How much do you do once the DCs are in bed?

[Letmesleepalready]

I'm looking around the living room, to a floor full of toys, not a single surface clear, and I know the other rooms are no better. The DCs are finally asleep so I should be doing stuff, but I'm thinking that we don't have a great routine with tidying up. Do most of you have a tidy house by the time the DCs are in bed? And how do you get in the habit of tidying as you go? I'm always forgetting to do so, and yet it doesn't seem like it should be this hard!

[Millybingbong]

Nada

But I also got rid of a lot of crap.

[bigchris]

Absolutely sod all

Only do vague tidying when dcs are up

I'm a bit of a a pattern though plus work full time so when I get home that's it

[TeaBelle]

I tidy so the house is clear every night. But don't clean as dd is a light sleeper. Only takes me 10 mins to be honest though as we keep ion top of it. I can't relax looking at clutter

[Letmesleepalready]

Milly we got rid of so much stuff, but mostly mine and DH's stuff, the DCs seem to have filled up all the space we created by our decluttering!
bigchris I'm a sahm at the moment, and I struggle, I wouldn't have any hope of keeping on top of the house if I was working too! I'm thinking of going back to work when youngest starts preschool, but I'm dreading the mess if I can't even sort it out now!
Teabelle 10 minutes would be a record here! But I realise that if I kept things tidy (and managed to teach the DCs too) I'd have much less work at the end of the day!

[metalmum15]

Mine are older now so clutter is normally confined to their bedrooms, but when they were younger everything got shoved inside toy boxes /behind the sofa/in the other room. Took 10 minutes and meant I could relax and not look at a carpet covered in crap.

[bigchris]

Lol just read what I wrote and it should say slattern ! To be fair I was a lazy mare before returning full time 😀

[wrinkleseverywhere]

Ours is like yours OP but some of it I just accept. The dining table is covered in art & craft as there is a major project underway & the playroom floor is covered in Lego & sylvanian families as something very elaborate is happening with that. The problem is that, due to the almost open plan layout of the house, I can see both from the sofa.

[Misty9]

I occasionally get the kids to tidy up before going up to bed (complete with annoying song ) and then I spend 10mins or so clearing surfaces before slumping on the sofa for the evening. I am a bit anal with everything having a place so it doesn't take long. Dc are 3 and 5 and don't really have toys in their rooms.

[Letmesleepalready]

We've tried the box idea, but often end up with overflowing boxes and floors still full of toys. I do try and declutter their toys fairly regularly, but can't seem to have found a system that works!
I always thought I'd love an open plan house, but at the moment I just can't see it working!
The DCs' room is the worst, every single book is out on the floor every single day, and same with toys!

[Loulou2kent]

Work full time as a cm in my house so house is in a state by 6pm after cooking & doing 2 dinner times & the mess of the day etc. But I aim to have it all tidy by time my two are in bed. I tend to do a big clean on a weds night & whatever quiet day I have on the weekend.

I've started getting all the children, both mine & minded children to tidy up before their dinner at 5pm. So that whilst they are eating, I'm concentrating on the kitchen. Already loading dishwasher, wiping down surfaces & getting my family's dinner on. Quickly clean the little ones up & ready for home time & get table cleared. At the point living room, dining room & play room are all tidy. Kitchen half tidy. They go home & then it's round two dishing up dinner & setting table. At this point oldest is doing homework & little one is playing with few toys with tv on (don't feel guilty. Poor boy gets dragged up ready to go by 7am every morning & doesn't stop playing or being out till 5.30) 6-6.30 we eat as family. 7pm bath if needed. Oldest goes in whilst I clean up from our dinner & sweep floors. Then I take little one up at 7.20 he has 10 mins in bath whilst I tidy round bath & check bedrooms tidy & make a pile of crap to bring back downstairs. 7.30 stories & bed. 8pm bring crap downstairs. Put away & sit down 👍🏻. I'm lucky that I can chuck a wash on in the day & stick in tumble dryer. But big jobs like windows, floors etc done on weekends & weds. Weds night I have an extra hour in the evening. Ironing gets done on weekends. The house is never perfect. But when I no longer Childmind I hope for a mess free home.

Lower expectations it's my only advice & keep on top of kitchen. Toys take minutes to put away.

[Loulou2kent]

Big boys bedroom is always full of lego. But he knows it has to go back in the boxes before bed. The thought of walking on it in the night if the boys need me fills me with dread! Oh & weekends I'm more lazy. My house needs to be tidy for when kids arrive at 7 in the morning. So that's probably my biggest motivation!

[Letmesleepalready]

That sounds like a plan I could follow Loulou any tips on getting reluctant DCs to tidy up? I always get shouted at by the 5 year old, telling me they don't want to do it. I'm hoping a tidier house would be more peaceful too, for everyone involved!

[user76895432]

I do make sure the house is tidy before I sit down to get my daily Netflix fix! I clear up from dinner, make packed lunches for the next day and then wash up. I also do a load of washing if the laundry basket is full. I make sure bags are packed for the next day and by the door and then give the tidy living room a quick tidy up.

I never dust, vacuum or mop during the week though - too knackered! That gets done on the weekend when I have more time.

[kel1493]

When my ds goes to bed, I tidy up his toys so the living room is tidy. I then make sure his clothes and changing things are ready for the morning. I'll do any last tidying up in the kitchen. Have my/ our when dh is home dinner if we haven't already had it, then wash up from that. Finally I make sure the kitchen is tidy and sides are clear.

[becotide]

Bugger all, I'm too tired

[Letmesleepalready]

I really need to start doing more in the evening, it would help mornings go smoother I'm sure. You'll be glad to know I've picked up the toys and hoovered downstairs since I started this thread, just need to do this consistently, instead of the more sporadic approach I have at the moment.

[becotide]

LetMeSleep, five year olds who shout at their mummies get put to bed straight after dinner. It's NOt ON.

[Xmasbaby11]

Bugger all tonight. But the dc only came in the lounge to watch TV so it looks pretty tidy from where I am (on sofa watching TV).

[Sparrowlegs248]

Nothing. Husband tidies the toys in the living room while minding the baby. I put toddler to bed, cook, eat
Then go to bed myself mostly.

[ToElleWithIt]

One of us tidies while the other baths the kids if we're both at home. If that's the case then I will do a quick scoot round for 10 mins after they go down sorting out my clothes, bit of tidying. If I'm on my own I'll also wipe surfaces and give kitchen floor a quick whizzz, chuck toys in boxes then stick on wash. Probably 25 mins. Either way not a lot.

[Letmesleepalready]

becotide we've tried/ are trying so many approaches to get rid of the whinging and rudeness, but nothing really seems to help. Apparently she's fine at school, but it's very hard work parenting her at the moment. And obviously the younger one tries to copy her too, so by the time DH gets home I'm completely frazzled!

[Letmesleepalready]

We have started having one of us tidy while the other one does bedtime, which helps, but again, we're not as consistent as we need to be.

[Youcantscaremeihavechildren]

Bloody loads.. but we are getting a cleaner for 3 hrs a week in a fortnight, yay!
Currently work fulloyds time although one day a week is condensed so o can do school pickup and home by 4. Every other night home by 5ish. Dinner on, kids play screech at each other and argue while I do that and unload dishwasher, unpack and repack bags for next day, once a week sweep/hoover. Once dinners done clean up kitchen whilst they watch TV, bath on, both in and I tidy/put away washing/clean bathrooms. Once in bed which take bloody forever as 2 yr old needs me there till he falls asleep, I talk to dh a bit then start with tidying toys etc and hanging out a wash most days. Then on sofa, collapse for a bit, procrastinate and then do emails, planning, marking etc for next day.
I make lunches, lay out clothes and bags etc every night, I'd rather do it then thano in the morning.
When cleaner starts we will have to tidy day before and clear away crap etc, plus put washing away, someone does ironing for us already, I'm hoping this will get us the weekends back as I seem to spend a few hours every Saturday cleaning and then working. It's constant though, if I leave it for just one night it's a mess again for days..

[Wait4nothing]

One does bedtime while the other tidys and starts tea in our house. Bought an IKEA storage cube system in the living room so chuck in boxes in there and it look ok - big toys hidden behind sofa. We rarely clean midweek but tidy and wipe surfaces in kitchen/sweep floor. I don't hoover as I wouldn't risk waking the baby - that happens at the weekend

[ImogenTubbs]

We are lucky enough to have a playroom so I do at least try and make sure all the kid crap is shoved in there so the living room has an element of peace about it. Not always successful though. Try and have a vague tidy of playroom about once a week and attempt to persuade DD (with varying levels of success) to help.

Kitchen always clean and clear before bed though, but we have to - we live overseas and if we don't leave the kitchen immaculate we get nasties in there attracted by food and dirty plates.