Sometimes I just put on my gloves and try my best to get this house into shape. I love being home with my kids but I really struggle getting my house in some type of order. Dealing with laundry piling up, paper and filing and just maintaining order feels so overwhelming. My kids ask for pets and my answer is that we have plenty of dust bunnies to play with already. I'm not lazy...or I don't feel like I am. I don't watch t.v during the days. I check emails through my day when I need to know if 'there's life out there' and when my few walls make me feel lonely. I'm constantly working on making this house run smoother but I feel like I'm failing. Maybe it's my habits I have, maybe it's just not in my genes...but I am craving peace and order.
I was told last year about a cute acronym for cleaning called O.H.I.O. which stands for:
O-only
H- handle
I- it
O- once
I have been working hard to follow these four words. It sounds easy but it really challenges me to work at putting things away the first time. It doesn't help that my kiddos have mastered this phrase... just in the opposite way!
Do you have any tips that you'd like to share about what works for you? I'm all for listening to your suggestions and getting pointers so that my home can feel a relaxing place to be without the guilt.
8 comments:
Hi Andrea,
My Aunt Deb Rogalsky also struggled/s with this same issue and i remember that she had numerous strategies that helped her to manage her house and clutter and 4 childrens help or lack thereof. I cant tell you what the strategies were, but you could talk to her in person about it.
My house is clean and perfectly organized and we have no dust bunnies. My children are bathed every night and their clothes are spotless. And the laundry is always done. And there are never dishes in my sink.
NOT.
I struggle too! Some weeks are OK. Others are NOT so good. If you find an effective method that works, please share!
that's hard to have so much pressure on us! but we only put it on ourselves.
here's what my philosophy has turned into in sorts:
- I only have small children once, and they need to be my priority. if my floors are not *spotless* then so be it. I would rather go play outside and make memories with them. soon enough they will be in school full time and I will have all day long to scrub those corners.
- that being said, I'm a "everything has a place, and everything should be IN it's place" sorta person, and I do my housecleaning on a schedule. rotating weeks- week A the floors get cleaned, I dust, etc.... week B the shower gets scrubbed, the kitchen gets deep cleaned, etc.... every Weds I do ALL my laundry, and only do it if ABSOLUTELY necessary otherwise (like a blanket gets barfed on that's needed for bed time, or soccer clothes need to be washed for soccer... etc.) Otherwise I would do it every day, and that's too chaotic for me. (But some ppl prefer a little each day instead of non-stop laundry all day once a week.)
- while I make lunch the boys have to clean up their toys, and same with before bed (so no clutter during nap time or after bed time). then the only leftover cleanup is whatever odds and ends from us, and I technically (and anally to a fault at times) refuse to start one thing till I finish the previous thing, so that makes me feel less stressed/ overwhelmed!
- a big thing is I give myself limits, too. I will only do my housework in the mornings. 2 hrs of doing what needs to be done in the household is more than enough. that leaves after nap time as time spent with the boys. (of course, sometimes we have plans in the morning and that doesn't always happen either!)
I don't live by this, though. for the last couple months I've been good and sick and tired and pregnant, so my floors have not been thoroughly cleaned once. just a guideline that helps me. but I know too structured for a lot of people!! :)
I think the most effective method is this:
- we live a life (and are not full time maids, but full time MOMs), we have small children, it is IMPOSSIBLE to have everything orderly and perfect when these 2 things exist. period. (and coming to accept that is hard, but necessary if we want to lessen the guilt/ stress/ overwhelmed-ness of life!)
just don't put so much pressure on yourself Andrea! your house is always beautiful, and yet that's not what matters most. (I know you know this, just wish you weren't so hard on yourself!!)
much love!
(**sorry for the long comment!!**)
Wow, please pass the ideas on to me too :) I think that it IS a losing battle until kids are out of the house. Then we'll have all the time in the world (probably too much time) and wish for the craziness of the chaos back!
Your kids will not remeber how spotless your house was, but how you spent thime with them. You are a great mom and your house is pretty clean! I used to clean my house from top to bottom everyday before kids, now I do my big cleaning one day a week and laundry on Saturday. I pick a day where Jeff can help with the kids while I clean-cause he doesn't help me clean. I also do some things in the evening after the kids are in bed so I don't have to do everything in one day if I know it'll be a crazy day.
I so understand. I have come up with some routines that help...but after that I just relax and do what I can do. In a few years...these babies will get older, move out..and all our rooms will stay the same....dusting will be our only task! My mom always tells me to save the cleaning for another phase of life!
Some of my routines....
Dishwasher is always loaded and running before I go to bed. And I try to unload it 1st thing in the morning either right before or after breakfast.
I never save the kitchen for later....I clean it quickly after each meal..loading the dishes throughout the day. (We work together as a family)
We stop throughout the day as I see too many toys out and abandoned..and do quick (5-10 min) pick ups.
I have also gotten a basket for each person..and went around quickly piling everyones stuff in a basket...and placing it by their door...they each put their own stuff up.
Laundry--is the hardest for me. But when I take it right out of the dryer and fold it -- it works the best. I have a table now in the laundry room that helps soo much!
I keep cleaning supplies in each room--in each bathroom. I use a lot of Clorox wipes. My kids are now trained to get one out and wipe down their bathroom counter and stool. I find if I see something dirty and have the supplies right there..I am more willing to clean on the spot.
Start having your kids help out. Even the little ones can put silverware away. :)
Well, I think all of the above comments are good advice. First, your kids are only young once. But you have to find some balance in getting the house in order.
What I always did just did one chore a day once a week. One day was for dusting, another for washing floors, another for the bathroom. And two days a week I would put in some laundry. That way I'm not cleaning all Saturday and it's so overwhelming and draining.
Oh, and I totally agree with Christine; get the kids to help. Clean up 10 toys in their room before bed, put away the cups, load the dishwasher. Joel and Kezia set and clear the table and put away the laundry, and it TOTALLY helps.
But don't sweat it, because when it all comes down to it, the kids are the priority and a spotless house, well, a bit of an irony in this stage of life.
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