• top and tailing (facewasher to face and then bum of your LO) - When they were 9 months? Never? Bums were cleaned at nappy changes or bathtime (every few days, unless they got dirty before that). Faces when we were going out.
  • outside time with LO - At 9 months? Maybe if I had to be outside for something, I'd let them toddle along with me. They do like to eat everything at that age though...
  • cleaning dogs' bowls - n/a
  • brushing cat and/or dog - n/a
  • bathing LO - every couple of days? We have a hose attachment for the bath, so that's handy too, for quick rinses.
  • bathing dogs - n/a
  • shopping - online, or at night once partner is home, or get partner to grab stuff on the way home, or go together on the weekend.
  • cleaning toilets - that's his job. But...weekly?
  • cleaning basins - Err...less than weekly...monthly?
  • cleaning bath/shower - whenever I want a long shower
  • dishes (by hand) - I never did them when it was by hand...that's why we got a dishwasher. I'd get him to wash and I'd dry and put away and we'd talk about his day.
  • washing cloth nappies - no more than every second day, but that's how cloth nappies rolled for us.
  • washing other clothes - when the basket got full or we started to run out of clothes.
  • full cooked dinner - when they day had gone well. Often he'd get home and entertain the kids to free me up for dinner. If this is an issue, a slow cooker might be his friend.
  • walk with LO - when I needed to walk, or when LO needed to burn some energy. But at 9 months they can do that pretty well inside.
  • walking dogs - n/a
  • vacuum floors - just before guests come.
  • sweep/mop floors - as above, or when I start to get annoyed at crumbs sticking to my feet
  • vacuum couch - rarely.
  • wash sheets - LO - when they dirty them. Or on a nice hot day.
  • wash sheets - yours! - as above
  • cleaning benchtops - daily (but it's in the middle of our house, and it makes a huge difference).
  • cleaning stove - just before the MIL comes. Or she cleans it.
  • mow lawn - his job. When we start to wonder what the neighbours think.
  • weeding/pruning - as above.
  • cleaning the fridge - about 2 weeks after something spills
  • general tidy - I do a sort of sweep of the house once the kids are in bed. Before that it's pointless. I have cane baskets I chuck miscellaneous mess into throughout the day to keep it looking tidy.
  • cobwebbing - very occasionally.
  • sweeping the porches - it's too windy here, they sweep themselves.
  • cleaning the car (inside) - errr. rarely.
  • cleaning the car (outer) - when he wants to escape the kids.
  • dusting - before vacuuming. Sometimes.
  • cleaning out attic/basement/garage/etc - when it's hard rubbish or we have extra room in the bin.
  • filing/paperwork - not often.
  • whatever I'm forgetting!


Don't forget that the hardest thing about getting stuff done with kids is the constant interruptions. It's hard to stay focussed on any task. I think it's reasonable to expect him to do stuff while bub is asleep, but not every day goes as planned. I used to have a plan that DH and I agreed on, where Monday would be general tidying and clothes washing, Tuesday would be general tidying and sweeping, Wednesday would be general tidying and .... - and so if I was having a crud day, all I needed to accomplish was those, and if I didn't get them done while bub was awake, I had til the end of the day to do it. So he'd sometimes come home, and distract the kids while I snuck out and did the laundry or whatever.