To the Parents (esp. Mom's)...is Sunday EVER a day of 'rest' for you?

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shannyk

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It’s Monday, and as usual I’m recovering today from Sunday, and all that Sunday seemingly entails. Sure, the weekend is always busy, but there is something about Sunday that is particularly exhausting.

From getting everyone ready for Church, properly dressed and groomed, to attending or hosting family events like birthday’s etc. (which always seem to be on Sunday), to getting laundry done for the upcoming week, getting school papers read and signed, grocery shopping, and everything else that seemingly HAS to be done every Sunday, I’ve really come to dread the day itself. I end up sore, exhausted, and depressed thinking of how the weekend is gone, and I’ve not had a moment to breathe much less rest in any sense of the word, and the work/school week is about to start whether I’m ready or not. :yawn: :sleep: :ouch: :hypno:

Am I the only one?😊
 
I definietly rest more on Sunday than the other days of the week, but I guess it depends on your definition of “a day of rest”.

I still have to get up early, get showered, dressed, make breakfast, convince DH to get out of bed, get DS1 and DS2 up and fed, get the kiddos dressed, clean up after breakfast, get everyone’s shoes/coats/hats on, go to Mass, come back after Mass and feed everyone a snack, make dinner, feed everyone, clean up after dinner, get the right people down for their naps, REST, make a light supper, clean up after supper, sometimes bathe kids/get them ready for bed, put them to bed…

But DH does help with a few of those things. Its still much less than normal. No laundry, cleaning, shopping, schooling, etc.
 
I’m not a mom, just a wife, but we have extremely busy schedules during the week with only one car and both of us sometime working 12 hour days. Everything seems to fall to the weekend, and much of it on Sunday sometimes. Yesterday and last weekend I was fortunate to have had Saturdays where I could get things done and relax on Sunday a bit, but that really is never the norm for us. Not even having children to take care of, but being extremely active in the work at Saint Michael’s Media, as well as my full time job in the secular world, it’s like having two full time jobs sometimes and leaves little left during the week not to mention the weekend.

~Liza
 
We do the crazy stuff on Saturday (grocery shopping, extra cooking…) and do take it easy on Sunday.

I’ll make a bunch of breakfast burrittos or biscuit sandwiches on Saturday, wrap them in wax paper and these can be nuked on Sunday for breakfast - 0 clean up (that is why God created paper plates :).

Saturday at the store, buy cold cuts, cheese, some yummy bread or pitas, some hummus or dips, olives, maybe a bagged salad or deli pasta salad, some fruit and cottage cheese. This is cold cut lunch or we go out for lunch after CCD - again, paper plates that can be tossed.

Saturday evening prep something in the crock pot for Sunday dinner, stick it in the fridge - then Sunday morning pull it out and plug it in before you leave for Mass. Now Sunday dinner is done.

Another idea is cook a ham on Saturday, then eat on it all day Sunday 🙂
 
We do the crazy stuff on Saturday (grocery shopping, extra cooking…) and do take it easy on Sunday.
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I’ll make a bunch of breakfast burrittos or biscuit sandwiches on Saturday, wrap them in wax paper and these can be nuked on Sunday for breakfast - 0 clean up (that is why God created paper plates .
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Saturday at the store, buy cold cuts, cheese, some yummy bread or pitas, some hummus or dips, olives, maybe a bagged salad or deli pasta salad, some fruit and cottage cheese. This is cold cut lunch or we go out for lunch after CCD - again, paper plates that can be tossed.
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Saturday evening prep something in the crock pot for Sunday dinner, stick it in the fridge - then Sunday morning pull it out and plug it in before you leave for Mass. Now Sunday dinner is done.
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Another idea is cook a ham on Saturday, then eat on it all day Sunday
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I’m definitely one for paper plates:) not to mention paper cups and bowls:p I’m actually very good at the meal planning thing and cooking and all that are not really a problem. I actually went to culinary school for a year before switching career paths so with meals I’ve got it pretty ‘together’😃 I guess part of the reason I am so busy Sundays is that my Saturdays aren’t free; I usually have to work(from home) and my DS has therapists coming to the house from 8-4. Also, it’s just me and the kids so I can’t put all the chores etc. off on hubby. Still though, it seems like there isn’t much time for rest and time for that mental and spiritual breather that we all need…
 
My kids are a bit older so they dress themselves and are usually good about helping with the meals and clean up. I really try hard not to do things like laundry or grocery shopping on Sundays. I usually start laundry on Thursdays so it is all finished and put away on Saturday. The kids have lessons/activities on Saturdays so I’ll go to the grocery store while I wait for one of them to be done. We get up very early on weekdays, so I always have time to get papers signed before school. Again, the kids are old enough that no one suddenly remembers about a science experiement due on Monday at 10pm Sunday night! LOL (Actually, they have never done something like that. Thanks be to God!)

To the OP: Is your dh supportive about going to Mass? Get him to help get everyone ready. You’ve already gotten great meal ideas. Crock pot meals or pot luck are also good for family parties. (And surely you don’t have one every week?) Finally the other stuff (laundry, groceries) is yours to control. Are you actually taking your rest on Saturday instead of Sunday?

I know that being a working mom for small kids can be very difficult. The key to not ending up with tons of chores on the weekend/Sunday is to simply spread them out over the whole week a bit at a time. Flylady is good for that, but you don’t have to go through her whole routine. Simply make a quick schedule for yourself. Say do one bathroom and one laundry load each night (I have 4 bathrooms). Saving the powder room for Friday night/Saturday so it is clean for weekend guests. I think we have a Flylady thread here somewhere, or just drop into her wensite for some great advice.
 
I try to avoid working on Sunday (well, you know, aside from the regular taking care of kids/babies things). Here is what the catechism says:
2184 Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,"121 human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord’s Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.122
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2185 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.123 Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.
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The charity of truth seeks holy leisure- the necessity of charity accepts just work.124 "
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I don’t always succeed, but I try to focus on this rather than leaving all the things that need to get done for last minute on Sunday. Can you do your laundry, grocery shopping etc on Saturday or any other day? Maybe you can lay out the Sunday clothes/accessories on Saturday so its not that hard Sunday? It helps me if I do that, that way whoever gets ready first can get the babies dressed without having to go looking for clothes/shoes/socks/accessories (we have a 1 yr old and 2 yr old, both still need help getting dressed). It might take extra sacrifice to get things done before, but it is worth it. 🙂
 
I hear ya!!! I have started trying to get my shopping done on Friday nights after adoration, normally by then, my DH is home and can put the baby to bed so I can go shopping - less of a crowd @ 7:30 pm. Then my Saturdays are spent doing the weekly chores and cooking for the week. Sunday is an extension of the cooking chore, but we do try to get a nap in sometime after mass, even if my DH and I have to take turns w/ the baby.

Anyone ever heard of the Sunday Night Blues? Of course, you sound busy enough that you may not have time to think about it - I get 'em every once in awhile. I have to work away from home and I sometimes get the Sunday Night Blues that the weekend is over and a new workweek is creeping up on me.

My only consolation is that I insist on my 16mo son being at my side for everything. Often times I don’t have a choice b/c DH is constantly working to support our growing family . . .but since I only have a few hours a night w/ my precious babe, even if I am just doing chores around the house, no reason he can’t be with me. I’d rather be after him every 5 minutes to get out of this or that that sticking him in front of the tube. Besides, he’s learning a little bit about helping me out and he even seems to enjoy it.

No rest for the weary huh? No, you’re certainly not alone!
 
I don’t always succeed, but I try to focus on this rather than leaving all the things that need to get done for last minute on Sunday. Can you do your laundry, grocery shopping etc on Saturday or any other day? It might take extra sacrifice to get things done before, but it is worth it.
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Thanks, I am very familiar with what the Catechism says regarding this, which was the impetus for the thread:) There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not doing at least some of the household chores; I have a schedule of what I do on what days. And, I don’t always do groceries etc on Sunday, my point was more that no matter what it seems something comes up that keeps me from being able to ‘rest’ on Sunday (or Saturday or any day), whether it is chores or a myriad of other things.

Thanks for all the housework advice, but in being by myself with 3 kids and working full time along with having a full time therapy program going on in my home, my organizing and such can put pretty much anyone to shame 😃 (ok maybe that is an exageration,) I guess I was more asking whether other mom’s felt like they got the mental/spiritual break or rest they need…whether that be Sunday or whatever day…? I do have time set aside that I use for prayer and of course Mass (which I’d love to get to during the week but can’t at the moment), but I still feel like every moment I take for that mental quiet is bombarded by…something Not to mention having time for personal things like hobbies, reading etc…that area of life seems to be completely gone…
 
Anyone ever heard of the Sunday Night Blues? Of course, you sound busy enough that you may not have time to think about it - I get 'em every once in awhile. I have to work away from home and I sometimes get the Sunday Night Blues that the weekend is over and a new workweek is creeping up on me.
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This is exactly what I was talking about…

Whew! Now I know I’m not the only one!😉
 
shannyk said:
Thanks for all the housework advice, but in being by myself with 3 kids and working full time along with having a full time therapy program going on in my home, my organizing and such can put pretty much anyone to shame 😃 (ok maybe that is an exageration,) I guess I was more asking whether other mom’s felt like they got the mental/spiritual break or rest they need…whether that be Sunday or whatever day…? I do have time set aside that I use for prayer and of course Mass (which I’d love to get to during the week but can’t at the moment), but I still feel like every moment I take for that mental quiet is bombarded by…something Not to mention having time for personal things like hobbies, reading etc…that area of life seems to be completely gone…
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You ARE very busy. Being a single parent is never easy. Perhaps you can just take an extra 10 minutes or so before or after Mass to just sit with the Lord in the tabernacle and that will be enough to refresh your soul.
I will be praying for you!
 
shannyk said:
It’s Monday, and as usual I’m recovering today from Sunday, and all that Sunday seemingly entails. …From getting everyone ready for Church, properly dressed and groomed, to attending or hosting family events like birthday’s etc. (which always seem to be on Sunday), to getting laundry done for the upcoming week, …
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I take Sunday off from doing the laundry. Yes, all the other stuff from getting ready for church to fixing a nice Sunday dinner for the family etc. can be tiring, but I consider such things important ways of honoring the Sabbath. However, laundry has to wait. I learned that from an elderly relative, and it’s wonderfully freeing and even restful to look at a pile of laundry and realize I can’t do it today because it’s Sunday. I usually do laundry almost every other day of the week, but I refuse to do laundry on Sunday.
 
JLCecilia said:
Anyone ever heard of the Sunday Night Blues? Of course, you sound busy enough that you may not have time to think about it - I get 'em every once in awhile. I have to work away from home and I sometimes get the Sunday Night Blues that the weekend is over and a new workweek is creeping up on me.
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Yes!
We actually make an effort to extend our “weekend” to the very last minute… to purposefully DO something as a family together so we can enjoy each other…
In our case… we’ve made it rather routine to head out to Disney (we have annual passes) on Sunday evenings… fun, quality, all-family time all the way until the kids fall sound asleep for the drive home.

It helps you forget that you actually have to go to work the next day!
 
bwahahaha!! Rest?! On a Sunday? Not for this hunting widow! It’s ok, though. I’ll exact my revenge during ski season ;).
 
shannyk said:
It’s Monday, and as usual I’m recovering today from Sunday, and all that Sunday seemingly entails. Sure, the weekend is always busy, but there is something about Sunday that is particularly exhausting.

From getting everyone ready for Church, properly dressed and groomed, to attending or hosting family events like birthday’s etc. (which always seem to be on Sunday), to getting laundry done for the upcoming week, getting school papers read and signed, grocery shopping, and everything else that seemingly HAS to be done every Sunday, I’ve really come to dread the day itself. I end up sore, exhausted, and depressed thinking of how the weekend is gone, and I’ve not had a moment to breathe much less rest in any sense of the word, and the work/school week is about to start whether I’m ready or not. :yawn: :sleep: :ouch: :hypno:

Am I the only one?😊
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No, you’re not the only one.😦 Sunday is the day I grocery shop, and do laundry. We try as hard as possible to get these things done on Saturdays, but there never seems to be enough time.
 
Don’t you know that a “rested mother” is an oxymoron?

Kathy
 
shannyk said:
Thanks for all the housework advice, but in being by myself with 3 kids and working full time along with having a full time therapy program going on in my home, my organizing and such can put pretty much anyone to shame 😃 (ok maybe that is an exageration,) .
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LoL, oops, it was never my intention to give housework/organizing advice, believe me, I’m the last one who can do that. I was just trying to suggest for you to see if there was some way to avoid having too much to do on Sundays, though I see you are a very busy woman and have a lot to do. I also quoted the Catechism because of this line: “Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.”
At certain times of the year my husband works 7 days a week, long hours. Its the nature of his job and that’s that. Sometimes family needs will do this, but its good to try to avoid it if possible.
 
LoL, oops, it was never my intention to give housework/organizing advice, believe me, I’m the last one who can do that. I was just trying to suggest for you to see if there was some way to avoid having too much to do on Sundays, though I see you are a very busy woman and have a lot to do. I also quoted the Catechism because of this line: “Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.”
At certain times of the year my husband works 7 days a week, long hours. Its the nature of his job and that’s that. Sometimes family needs will do this, but its good to try to avoid it if possible.
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No oopses necessary 🙂 I appreciated your advice and everything you said and you are right. I think sometimes I just need to take a chill pill and learn to let some things go. I guess what I posted this morning was out of sheer exhaustion. More out of a feeling that time is escaping me, in the little and big sense of that. THe years are FLYING by and the things I always intend to do, and even make time for, seemingly get pushed aside by the mundane. Like someone else said, I have learned that part of the whole mommy thing, is sacrificing that quiet, alone, spiritual time. I guess I will just have to ask that God spiritually fortify even when it seems like I’m not paying attention to Him

I might also pray for Mary Poppins to fly down and come to my house and snap her fingers a few times for me:crossrc: 😛
 
my son and i wake up, go to mass, wait for football to come on, then watch football all day. good times there.
 
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