To ask ‘how do people do it? Working, family, and keeping a clean home’ - I’m exhausted!

Only having one pre-teen and most of your time WFH will be helping with that schedule. I’d struggle to see how you can’t keep up with that situation.

I’ll be honest, I’m struggling here to see an acute struggle. 4 days a week, term time, school hours, with a partner who is WFH, and only one teenage child? Doesn’t seem that challenging.

DH and I both work full time out of the home and have 7yr old twins. Also pets and currently house renovation.

Not that it’s a race to the bottom, but I think more info is needed as to why you appear to struggle so much.

I just don’t do it! I clean if it’s dirty but otherwise a kiss and a promise will do. Why run yourself ragged? Who cares?

I don’t. I have lower standards. Because my sanity and quality time with my family are more important. That’s it really!

I can just about cope with the cleaning but the washing and ironing is a constant battle... we have 3 pets, 2 young children and both work full time.

With a 13 year old it really really really should not look like a bomb’s gone off if you don’t tidy for a day. As a bare minimum, tell her, and your husband, to sort it out, because if it genuinely looks a complete tip after one day, they (both or just one) are causing that because they just expect you to tidy it.

A smaller house with two adults and a teen should really not require much cleaning unless someone is taking the piss.

Really your 13 year old should be doing chores as well.

By having lower standards for my house. It does get cluttered (not dirty) and if our bedsheets go a few extra days without being changed I’m not going to cry over it. Kids are old enough to help and are expected to chip in. I prioritise my kids homework/music practice/extracurriculars over housework and I’m happy with that choice. Some awesome people do both and hats off to them, some people outsource their cleaning, but I deal by being a bit scruffy and it works well for us.

also, get rid of stuff, having less crap around the house helps massively with keeping it clean!

What housework do you feel you have to do every day?

I'm the same as you. Mad tidy up if anyone comes round.

I’m always curious on these threads if I just have incredibly low housekeeping standards because while sometimes it gets away from us a bit, it never feels like it’s overwhelming 😕

Both work f/t, DH out the house, me from home 4 days and only 1 in the office, teen a pre teen DC. Mornings after school run empty the dishwasher etc before logging on, washing gets hung or sorted at lunch break, hoover run round, maybe some quick shopping (we are fortunate to live right next to the shops). DH cooks dinner while I do other tidying, I wash up and tidy kitchen mid evening, that’s the daily
jobs done. Weekends see deep clean of kitchen and proper dust and hoover between other stuff, bathrooms generally done while showering. Every evening we get time to watch telly both with the kids and on our own.

I always wonder if we’re missing something cleaning wise that everyone else is doing…?

Honestly low standards, husband that does his fair share and a cleaner.

We both just tidy as we go, we have minimal in the house in the first place and I’m very organised. 2 dc and I work mon-Fri all year round. I started a thread a while back with lots of useful ideas and tips.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/AMA/5401243-im-super-organised-and-my-house-is-always-tidyama?page=22&reply=147801842

If I’m being honest I’m surprised that you’re struggling so much when you work 4 days and have just 1 teenager. I thought you were going to say a couple of smaller kids and a dog or something. And your house has only 1 bog to clean!

They don’t

you either work less, have a messy home or spend much less time with your kids

or you are rich and pay for help

Well I was going to agree with you but I have much younger children . I would hope by the time they are teens I’d have more help. Everyone needs to tidy up after themselves and make sure you work together.
A few things to consider - 15 minute clean rounds between the two of you before bed. You can get loads done and downstairs should always be tidy then. Get things ready for day ahead. Make sure everyone participates. Clean as you go - after dinner everything into dishwasher, clothes go in laundry basket not on the floor, after a shower spray it down with cleaner and wipe off, clean the sink after doing your teeth
Extra gadgets - robot hoover, non iron clothes, online groceries etc

I have a cleaner and I would happily give up things like coffees or lunches out to pay for her.

Lower your standards!