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I haven't been home long enough this week to get anything done. I was doing washing at midnight last night. Today I have to go out which means nothing will get done before I go, hopefully when i get home this afternoon I can get DH and the kids to pitch in and get it done.
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I have a rough routine but most days I just tackle whatever needs doing the mist and I fit it into kinder drop off, swimming etc. Putting away alot of toys has helped here, amazing how little they need. Sorting the house so everything had it's own place is good, starting dinner early, and doing washing every day that I am home keeps me on top of it all. I found fly lady a bit full on but there is a page on Facebook for The Organised Housewife who does a daily focus etc.
Good luck babe!
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Just read Astros reply too and remembered one trick that makes me feel better is a 10 min floor clean up. I use a washing basket and pick everything up off the floor into the basket to be sorted later. Amazing how much tidier the house looks if there is nothing on the floor. Then it's easier to tackle other bits and put the basket stuff away too xoxox
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I struggle because DD is so active but a few things I've found help are:
Clean and tidy bathroom (except bath) while DD is bathing. My loo is always clean. Once DD is settled for the night I will spray with a cleaner ready to be rinsed at next shower. If bathroom is really bad I'll run a mild bleach solution over it and DP will rinse it prior to showering for work the next day.
DD likes it outside so if it's nice weather fold clothes as I get them off the line. It means I can just chuck them where they belong when I have 5 minutes rather then a pile of unfolded washing accumulating.
While cooking dinner I unpack a few dishes when I can and usually by the time dinner is ready, the dishwasher is empty. Plates go straight in once dinner is consumed and the few glasses/plates/cutlery etc takes 5 mins to chuck in.
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Sat- Wed when when I am home with the kids (work Thur--Fri) I hang out all washing in the morning before we go anywhere and wash dishes! then do our usual daily activities and then we have 4pm pack up time! I put on our cleaning CD and the kids put their toys away (most of the time), help me vac, clean the bathroom (well squirty bottle of water! and cloth), dust and tidy up - I start dinner will its cooking bath kids, get them out dressed put on a baby Einstein DVD while I finish dinner. Dinner is about 5:30 ish and then slow bedtime routine.
It doesn't always work but we get there!!!!
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that's my problem too
it is hard though, sometimes men just don't realise how hard it isjust do the best you can. i agree about doing a quick clean up of the floor, i find i am so much more relaxed if i've gone and cleaned up everything off the lounge room floor.
Moderator
Another one here who does not really keep up as I am a total procrastinator and just don't like cleaning. I have found getting on the phone helps. When I am chatting away to someone I just don't notice what I am doing with my hands, so the dishwasher gets unloaded, washing folded, general tidying and dusting etc.
Senior Moderator
Routine, routine routine. If it's out... g-d help us all.
Mummy turns into a screaming banshee wench.
So the answer is... do your best, and if it won't do... scream louder.
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It all comes down to your expectations j. You have high standards for yourself. But if you readjust and decide that clean is acceptable not necessarily spotless it might help you feel better about things.
I think we are our own worst enemies. If friends are coming over I run around like a mad woman trying to get everything perfect, when in reality if it was just clean and not necessarily tidy both myself and my visitors would probably feel more normal and comfortable!
I love going to a friends house when it's not perfect, makes me feell much more normal!
Fwiw- I have a full time house helper and between us we rarely have the house perfect. There is another lady here who is highly strung, only let's the kids play in one room or outside and her house is perfect all the time. But i often wonder at what cost
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I don't even try to do everything. DH does the lions share of the cleaning and cooks most nights. No way could I find time to do everything. It's just about priorities and deciding whats important to you and getting those things done first. My time is usually taken up just with nappy changes, feeding kids, wiping bums and noses, keeping small hands out of everything, etc, to havd much time left for anything else. The free time I may actually find (on the rare occaision DD is at school, DS1 is watching TV quietly and DS2 is asleep) I do my study, catch up on my work commitments or trying to get a nap in myself.
I would love to live in a clean house, where the washing wasn't in a pile near the laundry and the sink weren't always full. But I figure that will hapen as the kids get older. In the meantime, It may be messy, but there's only so much a single person can do and we are happy despite the mess.
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I don't stop and I still can't keep up!!
My house is clean but usually a little messy...there are toys on the floor, shoes dumped at the front door, clothes waiting to be folded and just about always dishes on the sink inbetween the three times they are done a day.
I occasionally get all the washing baskets empty but within 1/2 an hour there is something in them again.
I vacumm my floors up to 3 times a day sometimes just to try and keep on top of it.
I have two little artists who love drawing on walls...last week my littlest poppet got her brothers permanent marker
I would love this house to be spotless and meticulously organised...but being on my own with 7 kids (the youngest are 3, 2 and 1) in a four bedroom house it is really just a pipe dream
I fall into bed exhausted as it is.
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I don't think I would manage without a cleaner every week to be honest. Basically all I need to do is tidy things as we go -- toys, activities, stack the dishwasher as things are used (and then run it after she is in bed) and a load of washing every few days (it is just me and her). It never felt manageable without a cleaner, especially now she is a non-stop toddler who doesn't nap during the day. The cleaners come on Friday so things are nice for the weekend and they do kitchen, bathroom, floors, dusting.. it is fantastic, really. If you can afford it, I would definitely consider it... to me time > money but I know things can be tight and consider this one of my 'luxury' purchases. As for cooking meals, it isn't toooooo bad with just the one DD and now that she is of an age to help.. I get cherry tomatoes so she can toss those in, she will pick the lettuce leaves, crumble the cheese... I do try to cook things that I know there is something she can help with and we also usually have our main mean during the day because it suits us both better. My 'break' to quickly sort out anything left over to do during the day is Playschool, it is also her "rest" time because she doesn't have a nap, I usually put an episode on a bit after lunch and that's when I tidy the kitchen from that and breakfast and prep anything big that needs doing for dinner.
The other good trick for keeping a place tidy is spend heaps of time outside of it haha. We have a pool so usually swim every 2-3 days but it isn't heated so that will be phasing out soon, we paint with water on the outside tiles, run around, dance (portable music players are great), walk to the shops or park, chase the cats, I got a $3 tub of mixed animals that live outside, any sort of waterplay is pretty easy/mess free (just change clothes if they get too wet) -- just grab spoons, containers, jugs from the kitchen and that keeps her busy for ages.
But it really is completely normal to feel swamped, I do feel flat-out all day, all week.. and that is with a cleaner and one toddler! Parenting is full-on, non-stopI don't think anyone really has it all together.
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I'm the same Sarah.my problem is once im ontop of everything, i cant stay ontop of it, i have a viciouse cycle of "relaxing" once its all done and then everything gose back to the start and i need a big motivational kick up the bum o get back on top.
the biggest factor is there is way to much stuff in the house, so i have to have a huge cull and put my foot down to people giving the kids crap! (hoping i can keep up onnce this happens!
TBH, I keep one room clean and tidy for visitors. If that gets messed by DH I lose it totally.
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Thank goodness for honest forums like this!! I now feel completely normal as I look around my house which is full of toys & craft on floor/table and washing waiting to be put away! I'd love a tidy house but with 3 whirlwinds of energy (my girls) it's just impossible. Even the 1 yr old has just started pulling things out of cupboards - but as i look at her trying to match cup and bottle tops together, i see her learning too so am not too fussed about the mess on the floor (unless i start to fall over it!).
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Yip thats me too!
I do have my own little routine that I find helps me out and Im lucky that my older children can help (very reluctantly though)
Typical day here is ..............
Get up straight to laundry to put on first load of washing for the day, get Lady P up and get younger two breakfast.
One of older boys feeds lady while I make my bed DS4's bed and clean up DDs room and get their clothes ready.
Get DD changed and one of boys gets DS changed for me.
Boys finished gettting ready and leave for school after the dishwasher has been loaded.
Younger two go in front of tv
2nd load of washing goes on and I vaccum the lounge kitchen dining area. Boys bathroom and toilet gets a quick wipe over (big clean there on Wed and Sat)
3rd load of washing goes on and I hang out the first two
Then I shower and get myself ready and the final (hopefully) load of washing hung out.
It generally all going to plan with kids playing nicely and not too many interuptions takes between and our to an hour and half.
Daycare days most of the cleaning waits till we get home from dropping DS off so I can put Lady in bed and do bigger clean. Mop floors, vaccum rest of house, my bathroom etc
Washing gets folded when it starts falling off the chairs and covering the floorbut that a real bug bear of mine so DH usually helps and we have a goss and catch up when the kids are in bed.
It works for me and I HATE a messy house. Its certainly not a show home by any stretch of the imagination and I have clutter and stuff not put away (dont get me started about the bookshelf) but with 5 kids it only takes 10 minutes for this place to turn to chaos if I dont try and stay somewhat on top of it.
Moderator
Hate to admit it, but I finding working helps me have a cleaner house. Give me less time and I do more! Really should get myself a job
I forgot to mention with regards to tea. I am finding it a lot less stressful if I am preparing and cooking as soon as I walk in the door from the kindy pick up. We get in just before 4, so it means we have generally eaten by 5pm but I just find it easier. Once I sit down on FB & BB I don't want to get up again
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I think I have found the answer. My DS2 (aged 5) has spent all afternoon cleaning and vaccuming, without being asked! I think he has finally gotten sick of a messy house and decided to resolve the issue himself
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