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Original poster

Childminders Club: A question about your cleaning............

41 replies

HellyBelly · 07/11/2005 15:50

Me again

Please help save my marriage!!!

DH and I had a massive row this weekend and it's all about stress in our lives. Loads of different things going on and we've been reducing what we can to make things more bearable.

Still......big problem is the amount of time I spend cleaning. I've told him it's all part of the job and things have to be kept very clean but yes, it's taking up a lot of time in the evenings and dh thinks I'm mad. My mum also stayed recently and said I was doing more than needed and also thinks I'm mad.

What I want is a rough idea of how much time all you guys spend doing this to see whether or not I'm doing more than I have to. I really want to do this job but it really is causing a lot of problems at home (either I'm stressed and get annoyed when he's vegging on sofa watching tv and I'm working like mad or he helps and gets fed up, also, we don't see each other much these days)

In my house.......

Mindees are all gone by 6.30pm
Get ds ready for bed
Ds milk and bed
Washing Up
Tidy Toys
Hoovering all downstairs
Cleaning the floors (bit of a waste as the second mindee and mum arrive, the floor becomes dirty from the wet outside - our mat is rubbish, need a new one!)

Usually done by around 8pm as long as dh is helping in some way. Then it's time to make/eat dinner.

Sunday's - spend about 4 hours cleaning entire house but save it til the afternoon/evening so doesn't get yucky again iyswim.

This is probably the same for all of you but I want to settle this arguement with my dh!!!

Thanks

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artyjoe · 12/11/2005 22:01

Know what you mean UCM, my entire downstairs is laminate flooring so it can have mud traipsed all over it, buggy tracks and muddy shoes, and then looks great again the next day!

UCM · 12/11/2005 20:46

When I was going around interviewing CM's, the 2nd one I went to had the most amazing house. Cream carpets, white kitchen tiles. I had just walked across the park in boots and felt awful just walking in. Especially the buggy wheels, they were covered in muck. She was really nice and was ever so organised. Bet she cleaned the carpet after I fled her house it was soooooo clean. Frightened the f**k out of me. I am clean but not cream carpets IN THE HALL FFS clean.

artyjoe · 11/11/2005 21:57

It's like a normal hand blender but the 'blender thingie' twists off and you then replace it with other gadgets so it works as a hand blender, processer, chopper, whisk etc. I got it from Tchibo a few months ago but I'm sure any food processor would be a help...I didn't realise quite how fast these things really were!

Good luck, happy cooking -Joe

Original poster
HellyBelly · 11/11/2005 15:27

Sounds good to me - will work on this What's this hand gizmo then??? I really need something as it's the prep that take me ages and ages when doing stews etc!

OP posts:
artyjoe · 11/11/2005 09:55

Hi Hellybelly, the secret is in choosing the recipies wisely so you can cook more than one meal at a time. Spag Bol and Cottage Pie are always cooked on the same hob as the mince and onion is done in the one pan before being split, while the mash for liver, cottage pie, chicken is in another I cook the cauliflower for the cauli cheese and also the chicken together and I soak all the beans the night before...it's just preparation and good music! I have a fab hand chopper gizmo which means I can do onions, peppers, courgette, etc in seconds, the only thing that still takes me forever is peeling the spuds!

I think fast music helps, I tend to listen to Dixie Chicks or seventies music to keep me moving fast!

Original poster
HellyBelly · 11/11/2005 08:36

artyjoe - thanks for that! Do you really get all this done in a single afternoon!!! I need to organise myself better!!

OP posts:
ThePrisoner · 10/11/2005 20:27

Doesn't this entire thread just prove that we are not the sitting-around-drinking-coffee-babysitters that some people think childminders are!

My childminding work takes over our entire house (boarded loft to house zillions of boxes of toys; high chairs in kitchen; buggies in hallway; utility room/kitchen awash with shelving full of messy play activities; this week's toys/activities in lounge, dining room, hall and kitchen; travel cots and stairgates propped up against walls; files/filing systems for the required childminding paperwork everywhere; dirty great minibus parked on drive; and car seats anywhere there's a spare bit of carpet). I have no small children of my own at home anymore, but you'd never know that (unidentifiable stains on my carpets prove the presence of small people!)

Yes, we work from home but it's certainly not the soft option, and don't our families have to suffer for it!!

artyjoe · 10/11/2005 19:08

Hi Hellybelly

It varies each week but last Saturday I cooked;

Spaghetti bolognese (with added berlotti & kidney beans)
Cottage pie (with hidden courgette)
Liver casserole & mash
Cauliflower cheese
Lentil casserole
Tomato & pepperoni pasta bake
Tuna neopolitana
Chicken, asparagus, carrots, cauli & gravy

Hope this helps...second freezer is a must in my opinion!

Good luck - Joe

Original poster
HellyBelly · 10/11/2005 10:26

Blimey artyjoe - you seem very organised!!!

I'm still new to childminding so am just trying to find my feet a bit. I used to cook a lot more and freeze the food for ds but I must admit this has slipped a bit since c/ming as I've been soooo tired (as my free time is spent building websites, another new business). I think my problem was I filled my spaces really quickly and in a blink of getting my certificate, I was looking after 5 children (only used to the one). Anyway, I've reduced this as it was too much too soon (for me). Things are a lot better now but I just need to sort out the cooking routine as I cook each evening at the moment. I'm going to be getting a freezer for the garage purely for home made food as mine is tiny!

Don't suppose you'd give an example of what you might cook in your allocated afternoon?? I'd really appreciate it!

OP posts:
artyjoe · 10/11/2005 10:07

Hi Hellybelly

I set aside all afternoon, choose some fab music, and start cooking!

I always do a minimum of 7 different meals, normally 3 at a time though or I end up with Carrot in the Cauliflower Cheese I cook both lunch and dinner and have actually bought a seperate freezer specifically for the mindees and my own DD's food, mainly because I cook all organic food for the children, but not for myself or DP...far too expensive!

Joe

jellyjelly · 09/11/2005 18:44

Have read the thread and will have a chat when we meet for lunch. I just have to say that dp is the same, will do things when asked but only when asked. He glares at me waiting for me to ask for help at 10pm when i am still mopping but wont get off bottom to do it unprompted. He has been off this week so has seen what it is like with the kids, (he always goes back to work for a break)

karen23 · 09/11/2005 16:31

E-Cloths - Netto do a similar one for about 75p different colours for different surfaces

Original poster
HellyBelly · 09/11/2005 09:28

Great Goosey - will look at that!!

OP posts:
Original poster
HellyBelly · 09/11/2005 09:26

Thanks Bozza, it's nice to hear from a parents point of view.

I accept sacrifices have to be made when you have children but dh is finding it all a bit much. He loves ds but finds toddlers exhausting and blames everything on his age!!! So, I'm only nearly 30 therefore I'm full of energy and CAN be supermum and do everything!!

The funny thing is he hated me working nights (used to be a Virgin Vie consultant) so I gave that up so I'd be around in the evenings. I think he's just a bit disappointed that it's taking up more of our life than we expected

OP posts:
goosey · 09/11/2005 09:22

Here is info for you Helly. Because you only need water to clean there is no surfactant residue to attract dirt so things - especially floors - seem to stay cleaner and just sweepable for longer. Great for allergies/asthma too. I keep a cloth for each room and wash them all nightly. Tesco sells cheaper ones but they dont look so sturdy - haven't used Tesco ones though. I've got a mop on order too

Bozza · 09/11/2005 09:07

Hellybelly as a mother who uses a childminder I would say that I am not that bothered about some level of mess/dirt. And also I would be happy for you to involve my child in tidying up toys (in fact would appreciate you doing it) and for you to wash up the pots used during the day/clean the floor round the table while he is around. My childminder has a shoes off policy for the kids and I try not to go in too far when I have wet shoes. This might help to cut down on your work-related chores in the evening. Then you and DH could perhaps alternate cooking dinner and putting DS to bed?

As a working Mum (only do 3 days though) I do understand the issue of having to do chores in the evening and some nights hardly seem to see DH because of it.

Original poster
HellyBelly · 09/11/2005 08:08

Thanks for all your comments guys. My reply is quite long as I want to respond to as many of your comments as possible

saadia - unfortunately, the mindees use every room in the house except our bedroom but my main cleaning is the downstairs.

custardo - that's what's causing the arguements - normally I'm the sort of person who would never want to hurt people's feelings, get into a row etc. but when it comes to dh not doing stuff, I boil up inside and then explode at him as I can't believe he wouldn't want to help me (even though he knows I also have websites to build once I've done all my chores ). He gets really fed up with the Sunday afternoon thorough clean I do - we'll be out and I'll say we have to get back soon so I'm not cleaning til midnight etc!! I can see why this would be annoying but trying to explain that if he helps by doing a room or something, it makes it a lot less time spent cleaning!! I like your comment about the shop! That's sort of how I explain it - we need the money, the business so we need to impress. He agrees but just hates the whole thing taking over our lives!!

goosey - e cloths??? where???

artyjoe - I'm really not a morning person I can get up early and work on websites, my accounts, chat on mumsnet etc. but nothing too physical I'm trying out the bursts of cleaning at the moment! As for the food, that's what I want to do but we don't have a big enough freezer! Do you make lots of different meals at once then? How many hours do you spend? (for when we get our big freezer for the garage!) As for finishing at 6pm, my last mindee doesn't leave until 6.30pm which is why that's when I start the cleaning. Have actually washed up some dishes after cooking over the last couple of days to make less work when mindee goes home. This really helps!

Theprisoner - I'm so pleased you put what you did because I'm wondering whether the level of cleaning I'm doing is really necessary. Problem is that it seems more and more is expected of childminders these days (impression I get from some longer standing childminders) and on the course it's all hygiene, hygiene, hygiene!! I personally agree about the imunity thing so (after inspection, which is due soon [shaking in boots]) I'm going to rethink how I do things!

nannynick - thanks for that, I'll show hubby! In fairness he does help when asked, it's just that I'd like him not to need to be asked and not to pull faces/sigh (not always but sometimes) when I want help!

Dh and I are having a thorough chat about all this at the weekend and will hopefully agree on some things! In his defense, he's got a really pressurised new job which is probably more of the problem. Also, he's just fed up in general about everything and feels at his time of life (he's 15 yrs old than me!) he should be starting to relax a bit more.

Anyway, fingers crossed we'll sort it all out! Thanks for all your comments, I'm going to print them off for dh to see

OP posts:
katymac · 08/11/2005 22:13

Very envious of Torquay and baby

alibubbles · 08/11/2005 22:11

Message withdrawn

katymac · 08/11/2005 22:09

I was on Birth to Three course today and we were discussing how important it was to support the whole family not just the child.

However I do wonder how we will all have time to do this as well.

It's lovely to be able to help isn't it? You often feel you should do more.

alibubbles · 08/11/2005 22:06

Message withdrawn

katymac · 08/11/2005 21:49

I'd kill for a 7 weeks old.....well maybe not kill (but almost)

ThePrisoner · 08/11/2005 21:16

ladbrokegrove - 7 weeks! Eeeek!

katymac

katymac · 08/11/2005 20:55

I'm not having a cleaner - she has pulled out - because I won't pay cash in hand

What am I going to do?

ladbrokegrove · 08/11/2005 19:59

ThePrisoner- yr quite right about coffe breaks etc. I mind one baby (7 weeks! gulp) and I've got my own 1 and three year old. But to be honest I wouldn't do too much cleaning if I only had my own children, because I don't think it's too much fun for anyone- hence the ten min blitzes. Dd (nearly 4) will make her own bed, tidy toys while I hoover etc. I don't make her do anything but I do encourage her to do little jobs, as cleaning is just a part of life. I do however agree with you about mess hopefully meaning that the kids are (hopefully) creatively engaged.