met, he was living with a friend who was the complete opposite – a total household disaster (he only knew how to cook, and even then, mediocrely, though he called himself a cooking god). All the cleaning, laundry, etc., fell on my husband.

I'm still surprised by stories where a man (and not just men, some women are like this too) can't even boil pasta or fry an egg for himself. That's probably why I never let my husband take advantage of me, because if I die, he'll starve to death too 🤣
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sofia namgaladze
Cooking isn't a big deal for me, I don't have the time or mood, I boiled some buckwheat and sausages, sliced a tomato salad, and everyone's happy!)
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Anna
No, I don't have problems with food.
I have problems with mess.
And it's not about 'not having enough time'.
It's something else
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Mataxari
Mataxari If my husband comes home hungry and we don't have food, he'll cook himself, order delivery, or buy dumplings on his way home. None of us see this as a lack of care. That's exactly it – we're all adults and equal partners. I can choose not to cook, not because I owe him anything, but simply because I don't want to. And that's it. My husband didn't starve, our family didn't fall apart, I didn't stop loving him, and he didn't feel unneeded.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Yulichka Sidorik I'm also amazed by people who supposedly can't cook. Back in the 'pre-internet' days, maybe: I myself read Soviet-era cookbooks, and many things seemed impossible to make based on the descriptions. Nowadays, everything is shown and explained so clearly that not knowing how to cook at least some food for yourself is a conscious choice. A few years ago, my daughter's husband used to say: yes, not everything in cooking might come easily, but everyone should be able to cook at least 2-3 dishes. And I agree with that. And since we are 'evil parents,' we started exploiting the kids from about age five: she learned to peel vegetables somehow, and since then, it's almost always her job. For the same soup, I need a couple of potatoes, carrots, and an onion – while she's fiddling with them, I can get quite a lot done besides that. The same goes for cutlets: I quickly throw everything needed into the mince, and she mixes it and forms the cutlets. It seems like small things, but it's a skill for her and a relief for me.
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Marishka
I've never had problems with cooking, neither in my first marriage nor in my second. I don't cook, it's a chore for me. But even I can "save" the same ground meat from being thrown out and fry it.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Marishka I don't really like doing the dishes. Especially pots and pans. I've managed to pawn this off on my husband for the past 17-18 years, but... When he was working 12-hour days, 7 days a week right after coming back from paternity leave, it just felt awkward and wrong to leave it all to him. Although, he did a fine job when I did leave it to him :)
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Marishka
Marishka I don't have any problems with that either, I'd rather do the dishes than cook.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Anna I don't want to criticize you, but... )) In my view, you have a whole bunch of hands that could actually clean up the mess (especially if everyone cleans up after themselves at least!). For some reason, it seems like it's just an extra burden for you. Even my goat meticulously maintains the mess in her own room, but she's been quite a helper in common areas for several years now. And we have a small family, two adults, and more health than you have right now. But honestly, I don't think I could handle the food for such a crowd)
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Anna
Anna after cleaning up after them, I have to clean up even more and harder.
I'm talking about the two youngest.
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Agapitova Anya
Agapitova Anya The first sentence of the post says "how to get everything done around the house." Cooking is far from everything. If I wash dishes today, I won't cook tomorrow. And if I do laundry the day after tomorrow, I'll have nothing to wear. Naturally, I'm exaggerating now. However, the fact remains that not everyone manages to get everything done around the house.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Marishka I don't have problems either - I have desires and dislikes) For example, I could tell my husband that I don't cook at all and he would cook for himself after work - that would become our routine and everything would be fine. But it's not like suddenly confronting someone with the fact after a long workday: oh, by the way, there's nothing to eat at home, so if you're hungry, help yourself. I myself rarely felt like eating after work at the boarding houses (I'd grab something on the go and was very tired), but I wouldn't have understood my husband much if dinner wasn't ready when I got hungry (we were still working in shifts back then))
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Anna Maybe delegate differently? Assign age-appropriate tasks to the younger ones, and let the older ones handle the rest. Around age 7, mine became responsible for small things: unloading the dishwasher, taking out the plastic recycling (that's a local thing!), and simply cleaning up after herself. Now she vacuums and mops the floors every other time with me (she doesn't try too hard, so I prefer to share this chore with her equally) – these are her regular duties. Otherwise, she helps when asked.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
sofia namgaladze So the dishes I mentioned in the post are also from the 'quick and easy' and 'no mood' category: just to have food) Rice and buckwheat cook in about the same amount of time, so there's variety too) What I'm writing about is that even if you don't have the mood or time, you can cook at least something, even with a baby in your arms.
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Anna
Anna After I ran out of dishes while they were being loaded/unloaded from the dishwasher, it became Manya's responsibility. Laundry is Artyom's. Both of them do these tasks poorly, very poorly.
As for the younger ones, they are only responsible for their own rooms, but they can't even manage that.
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sofia namgaladze
sofia namgaladze Of course you can, if you want to, but it's not trendy to clean and cook anymore (
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Agapitova Anya
Agapitova Anya So I'll mop the floor tomorrow.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Mataxari "What if my husband comes home hungry and we have no food at home" is not the same as him buying something on the way, because for that he needs to know in advance that there's no food at home. As an adult, I can let my husband know during the day that there's no dinner at home and none is expected, and he can find an option that suits him best. But just presenting someone with a fait accompli when he gets home – that's not nice, in my opinion. When I came home from work and my husband was already home, I didn't plan to cook or wait extra time for something to be delivered. I don't see a problem with organizing food for the person who worked, in any way, throughout the day. It's a matter of simple respect. You probably don't leave the kids unfed all day waiting for your husband to bring delivery after work (you might starve yourself, but that's a personal choice))
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Anna Okay... I'll just think of myself as a tougher person who isn't afraid to give out some tough love if things get really bad) By the way, we bought a house with a built-in dishwasher, and this is my first time using one at home: honestly, I barely used it for a few years) Then I started and realized I just needed to buy more dishes, because there are only three of us, and dinnerware sets are usually sold for 4 people: I ran out of plates, but there's still plenty of space in the dishwasher) And what can really go wrong with laundry?
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
sofia namgaladze I'd say it's become unfashionable to not think about yourself first, and everything else just follows. Regarding dinner for your husband: it's unlikely that all these moms with newborns are surviving on just air and love all day while their partners work... Surely she prepared something for herself – is it really that hard to make a double portion?)
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Agapitova Anya It seems like you only read parts of the post: the second sentence already clarifies things – the topic of "how to get everything done" sparked a thought, but my post is more about cooking. I've heard people usually only remember the first and last sentence, but I didn't expect someone to stop reading right after the first one)
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Anna Wow, it can be so tough... I'm far from perfect myself, but even I'm surprised by this!) I usually start the laundry early in the morning and then get on with other things... I might forget that the laundry is running, but I've developed a little trick for that: my washing machine is in the kitchen, and I just leave an empty laundry basket in the middle of the floor – it's a great reminder!) If the laundry makes it at least to the living room rug, then half the battle is won – at least it won't get musty in the washing machine!) And it'll be pretty hard to 'forget' to hang it up if it's lying in the middle of the room!) My daughter loves forgetting everything in the world, so I take away her excuse: I remind her that this and that still need to be done – you'd better get to it, young lady!) It's funny when she whines, "Moooom, I alreaaaady know...". Knowing isn't enough – you actually have to do it!)
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Mataxari
Mataxari Even if he comes home and there's no food, he'll go to the store or order delivery. For all of us. That's how disrespectful his wife is.
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Pozdnyakova Yuliya
Mataxari As long as he enjoys it)
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