Being a Hustling Housewife is awesome. We get to manage our homes, hang with our families, and make some money too!
But…
We’re human and we’ve still got problems.
Let me share 10 of mine. (But, there’s always a silver lining, and I’ll share those too!)
1. Mt. Laundry
If you’ve read any of my articles, you probably already knew I was going to mention Mt. Laundry. It’s the bane of my existence.
The reason I can’t stand it is that it never ends. How can you like a chore that never ends?
Silver lining: I can’t stay on my computer for too long, or else I get extremely antsy. Tackling Mt. Laundry allows me to move, listen to YouTube, and focus on something else for a few minutes.
2. MLMs
The first story I ever wrote on Medium was about MLMs. (Multi-level marketing schemes.)
I wrote about it because I was sucked into an MLM, and they love getting us moms.
Why?
Because they know moms get bored with their monotonous routines and need more stimulation than watching Bluey all day.
The problem is that running an MLM is hard. They make it sound easy and glamorous, but it’s not. And while you’re in the process of figuring that out, you’re spending a ton of money on products every month.
Silver lining: Being in an MLM made me want to find a better way. It also gave me a lot of content for my website.
3. The pets
I talk about my pets a lot because they’re fun and cute, but they’re also a big distraction!
My dog is always looking at me bored, wanting to go outside. (And I comply because I’m antsy. See #1.)
My cat Tina has a thyroid issue, and she’s the one always puking.
Teddy is fine. He hides upstairs a lot. He’s not the smartest cat out there, but he’s handsome.
Toot is ornery as all hell! He’s constantly jumping on the counters or the tables, or just being annoying because he wants food.
Silver lining: At least they’re cute!
4. The kids
My kids are 17 and 19, and are pretty self-sufficient at this point. They aren’t a problem at all.
Every once in a while they need help with something, or want me to come with them to run some errands.
But I remember when they were little and we were in the thick of it. If that’s you, I get it. It’s tough. I tried to do the side hustle thing when they were young, but it was much harder.
Silver lining: At least they’re cute!
5. The husband
My husband works from home, and he gets antsy like me. Plus, he works in the loft and it’s summer right now, which means it’s hot as hades up there.
So he comes down quite often and wants to chat.
It’s not a big deal, but it was a little hard to get used to at first!
Silver lining: At least he's cute! (You saw that one coming didn’t you?)
6. Dinner
I enjoy making dinner (and eating dinner)! So it’s not really a problem, except when I’m in the flow of an article.
Like right now.
It’s time to switch gears and make dinner, but I also want to complete this article before I do.
Silver lining: Food.
7. Errands
I don’t know why, but errands always mess me up. I have a routine, and I like to stick to it.
When it gets interrupted, it messes my brain up and it’s hard for me to get back into the flow of writing. Sometimes I have to scrap the whole day and focus on getting things done around the house instead.
Silver lining: I have the freedom to do errands when other people are working.
(That means it should be less busy out there, but have you noticed that it’s almost always busy now? I swear no one works in an office anymore!)
8. Exercise
I like to exercise. I want to exercise. I need more exercise. (Told you I’m antsy!) But I also need to write.
There’s always a battle going on in my mind.
“Should I go for a run first, or write first? Maybe I’ll write a little then run. But no, I need to get out now!”
My brain is crazy.
Silver lining: Exercise is good for you.
9. Snacks
I’m putting snacks as a major problem of being a hustling housewife. I like to write in the kitchen. And I’m surrounded by temptations here.
My favorite temptation is chips.
Why are potato chips so friggin’ good?
I’m sitting here writing, and I just see them staring at me from the pantry. I walk over and look at them. Sit back down. Look at them. Sit back down.
I give in eventually.
Silver lining: I’m learning not to buy chips in the first place!
10. The stuff surrounding me
Being a hustling housewife means that there’s always things surrounding me that need to be done.
As mentioned in #9, I like to write in the kitchen. But then I look over and notice the floor needs to be mopped…
…and the dishes need to be put in the dishwasher.
And that reminds me that I need to clean the bathroom.
Which reminds me I need to tell the husband to vacuum upstairs.
Which reminds me of Mt. Laundry…
And we’ve come full circle.
Silver lining: I’m grateful to have a nice home to take care of!
Final Thoughts
Yes, this title was kind of clickbait. Most of these problems aren’t real problems at all. In fact, none of them are. (Except MLMs!)
But they are distractions.
And getting distracted too often is a problem. Luckily, I’ve gotten used to all of them and have been able to figure out how to manage everything as it comes along.
But I’d love to hear your thoughts too. How do you handle constantly getting distracted? What ways do you center yourself so you have the ability to focus?
I could use more help in this area!
I loved reading your 10 “problems!” The pets, chatty husband, and making dinner are three that disrupt my concentration the most. The hubs singing really gets my goat!
Are you saying that there's a point after which Bluey stops being stimulating?