Anyone else feel like they spend all weekend pestering the DC to help/tidy?

[Londono]

I am a single mum and work FT out of the house and do some freelance work to top up my income - so I'm busy. My DC are both young secondary school age but I feel like this weekend all I've done between taxiing them to their sport commitments (which I'm happy to do as they both work hard at them and do well) is pester them to pick up after themselves and help around the house.

I feel like I ruin our downtime together by being on their case all the time but I obviously can't do it all by myself. My house is not a show home by any stretch but the list of jobs just feels endless and I feel really down about it and how I come across to them as a mum. I've tried having a set amount of tidying which we all do together to blitz it and then invariably peel off in the middle and get distracted - DS starts kicking a ball outside, DD on TikTok etc which makes me cross.

I can't afford a cleaner or handy person so everything is down to me to do, I'm not sure what I'm asking as I do everything 'right' - I keep on top of laundry through the week etc, I declutter regularly so there's less to do but general tidying and cleaning and house maintenance just can't be completely avoided. I just feel like I don't like the mother that I am at the weekend with them but they have to participate as I can't do it on my own. It feels like a constant slog. Anyone else feel the same?

Single parent to DC 14&17, work 50 hrs. I would really really see how you could stretch to a cleaner - even just an hour a week would change your life. I pay for an hour a week and I don't ask my children to do much at all - just the odd oh the dishwashers finished could you pop it away please - it's really worth it.

Oh @daffodilandtulip I really wish I could but finances are so tight and I'm in a lot of debt from the divorce so I just can't do it. I already work freelance on top of my FT work to make ends meet. Your way sounds much easier though!

I'm generally only asking them to pick up after themselves, tidy away after theri copious after school snacking etc, pick up the dumped football boots, ask for the kit to be moved from bathroom floor to washing machine etc - stuff they know they should do but wait for me to moan at them about it before it actually gets done. During the week I can only manage the essentials - laundry, cooking, washing up, dishwasher etc so everything else is left to the weekends.