I can't tidy properly

[CheshireChat]

Even after I've supposedly tidied the house doesn't look much better, whereas give DP an hour and you can definitely see the difference!

I can clean just fine as I can just move stuff if it's in the way, but it's not remotely tidy.

I can't fold stuff properly either, but I bought some Sheldon folder thingies so that's ok. It still looks like I've just thrown stuff like throws in a pile rather than neat.

Any magic tricks?!

No magic tricks but I tidy before I clean.

For example, in the kitchen all left out item's go to back into cupboards. Waste goes in the bin. Tea towels get folded etc. And then I clean the pots and sides.

Same with every single room. Tidy and then clean/dust etc. It makes cleaning a lot easier imo and the end result is great.

Same OP! I wasn’t taught as a kid and I remember my grandma coming round every week to help my mum clean and tidy, so I think she wasn’t taught either! I want to teach my kids so they’re not as stressed as I was. My house is just always a tip! Doesn’t help that I have many hobbies on the go at once.

Our house gets messy really fast. I get a brush and literally start and one side of a room and sweep a huge pile of stuff - toys, clothes, rubbish anything. If it moves it gets in the pile then I (and the children) our the pile and away and ta da the room looks practically perfect .

It’s like mucking out a stable - my kids callnot “pile time” as in “oh noooo not pile time!!”

I don’t understand how you can’t tidy? It’s just putting things away, what are you doing with them instead?

Also. I have 2 preschool kids and toys just end up everywhere. No point putting them away fully as they just come out again. They do play better when it’s tidier though! I am teaching the eldest (3) to tidy up but it’s hit and miss!

I don’t really understand the idea of being ‘taught’ (or not) to tidy. It’s just putting things away! I was never taught, but manage ok...
Is it that your stuff doesn’t have a place to live in the first place? Otherwise you just put it where it belongs, surely?

I'm puzzled as well. It's just common sense. My mum was extremely untidy, to the point that I was embarrassed if anyone came to the house, so I quickly learned how to tidy up.

I wasn't taught how to dust, fold stuff etc. I just did it.

You have too much stuff and not enough places for it if you can't tidy

Konmari it!

Getting rid of some stuff did help, we also keep buying storage.

But I move stuff from x place to y place- then y place ends up messy .

I also struggle to visualise 'forever' places for stuff, though I can follow instructions if someone else has.

My mother used to say ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’
I think it’s better if you tidy as you go.
I’m still learning op. You’re not alone

I might just use the pile and sort technique someone mentioned and I might sacrifice our bedroom and the spare room so I can have a nice(r) living room etc.

I think I have common sense. Some examples from my house:

Living room - books and dvds on the shelves. Not sure where else they’re meant to go tbh, but looks like absolute crap. So cluttered.

Sewing machine in dining room. I’m not going to lug it back up to its cupboard upstairs every evening. Common sense tells me to keep it in he dining room until I’ve finished my quilt.

Box room full of about 4 vacuum bags of baby clothes. As the different brands sizes are soooo different, 13 month old is just out of a couple of 6 month clothes, and things are still filtering through the washing. I’m not going to go up to the loft every time one piece of clothing turns up, especially as I’m clumsy and in charge of 2 kids and will probably injure myself 😄

Piles of clean laundry in our bedroom - this one I should be able to do better on really. I fold laundry once the kids are in bed, take basket up when I go up for bed, but the kids are asleep in all the rooms so I’m not going to put the clothes away and risk waking them up. Can’t do it when the baby is awake in the day as he just LOVES emptying out baskets as I go.

No point tidying up all the toys throughout the day for he same reason.

Been tidying up this morning and the baby has literally been making a mess at my feet as I go.

I’m not talking about mugs and junk mail! That IS common sense.

I also really struggle OP. Whatever I do there are piles of stuff everywhere. I need to get rid of stuff but my DC feel the need to keep everything.