how to get the housework done

[immarni]

well i am having trouble getting my housework done. I have a messy x partner living with me and gg turns the room into a shambles in 5 minutes and i get no help....i'm just wondering how everyone copes with the housework and if they have any tips on getting it done when the kids are awake. I get alot done when she is asleep but its never enough time and by the end of the day i'm so tired the last thing i want to do is clean the bathroom!!! I used to carry her in a baby bjorn but she is too heavy now and because we have a three level townhouse i can't clean upstairs without her getting in the way and i can't leave her downstairs without supervision.....sorry rambling now...would love some advice cause i'm sick of living in a hovel.

[DivinelySophistimicated]

I try and stay on top of it...sometimes i get lazy though.

Basic things, everyday things i do like this.

All dirty clothes when taken off are to be put staright in the washing machine. The next morning i turn the washing machine on. HAve a hsower, get bub dressed then hang washing out.

Dishes straight after dinner, fill the sink up when serving dinner then when you finish dip your plate and wash etc...

Washing folded and ironed etc after bubs in bed, while i watch tele.

ETA: shower gets scrubbed while im in there on the weekends, and the vanity etc gets a wipe after i brush my teeth

Vacuum and mop on Saturdays, DP takes DD outside so i get it all done- our house is 80% tiles and we have 4 living areas :O so it takes me an hour+ to do the floors.

These are just simple things that help me along everyday :) HTH

[mooter]

My Dh travels alot for work so not much gets done while he is away. I generally dont get much sleep the night before he gets home as thats when I give the house a good clean.

One thing I have learnt is that an hour sleep in when DH has gone to play golf on a Saturday morning equals about four hours of cleaning when 4 kids are left to their own devices. You would think I would have learnt to get out of bed by now, but no....

[immarni]

i wish i could scrub the shower when i had one but whenver i have one gg is with me....she hates the bath so showers with me....she is just at that stage now where she is clingy and wanting to do everything i do and moving around like a crazed kid..... I guess i just need to start doing things right then and there and not leaving it to later which is what i do....

its just getting to that point where after doing all the daily things like washing etc there is nothing else to do.....but right now im so far behind i can't see the light :P i think i'd rather have a nap than clean anyday!!! does that make me lazy?

[OneBabyBoy]

Firstly Marni, kick that ex out for good!!! :p
Secondly if she's too big for her carrier you could try getting the ikea highchair. It's really cheap ($40) or something so you could buy one for upstairs. Light and easy to take her around rooms with you. Load the tray up with toys and fun things (or even snacks) to distract her.
Other than that just try to clean as you go. As you are walking past something bend down and pick it up straight away. Less to do all at once then.

[DivinelySophistimicated]

i wish i could scrub the shower when i had one but whenver i have one gg is with me....she hates the bath so showers with me....she is just at that stage now where she is clingy and wanting to do everything i do and moving around like a crazed kid..... I guess i just need to start doing things right then and there and not leaving it to later which is what i do....

its just getting to that point where after doing all the daily things like washing etc there is nothing else to do.....but right now im so far behind i can't see the light :P i think i'd rather have a nap than clean anyday!!! does that make me lazy?


It doesnt make you lazy! I do the same thing!!

Make sure before you go to bed at night your living spaces are tidy, you wake up more happy and it seems like you have less to do! I hate waking up to toys on the floor, clothes etc

[~Emmylou~]

I have a really hard time getting it done with two of them trailing behind me trashing everything :laughing:

One thing I do find helpful though is to put DS in his highchair with some cut up fruit and just wheel him from room to room while I vaccum - that's the only way I can get it done otherwise he's all over the damn thing switching it off, humping it etc LOL.

[popetsmum]

hey kirby you are a machine!!!:)
i always thought i had good systems (well did till i had a 5 wk old!):laughing:

[EskimoMumma]

dont worry. eventually you will come up with a system that works for you :)

since falling pregnant again im finding myself extremely 'lazy'..doesnt help DD2 is becoming way more mobile as well tho and DD1 way more independant and stubborn!

there are bad days..alot but just keep trying doing little things and you will find what works for you :thumbsup:

[Lastcenturymum]

If your kids are making mess or 'trashing things' what exactly are they doing - just their toys? Can you put as much stuff out of reach and have that 'minimilist look'? :laughing: Less stuff is less mess to make.

Do you get the kids to clean up their mess/toys? You can make it game, if you do it always 'cos its easier' you are making a rod for your own back and they will never learn to clean up after themselves.

Maybe something like 'no story before bed till your toys are put away'..sure you will get a tantrum..that is when you have to be strong.

A lot of tips of cleaning while you go are great ideas, that way it doesn't get on top of you. And we all need those nice slack 'me days'

I had a friend who used to joke if she had an hour (with someone coming to visit) she could put on her rubber gloves and apron and do more in than time than if she had all day!!

[immarni]

I'm glad i'm not the only one that struggles!! I always do a bit of a cleaning if a friend shows up..i get them a coffee and say ok i'll be back in half an hour :P there all used to me though. I'm wondering how to teach a ten month old how to put their toys back :P would be nice if she did!!!!

[mum2bubba]

Well my house is a major tip at the moment but usually I just try and clean up as I go. I usually tidy up when the kids are in bed or whatever (though as soon as they get up the house is messed up again) I put a load of washing on first thing in the morning and do the dishes before bed. I also have a big box in the lounge room so if visitors come over I can just put all the mess in the box and sort the stuff out later.

I clean the shower when I'm in it and the toilet after I use.

[OJandMe]

We have 'cut off times'

As soon as we get up, the washing goes on.

Dishes are done as soon as the meal is over.

Beds are made when we're getting dressed. The boys 'help' make their own beds and set/clear the breakfast table. They put their own PJ's in the washing basket.

by 8am.. we like to have everyone dressed, showered, beds made, breakfast dishes done, and the first load of washing on.

We always clean up the room we're in when we move on. If they are playing in their bedroom, then they don't come out until they have put their toys away.
Same with the loungeroom.
Same with outside.

We have a toybox in each area, so its easy to just throw everything back in the box.

Washing gets taken off the line between 3-4:30. Generally these days I'm doing it at about 2:30, as I find Gabby usually is asleep then, and the boys have just woken up from a nap, so are happy sitting outside having afternoon tea.

If it's a vacuuming day, we do it with the kids... they love it.

Dinner is at 5 no one eats until all toys are packed up, beds are turned down and hands are washed... Gabby gets put to bed at 5:30, whoever is not putting Gabby to bed, does the dinner dishes.

By 6pm when the kids have their bath everything is done and clean.

I'll clean the shower while I'm having a shower after the kids are in bed... and I clean the bathtub whenever I wash my hair... I clean it while I'm letting the conditioner sit (no point wasting shower water while I wait)

I hot mop the toilet every night before going to bed (the boys are toilet training... so this NEEDS to be done.. and I also wipe it over with disinfectant when they go down for their daytime nap)

sorry I wrote so much...

But honestly if you can get into a system it's really great. By 7pm in our house, everything is clean, all kids are in bed, and there is nothing to do except RELAX. :thumbsup:

[SweetAngels]

I do this, when I'm not cleaning, but spending time with me gorgeous kiddies, I tell myself


:babydust2: I'm making memories:babydust2:



I dont' stress so much anymore, I used to when DD was a baby, now she's at school, I can't get her baby years back :no: :crying:


So you know what, as long as your house isn't 'gross', I wouldn't worry about it so much, 5-6 years till they go to school goes sooo fast, far too fast!! You'll be wanting these years back, so enjoy them while you can, your house will be spotless in a few years time :thumbsup: enjoy making beautiful memories for your DD!! :reindeer:

[JnA]

I do a general sweep of picking things (toys books etc) up off the floor two or three times a day so there's not too much when DP gets home. He would just run things over in his chair otherwise or not be able to access parts of the house, which isn't fair on him.

I do one 'big' cleaning job a day when the kids are asleep, or playing outside. (big cleans are things like mopping the floors, dusting, bathroom cleaning, changing beds etc) and do the general everyday stuff as I go.
Dishes are put into the dishwasher after each meal (DD helps out with this) Dishwasher gets emptied every other night after cycle. Washing gets done one load a day, usually in the morning and hung out during DD's morning tea time. And taken off the line each afternoon, DD helps with this also. I don't iron, but the folding gets done straight away.

I still get plenty of time to play with DD, look after DS and relax in the evenings with DP.

[elissas]

There's a great book called "Speed Cleaning" by Shannon Lush & Jennifer Fleming.

It does take some practice, but I've cut the time I spend cleaning by more than half! They say 15mins a day, but I have a bigger house and have a nearly 2yo so that changes things a fraction. But I probably wouldn't spend any more than an hour a day cleaning a 28sq house, that includes doing the laundry etc.

[mitty]

Hey there
I would be telling the ex to clean up after himself and help clean up after his daughter. Sit down together and work out a roster of cleaning. Since he is your ex you do not have to clean up after him etc

What I do is chuck a load of washing on when I go to bed, it is finished and ready to hang when I get up.
I wash up once a day(unless we use heaps of stuff) this is either done after kids have gone to bed or while they eat brekky or watch telly.
I wash once a week (unless i have too) when hubby is here to watch kids or i just chuck it in dryer so it is done without to much disappearing from the house.
I vacuum the whole house as often as needed. Cleans it so much better than sweeping, dont have to worry bout breezes or dust pans.
I mop either when bub is in high chair looking at toys(done with boiling water) and I always put a towel close by to dry the floor as it is needed(if i need to get something or phone rings-that way no feet marks) or this is done at night before my shower or bed
I fold clothes while bub is asleep through the day cos i get to sit and watch day time telly.
AS for tea, daddy is home to play while I cook and then one day atleast he cooks tea. On another day we have takeaway or eat out.

[Wivi]

I'm not sure if you are going to find what I suggest useful or even something you agree with but I used a playpen. DS was great in it - sometimes he played with his toys, read books, or the junk mail or even watched tv from the playpen. I found it a godsend especially when I wanted to clean the bathroom or vacuum. I would just make sure to go in and say hello every 5 to 10 minutes. He would happily play in there for an hour or so.

I loved the playpen and will happily use it again with number 2.

[JessicaKim]

its so obvious and already mentioned, but using a high chair has helped me immensley especially at night when i am trying to get dinner organised ds used to cry and moan and winge even though he was 2 mtrs away its just he was barricaded into the longe room. I had my brainwave last week of sitting him in the high chair to nibble on chopped veges that I save from the night before while i cook his and our dinners. Brilliant. It works great for getting the cleaning around the house done too, although, usually any longer than half hour at a time irritates him. I just have 3 intervals in the day where he sits in it with me in sight, playing with food an his fork. He gets so intriged by food on the fork I could leave the room for all he knew. all the rest can be done while he is alseep then.

Also i tend to hang my washing out the night before. We are in a safe area, and now its summer, it air drys over night and then when the sun comes up it warms the clothes and they are dry by 9am, nice and hot like out of a dryer. I find they tend to be softer too because they have not been in the harsh sun all day drying.

[mim1]

just a quick extra note ... playtime can happen anywhere! Mum was watching Josh for me the other day and she did all the dishes (I'm a very messy person, so there were lots of them!) while josh played on the kitchen floor with empty drink bottles and measuring cups.

For the bathroom, what about taking some toys and setting her up to play on the floor while you attend to the bath and sink? Then, when you do the bathroom floor and shower base put her in the dry bath with toys ... balls of any description would be great. If she's a climber you might need to watch her very closely though!