How do you do it all?

[theuncivilservant79]

Are you a lp with pre school children working with a pristine house and all your admin up to date?

If you are please tell me how????

Thanks

My biggest issues are clutter, rubbish food shop planning and keeping up with paper work etc.

Half the problrm is non sleeping dd2 but it's not entirely just that....

[foolonthehill]

clutter...tick
paper work mountain...tick
ironing mountain...tick
exhaustion....tick

this is normal, it gets better then worse then better. Don't try to be superwoman, just a good mum. Do what you can, when you can and the rest will wait.

Our children will grow up fast enough and there will be time to spare when we are in our dotage. Try to enjoy being where you are (and sleep when you can!).

best wishes
xx

[theuncivilservant79]

Thanks fool. You are probably right it the mess/clutter is making me a bit mental just now. Today I put the dds in the car (on the drive with the doors open) whilst I packed the lunch etc and had a quick tidy because I can no longer trust them not to trash the house

[mamalovesmojitos]

Totally agree with foolonthehill. Dd is 10 now and we tick most of the boxes most of the time ....when she was a preschooler? Not so much . It's difficult. Remember, they are only young once. Go easy on yourself. Are they fed and warm and loved? That's your goal. Bit by bit, the other things will straighten up/fall into place. It's a struggle to run a house & parent alone, it really is.

[pickles184]

The house is cluttered, it could definitely be cleaner and I try to avoid ironing at all costs.
I work ft, with a 19month old, a dog and two horses to care for so have just had to learn to lower my standards.. a lot!

Give yourself a break, it is a tough job with little time for rest so don't beat yourself up if you need to sit down for 5 rather than tackling the dusting etc..

If it helps I do try to allocate 10 mins per day to tidying and a quick clean of at least one room. Also keeping a note on my phone of shopping essentials so when I'm rushing round the shop trying to keep within toddler boredom timescale I stand a chance at remembering at least half of the things we need. Paperwork is a nightmare, but I try to deal with urgent immediately and the rest one evening, it keeps some semblance of order. I dream of one day being able to afford a cleaner!

How old are your children, do you have a support network locally?

[mamalovesmojitos]

Practically, I would suggest a file for paperwork, an hour a week set aside to do it (with reward directly afterwards).

Do you have freezer space? I like to batch cook once a month, get it all done while listening to some good music. And hot cooked meal not always essential daily, especially in the summer.

With clutter, pick up 5 things every time you have a minute. Dump all you can. Focus on areas that callers will see first, eg hall & kitchen and leave areas like your bedroom for when you really have time. Never go upstairs without something in your hand to put away. Hope none of this is too obvious/patronising.

[mamalovesmojitos]

Practically, I would suggest a file for paperwork, an hour a week set aside to do it (with reward directly afterwards).

Do you have freezer space? I like to batch cook once a month, get it all done while listening to some good music. And hot cooked meal not always essential daily, especially in the summer.

With clutter, pick up 5 things every time you have a minute. Dump all you can. Focus on areas that callers will see first, eg hall & kitchen and leave areas like your bedroom for when you really have time. Never go upstairs without something in your hand to put away. Hope none of this is too obvious/patronising.

[misstiredbuthappy]

My house looked like a bomb had gone of until dd started nursery

I always tried to keep the living room tidy and thr kitchen as best I could. Nobody goes upstairs but me and dd. Big storage tubs are handy to chuck all dc toys in and other crap

it gets easier to keep everywhere tidy when they go to school .

[theuncivilservant79]

Obvious bit not patronising. Think I need the pep talk!

Things are better than they were when dd2 was very tiny. She is 19 months now. Dd1 is 4.5.

We moved here to this house in October. I was quite ill when I moved and I feel like I've never quite caught up even though that was 9 months ago. I feel constantly behind. I want to redecorate but I can't see how I could achieve this though not due up lack of funds. It's the clearing and doing and finishing that seems impossible. I want to prioritise the dds room and order furniture and blah and make it really amazing but again it seems such an impossible task

[misstiredbuthappy]

Its hard isnt it Ive only got 1 dd and I sometimes feel like im going round in circles. Never mind 2 dds.

have you got anyone to help you ? (Probs not if your like me)

Put some music on and go for it. X

[giantpurplepeopleeater]

My biggest piece of advice? Let it go.

Do the bits you absolutely have to, a bit more if you can, then le the rest go. In the grand scheme of things they matter not. A cluttered house, a bit of mess or a pristine house? Who cares. It doesn't have a value.

Focus on what matters.

Also - look at some of the organisation tips online to make sure you keep up with the most important things (starting to keep a diary has been the most important but for me!!!) - particularly in the paperwork/ house and child admin side of things.

Value you time - value it in the same way you do your money - then spend it on the things and the people that you HAVE/ NEED to, then the rest on the bits that you really WANT to. Not forgetting to save up a bit to be spent on you every now an again.

I try to do this. I fail a fair bit when I get stressed at the state of things, about never feeling on top of everything, but I try to remind myself what really matters.

:)