Anyone else ashamed?

**Rouge** · November 2nd, 2012, 01:44 PM

Nope I grew up in a house that was cleaner than a tv ad :/

**Butterfly Dawn** · November 2nd, 2012, 01:51 PM

Yep same. Mum house is immaculate. But she never had 3 kids at once

unmotivated day

**Catastrophic** · November 2nd, 2012, 01:55 PM

I grew up in a pigsty. Hence I think the reason for me being a little house proud now, that and having a controlling ex that wanted things to be perfect.

I can handle untidy - just not messy or dirty. I'm known to have some kick arse BbQs on, with loads of kids trashing my house, the next day I have to clean it all back up to make it liveable. By the end of the week it's usually getting to the poit I'm pulling out by hair.

**aussienic** · November 2nd, 2012, 02:00 PM

yep.. i try and try and try. I clean they trash it.. Its depressing..

the bedrooms are the worst. by the time I do the rest of the house I can't be bothered doing the bedrooms.. sigh and it all just starts again the next day anyways

**Phteven** · November 2nd, 2012, 02:18 PM

I'm sure some of Mum's friends must have had spotless houses because the law of averages says so but I struggle remember who they were.

Mum had a cleaner and our house was still a mess. I think the cleaner spent as much time sitting on her but drinking coffee and nattering with Mum as she did cleaning lol.

**onthefly** · November 2nd, 2012, 03:08 PM

I don't want my home to look like a tv ad. I want it to be not feral.

But I can't be bothered cleaning when I know it will all be undone within minutes.

**Rouge** · November 2nd, 2012, 03:56 PM

Well I'm grateful for this thread. My kitchen is now pristine lol.

I don't remember messy or clean houses. I just remember envying the kids who never had chores.

**Phteven** · November 2nd, 2012, 04:25 PM

Can you make some zones B?
Have a couple of spaces that are clean?

I promise it gets easier when they get older.

**~TT40~** · November 2nd, 2012, 04:37 PM

maybe work out what really bothers you and just have them. eg.. if my kitchen is tidy (and not ness clean, but if the dirty dishes are near the dishwasher ready to be packed, or leftovers are all on one plate (for the dog) rather than on 3 plates etc..) then I'm happy. means I can easily not care about the rest. so if you work out like..if your toilet is sparkling then the rest doesnt matter, might make it easer for you.

**Rouge** · November 2nd, 2012, 04:54 PM

I know it sounds crazy but clean toilets/bathrooms/kitchen are the easiest because when you feel overwhelmed go to a clean space and breathe. As onyx says it does get easier the older they get. And I find if I give myself timed jobs I get it done without feeling overwhelmed. For example 5 minutes in the toilet, 10 minutes on the dining room or whatever and just do a little each day. Tubs for stuff are great. I used to use tubs a lot when my kids were little coz then I could just grab everything of the kids and clear it into a tub.

**Astrid** · November 2nd, 2012, 05:01 PM

I always do our bedroom first. It is the quickest and easiest to do. Also as it is what I wake up to, I find the state of it can drag me down, having it tidy motivates me. Oh on top of that, a nicely made king size bed is a good place to fold and sort washing

I am finding as they get older, the cleaning is a bit better (I can get them to help), but that is offset by greater washing and cooking (and therefore washing up).

ETA: Messy https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...achmentid=3217

**veus** · November 2nd, 2012, 06:15 PM

think about buying a couple of Enjo mitts for yourself, they really make cleaning a lot easier and totally chemical free. All I have is the bathroom mitt ($50) and a few microfibre scraps from the reject shop, plus I use a spray bottle of mixed detergent, vinegar and water for soap and grease scum. It has made life a bit easier.

I have a cleaner once a fortnight now, she uses Enjo. She isn't perfect, I'm not sure any cleaner would live up to my standards but at least my house isn't falling to pieces and I can do the details on her week off. She's $30/hr which is a lot but it's 2 hours a fortnight for my sanity.

I have a few Enjo mitts. Been looking for someone who cleans with it. $30 I can justify. This was more than double that. Crazy! Will keep looking I reckon.

**Astrolady** · November 2nd, 2012, 06:48 PM

When I take photos of the kids or whatever I try to stand so the camera is pointing in the less messiest place as possible.

**Ca Plane Pour Moi** · November 2nd, 2012, 06:59 PM

My house is like a TV ad. You know, the one where the woman (so gender-oppressive) sits and cries before some housework fairy turns up and shows the woman some new product.

Yeah, the house is a mess. But we play, we don't die... so who cares? Plus Liebs helps pick up his toys at the end of the holidays (and every weekend is a holiday to Liebling) so it's not so bad.

And Rouge - I envied the children who had chores. The ones whose parents trusted them to clean properly rather than scream at them that they couldn't ever do it right. Now I know my house will never be "right" and cleaned to perfection, it's amazingly liberating. I do have to do the computer area next week though, it's starting to get to me.

**Rouge** · November 2nd, 2012, 07:09 PM

I got screamed at too. And had "military style" room inspections. I've had dishes thrown at me that weren't dry enough and I've had every single piece of my clothing thrown on the lawn because I "stuffed" my folded clothes away in a draw instead of put away nicely. I've also been screamed at not to bleed on my mothers carpet (I got a blood nose after being shoved in my room for not cleaning it properly and hit my nose on some furniture). And yet after all that housework related psycho I still envy a stepford palace. I actually envy those with OCD. I am truly broken in the head when it comes to a clean house.

**Ca Plane Pour Moi** · November 2nd, 2012, 07:17 PM

Fair enough, I wouldn't have envied you. I did envy friends who just did their chores without the mother hovering over them telling them how crap they were all the time, then never being allowed to do it again. Or watching it being re-done so I could see how to do it "properly" - which was incredibly OCD. Who needs all the carpet pile going in the same way in a room that's used by young people?

Thankfully my room was just used to tell the world and his wife how lazy I was that I wouldn't keep my room tidy enough. To combat that, I allow Liebling to have his things all over the house - having one small room to have all your things in is always going to look cluttered and messy.

**Phteven** · November 2nd, 2012, 07:25 PM

I do let the boys scatter their stuff about a bit but I'm pretty strict with my no 'playing in my room' rule. They can come in for peaceful naps but toys are not allowed and rumpus' are very seldom allowed. It's my quiet space and I think it's fair to ask that they respect that since they have so much space in the rest of our home that they can mess up.

My chores were mainly outdoorsy - feed the hens and dogs, get in the milking cow, fetch the wood and kindling, pick the veges and so on. My only domestic chore was helping load the dishwasher and cleaning my room (under duress lol).