What is your prayer routine working full time at home with toddlers?

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MarthaSo

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Hi, just curious as someone asked this in the general sense.
Anyone with young toddlers that work full time with no help. What is your prayer routine?

I don’t have one, at night the best I can do is give some thanks God for the day and during the day I internally ask for his strength while dealing with a boss who sends a lot of work and a needy toddler and pack in work during nap. Not complaining at all just trying to pray more and better.

I think the best way is to offer up the continual tiring daily sacrifice to God as a prayer and try to be kind when I’m grumpy. Or as my husband says “hang in there!” which sometimes makes me upset because all he has is his job in his office which his boss makes him attend all these meetings that are mandatory and baby can’t be in the background crying. He wants to help but his schedule is insane so he helps me at night and with diaper changes because that’s a 30 pound struggle I can’t win.

I wish I had a few moments of rest during the day.

Tips and prayers are appreciated. Thank you.
 
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Yup! Everything stops from 3-3:20 for the rosary & we say prayers as a family before bed. Other than that, I offer up my day. I highly recommend the Louis de Montfort consecration to Mary (or the streamlined version in “33 Days to Morning Glory”) for getting the most, spiritually, out of your day! It’s not much to offer - lots of laundry and diapers and crying small people with toilets to scrub and food to cook in between times + other work… but I figure I can’t do better than offer the whole package to Mary for her to spiffy-up and give God the Father through His Son in union with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. :+1:t2::raised_hands:t2: Annnnd… that’s it for my prayers!
 
MarthaSo said:
Or as my husband says “hang in there!” which sometimes makes me upset because all he has is his job in his office which his boss makes him attend all these meetings that are mandatory and baby can’t be in the background crying.
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Offer THIS up! It’s no small thing. 😉
 
We have a nanny but I’m still caring for the infant myself and we’ve had a few times where the nanny is out and I get the toddler too (the bigger kids can generally fend for themselves). My prayer life has definitely taken a nose dive during this time. I had been praying a Divine Mercy chaplet on my way to work and a rosary on my way home. But that time is gone now.

I do try to offer up Hail Marys during times that I’m scrolling social media. I also am trying to incorporate the Jesus prayer more.
 
Wow. Thank you. So you have young toddlers and work a full time job at home with no help too?!
 
Yes. When I’m really swamped we eat on paper plates. :woman_shrugging:t2:
 
While I do pray some formal prayer, Night Prayer before bed for instance, 90% of my prayer is an ongoing conversation in my head during many of my waking hours. Maybe work on internal extemporaneous prayer?

I’ve also found the Hallow app to be great.
 
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Hi Jen, thank you, if it’s ok, may I private message you a question related to your work schedule?
Thank you
 
Mom of toddlers here too (and working full time). I say a quick thanks to the Lord in the morning. At the weekends I scroll through the daily readings and meditate on them before getting out of bed. During the day I am in constant conversation with the Lord or Our Lady. At night, when the kids are in bed I pray alone, could be 1-2 hours, though I’m usually exhausted and it’s difficult. On Sunday I try to fit in some scripture reading/meditation. I attend mass approx 1-3 times a week, and go to adoration every few weeks. I feel this is all nowhere near enough but all I can fit in.
 
Thank you for sharing. You have beautiful energy, it may not seem like a lot to you but to me I don’t have the mental strength to do half of that but I do pray that God give me more of the desire . Do you also have no help throughout the day?
 
There’s an ancient tradition and practice called the Jesus Prayer. There is much attached to it with regard to the spirituality etc. However, it is rather simple…

“Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
 
You do have the desire. You created this post and it’s on your mind. Looking after your children and home is all pleasing to God and is part of the life He has set for you. Love and charity begins in the home, so if you are doing all you can there you can’t go wrong. Why don’t you try to say the rosary in the evenings? Even just start with a decade. I know it’s hard when you’re busy but the rosary is what started off my prayer life (I’m still in the very early stages).

I have help in that my kids go to crèche/nursery some days, and my husband is very good. Though he works full time too. Generally I am always rushing and trying to juggle 7:30-5pm work with home life. It’s hard.

Ps. Have you no means of getting a little help? Not just to help with your prayer life, but to give you a moment to yourself every so often?
 
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Thank you. No, I have no help and can’t get at this time. I am with the toddler all day and my boss sends me tons of work. If I had small breaks a day or per week it would make a world of difference.
 
I don’t have children but I do have a demanding job (and a demanding pet) so I understand interruptions to an otherwise ordered day. The best advice I ever read was ‘Pray as you can; not as you can’t’. And there are many saints who cultivated what are now know as arrow prayers. Short, one phrase prayers offered to God throughout the day.

Just bringing your children up is a prayer in itself.

Hymns are prayers too - sing them with your kids - you’ll be teaching them prayers at the same time.
 
Thank you for your kind encouragement. Just a little down lately because everytime I check my outlook messages, I get several new emails of work. I’m afraid not to check constantly for fear I’ll see 36 emails and I can’t catch up. It’s getting to the point Im resenting my boss. I don’t know how to manage work and the demands of baby. Its too hard right now and I feel my mental health is being affected and I feel bad I’m not the happiest mom to the little one. He always sees me in the computer or phone working working working…
 
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