how do you get everything done???

[Crazyfamily]

Ok. I six children and 4 of them are five and under.
What I want to know is how do other people with lots of kids have time to do everything in a day that needs to be done. I feel like I am forever cleaning. I just get one room done and go back and it needs doing again. My kids do clean their own toys etc but I just find I can't organize my day.
Any suggestions??????

[Jax Tellers Old Lady]

oh my god i have this problem and i only have one child i will have to hire cleaners when i have more lol:o

[~Candy~]

I find I have to do a lot of my housework 1st thing in the morning before dh goes to work (8am). Between us both, we get the kids fed, dressed, teeth and hair brushed, then I go and make all the beds, clean up the bathroom, toilet, put washing on, get washing off the line too and DH does the washing up and tidies the kitchen and looks after the little ones. The kids clean up their toys and I vaccum/mop on the w/ends when dh can take the kids outside. And that's also when the yard and garden get attended to too! :sleeping:

[Roopee]

I do my washing at night and have all their clothes layed out the night before so when they get up i just have to dress them.
Their cereal is put into their bowls before they get out of bed in the morning (they eat the same one everyday-their a tad anal about it) and a jug of milk i in the fridge which DS1 gets out so the pour their own.IYKWIM.

I do as much as i can the night before, but that being said i still make sure i leave enough time for "me" in the evenings.

I kno wht you mean though, sometimes it all falls apart and it certainly isnt easy.

[kymmy]

I just do what I can. I am forever spring cleaning, drives me mad but its the only way with small house.
We have 3 kids (not inc hubby) and nothing gets done. I rarely finish things as I get called away by the demand of being mum (this is my priority not house cleaning)

[becky_boo84]

u deserve a medal for what u already do darl... u should be so proud i dont even have one bub yet and i still have trouble.... i hope i can b half as good as u are

[~Candy~]

Caroline, Please excuse my ignorance.. Not only did I tripple post (all fixed now..lol) but I failed to notice you are on your own. I didn't see your sigi till after I posted. Then, I tried to post again lastnight but bubhub froze up on me and I had to give up :banghead: The only thing I can suggest is to try and get some things done at night...but I can totally understand if you choose sleep over h/work, you must be exhausted by the end of the day :sleeping:

[CJJHRA]

I have 6 also, but my kids very rarely help, unless absolutely neccessary, like for a rent inspection, and mine are 14,10,9,5,5,2

I have found the less toys they have, the more it stays clean, and a wash basket in each room, a toy box for stray toys and a small bin, that way, each time they walk past and something is on the floor, there is a bin, toy box or wash basket close, and they dont winge as they dont have far to go.

I have also found having a spot for everything helps to, so the kids know exactly where everything goes.

I clean every day, but I dont do everything everyday (ok, apart from a load of washing and the dishes) I vacuume every 2-3 day, do the toilets every 2-3 day. I vacuume bedrooms every 2 weeks (they dont go in their rooms much anyway, only for sleeping)

instead of pegging out clothes, pop the ones you can on hangers, then when dry, you just pop them straight into the cupbaords.

for showers/baths, if you use bubble bath, it saves cleaning the bath, as theres no ring left or anything, just swish around with a cloth as you pull the plug. For the shower, buy that spray you can use after every shower, and that should stay clean as well, and only need a good scrub every 4-6 weeks (perhaps longer)

Forget dusting everyday/week, it only comes back, may as well only do it every 2-3 weeks

I very very rarely make beds, they only get messed again, and when I do anyway, we only have a bottome fitted sheet, and a doona, so its quick.

if you can afford it, get a cleaner in every 4-6 weeks to give the bathrooms and kitchen a good clean (ovens/stove tops) and a dust, should only be about $40ish for 2 hours, and they can have all that done and perhaps even dust too in that time.

A great meal for a night off cooking, is $4 of chips from the fish and chip shop, and bread and butter, and all sit on the floor and use fingers to eat, no washing up!!

:hugs: I know its not easy, and when your on you're own its a little harder, but just think, you dont have a hubby to pick up after, they can make more mess than all the kids put together sometimes too!

[karcarcor]

I tend to only do what needs to be done too.
I put a load of washing on at night as well as the dishwasher, then hang it out in the morning - and if I don't get the time to hang it out, then I shove it in the dryer as I walk out the door to get the kids off to school!
The kids clothes I get out ready when I put them to bed, and the girls dress themselves when they get up, and I dress the boys when they get up.
As for everything else, when I get the time, I do it.
As with above, I don't do everything every day. If the girls don't make their beds when they get up, then they don't get made. The shower and bathrooms get a once over once a week(usually after lunch when Kayne's in bed, the girls are at school, and Corey sits down and has rest time with a video).
I have storage boxes for the toys - dress-ups in one, barbies in one, cars, blocks, puzzles, etc,etc. so after tea, before a story and bed, we just throw all the toys int their boxes. I refuse to pack away toys during the day(unless people are coming over), because they only come out again, so it's a once a day thing.
As for the floors, I vaccuum every couple of days when it's nap time(no - it doesn't wake the kids - I think they're used to it) and I find it too difficult to sweep and mop with the kids, so that gets done twice a week(more or less depending!!) at night, before I go to bed.
I'm lucky because hubby helps out a lot.
In the mornings Hubby gets the kids their breaky while I do their lunches.
Just do what you have to do and what you can. There's no point getting stressed over the house. The kids are what's important.

[mummyof5]

Caroline, you have my sympathies! I am a pseudo single mum, as DH is in the navy, and when the ship isn't at sea, he is in Sydney thru the week, while we live in the Hunter valley.
I am much like karcarcor's post. I clean as little as possible, which is still a h*ll of a lot, as I have Jock in my life (developmently delayed, challenged behaviour, very full on sort of kid!!). I don't clean up kids toys during the day either, as he will promptly get them back out. Some nights I am too stuffed to put them away at all. This week I have had a sick child, which means bugger all sleep at night, so needless to say I am still looking at the ironing basket...but I'll get to it eventually, LOL.
The floor is usually feral in our house, due to Jock feeling the need to toss his bowl when he is finished a meal, and his 2 year old sister has learnt the habit, so if I get waylaid, there will be food on the floor. It gets cleaned regularly, though not as much as I would like:o .
The older kids help out, so I don't ride them to tidy as much as I probably should, as I would rather they helped get kids out of the bath when I have dinner on, chooks to feed and lock up, and vege's to water, all around the same time.
They do get up and dress, feed, help do their own lunches (well not miss almost 5, though she is about to start learning!!:D ), and I only have to hassel them a little.
If I were you, I wouldn't worry to much and do whatever works for you, specially while your youngest are still so small...take help when it is offered, and try to find 5 mins for yourself occassionally, as I know just how hard that can be!