How does your day at home run? Time escapes me!

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

I would love to hear how your day runs, how do you fit everything in? I am a SAHM with a very active little toddler and I always feel like I am chasing my tail! How do you get your ironing done? Cleaning? Shopping? And not feel like you are always on the go? When do you play with your children and for how long? Do you have a fixed schedule each day? Thanks

[LucaJack'sMum]

Will be watching this thread VERY closely! I have just finished work in preparation for bubby #2 and am struggling with this with my DS toddler too!

At the moment we wake up 7-7.30, have breaky, make beds, get dressed, watch a little TV then by about 10-10.30 play something... cars or ball in the hall, maybe go for a walk if its not too hot, lunch, play some more, try for a sleep (him and me if I can) while he sleeps (1-1.5hrs) I generally do a tidy up, if he won't sleep we sometimes cook in the afternoon- cookies or muffins or something, and by then its time to think about dinner???? Where does the day go?

We also fit in things like hanging washing on the line in 'playtime' or will hang washing and go on the swing at the same time, sometimes will make a game of cleaning up by having DS follow me around with his Tonka truck and he will take things back to the right rooms where they belong, then I only have to put them away...

It is tough though, and I get bored easily! LOL

[~Trish~]

No fixed schedule for me! I iron in the evening once a week when DS2 is in bed and can't get into too much trouble (I only iron DH's work shirts). I clean up each evening after the boys are in bed so I'm not hit with a huge mess first thing in the morning. I usually vaccum and mop once a week (my mum has been helping me lately, bless her ) and sweep every few days to keep on top of it. I clean the toilets and bathrooms every Thursday, it helps to set a day for each job so you stick to it. Washing gets done every 2-3 days and the boys play outside while I hang it out. I start cooking dinner at about 4:30pm-ish so that dinner time is all over and cleaned up well before bathtime at 7pm.

DH does our shopping on Saturday mornings, I used to manage doing the shopping with DS1 and do it on a Monday morning, but once DS2 came along it was just easier for DH to do it!

Quality time is not scheduled, we just go for walks most days, read books together, do puzzles, drawing, painting, etc. And DH gets bombarded with two happy boys when he gets home LOL. DH always puts DS1 to bed and reads him a couple of stories, so there is plenty of quality time in our house, it's just kind of all over the place!

Sometimes I think I should try and schedule specific things, but it's hard because I also run a business from home and I have customers that come over and that kind of throws my plans out.

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

My days run pretty much the same. I find it is better to get out in the mornings at a long day at home with DS is just miserable, especially as he is teething at the moment. I find ironing the hardest as I don't like doing it when DS is up in case he burns himself? DH gets home between 7:30-8 so it doesn't leave much time in the evenings to get anything done. I'd love to have a home that is clean and tidy all the time but in reality it doesn't happen I often feel guilty that I'm not sitting and playing with him for hours but find that I am exhausted just fitting the basics in!

[LucaJack'sMum]

I often feel guilty that I'm not sitting and playing with him for hours but find that I am exhausted just fitting the basics in!

You know Sweet peajan, kids don't care... they just love being WITH you, whether thats playing cars or helping with the washing, they dont see it like we do, they just see that you are with there them, talking, spending time etc... or not...

[~Trish~]

Could you iron when DS takes a nap? Or sometime over the weekend when your DH can take your DS outside or out for a walk? It's tricky I know! I hate even taking the rubbish out to the big bin while DS2 is awake because he of course wants to come with me too and then it becomes much more work LOL!

And I agree, your DS just loves to be around you, you don't have to spend every waking hour entertaining him, he is learning heaps by watching you

[mbear]

Shopping - online
Ironing - one night a week, whatever doesnt get done, will have to wait till the following week.... Over Xmas i really let the ironing go, so much so that the pile that was growing was looking quite daunting. My mum took it all off me, emptied my basket, and returned the ironing all done a few days later. Getting that load done helped me stay on top of my ironing for the future - if that makes sense ?? Is there someone you could ask to help, or even pay someone just to get the backlog done, then you may feel ontop of things....
Cleaning - i usually vacumn on sat morn when DH is home. I mop my floors at night, i clean toilet or bathroom once a week and will stick a DVD on for my girls whilst doing it.
I have a general rule: beds always made and rooms always tidy. So even though my lounge room by noon may look like a pigsty, if i wander past one of the bedrooms, its nice, satisfying and a relief to see them 'clean and tidy'.

I also make a habit of picking up things througout the day if im walking towards that area of the house i.e if i see some shoes on the floor, and im walking towards one of the bedrooms to put something away, i will pick those shoes up. It may seem small but its quite suprising by end of day how much you have put away...

good luck - its defn a full time job !!!!!

[shellbell3]

I have set jobs that I do on certain day so I'm not spending so long cleaning, like mon is floors day, wed toilets, that sort of thing. Usually while DD is eating breakfast or just after I'll tidy kitchen if I haven't the night before and do little jobs that need doing then we can go out or play at home.
DD doesn't mind shopping but when bubs #2 comes along I'll do it online.
Alot time DD likes to 'help' me with jobs like loading washing machine or in the kitchen so I'll find her a small task to do to keep her occupied and then rave about what great job shes done and she thinks its great then.
Yep like mbear I try put things away thruout the day so doesn't look too bad.
And ironing, whats that? I don't iron a thing, hang it as soon as its washed and it'll be fine and Df buys iron free shirts for work.

[Snacks]

Oooh, you ladies are putting me to shame! I seriously don't know how I get stuff done. Sometimes I just don't. DH isn't a great help, I work 3 days/week and we go to 2 playgroups. Basically, I do stuff when Natty is asleep or when she is really engrossed in a game or a DVD or when DH is home and entertaining her (not very often!). But I certainly can't schedule stuff in... I just do it when I can. And if stuff hasn't been done then I usually get it done on Sunday when I know DH is home and I make sure he is looking out for Natty.
It is kind of upsetting, actually. This morning I came downstairs to find my kitchen overrun with ants. I was gutted because I thought I'd left everything clean and tidy, but one solitary cup that had cordial in it had been left on the sink and aparently that's all it takes.
Ah, so sorry to take over your thread with my whining! I just find it tough sometimes.

ETA: DH irons his own shirts. I don't iron anything.

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

I think we all find it tough sometimes and I can sympathise with the ants. Once they find there way in they are determined little creatures. I can't get rid of mine either and I have been vigilant. I think I have to relax with the ironing and I will do it once a week when DS goes to sleep. I might try to have certain days for the big chores and see how that goes. I always worry that someone is going to drop in and my living room has been turned upside down by DS! With the toys and general kid paraphenalia it just looks cluttered most of the time and I think this has been bothering me. Not much I can do about that though? Any tips on that? I will definitely pick up things as I go and hopefully it will become a habit.

[~Trish~]

With the toys and general kid paraphenalia it just looks cluttered most of the time

Welcome to my world LOL! That's why I generally only tidy up the toys when the boys have gone to bed, otherwise there's no point, they'll just pull them out again. I always worry someone will drop in before I've cleaned up!

One thing that helped when I had DS1 was to not have so many toys out for him to play with. I bought some big clear tubs and packed his toys into them, I would then open one tub for him to play with and alternate tubs once a week. This made a big difference with toy clutter.

My house is by no means perfect, believe me. My floor always has crumbs from two boys wondering around with food, there are always toys to trip over, etc. But if I keep on top of the major jobs (clean bathrooms, etc) then it's not such a big deal to run around and tidy up if someone says they're coming over.

[sirenz]

I have set days for certain things.

Thursday is shopping days
Friday is housework day ( i do it all when ds has his sleep) I vaccum when ds has his lunch
I always clean up the kitchen at night while dh baths ds or dh cleans kitchen while i bath ds
I tidy up his toys when he has gone to bed
I don't iron anything unless its going to be worn that day so only iron when we need to (it only takes a minute to iron one shirt)
any washing that needs to be done gets done during the day, we have a dryer and most things go in there which is faster than hanging it out.
I fold washing in my bedroom when ds goes to bed (we have a tv in our room so it doesn't get too boring)
I find it easy if you have one set day that you do your housework, after a while it gets easy to get it all done in a couple of hours and the rest of the day is yours to enjoy!

for me doing it all this way leaves me more time to spend with ds playing etc not cleaning.

[mbear]

I would also recommend spending $3.50 approx - on pine o clean wipes !!! Best invention ever. SHould visitors pop around, and my bathroom sink and toilet look like and smell like a public toilet, a quick wipe down with these wipes gets rid of germs and smells clean.

[~Kim~]

I second the pinoclean wipes lol.
Also little things like not walking over stuff and when I wash my face I wipe the sink over. Darcy now does it too. Or when she gets out of the bath i just wipe it all over. Never looks dirty or dusty.
Now if I could just get DH in on the act...

[sirenz]

yes the pine O cleen wipes are the BEST! they now come in a big tub. I use them all the time cause i HATE having dish cloths on my sink, they are germ breeders.

[Ezz]

We put the toys away as we go during the day. Calvin has 3 toy tubs (cars, instruments & other toys) - so I will get out one tub for him to play with. Once he is finished with those toys, we put them away together before getting out another tub (yes, at 14 months I am teaching him to put his own toys back in the box - he is definitely getting better).