House is a disaster - where do you start?

[Jennifer13]

This is usually when DP is at work. It's impossible to clean up when he's at home. I get the washing machine going first too. Seems like it never stops.

Then I take out all the rubbish, including everything DP has left all over the kitchen and his newspapers. I tell DD to tidy her room and make her bed. I'll usually tell her I'll race her (I bet I can do my room faster than yours, have my shower and get dressed before you're finished, whatever). She's very good, especially in the morning when she's in a good mood. If there are toys all over the playroom, same thing. She's three, but everything is set up so it's easy for her to both get toys out and put them away. Plenty of boxes and buckets with 'types' of toys in them. (I carry out the "If I have to put them away they'll be going where you can't play with them for a few days. You played with them = you put them away.") I do one room at a time, but I get distracted putting things back where they go and tend to start in the room I'm in.

I put things off that don't need to be done immediately. If I have two loads of washing to go on the line, I don't bother bringing in the first until the second is dry later in the day. If there's stuff to be done outside, but it can wait for another couple of days, I leave it. No sense trying to do everything at once.

I reward myself for getting stuff done too. Cup of tea and a sit down with a book while DD has her nap is my treat.

Lastly, I really believe it's not the end of the world if the house stays messy for another day. If I really can't bear it, I take DD out to do something where I don't have to look at it. I'd rather play with her a bit than spend all day cleaning my house.