or is it actually impossible to keep a tidy house

[HairyHandedTrucker]

and get food on the table and do anything fucking at all if you a 1 and a 2 year old child? I wanted to stay home with I love them but if I were at work my house would be clean right? it's fucking pig style, by the dh gets home and we get them to bed and do the dishes there's no time to do anything else. then we just go to bed.

I can clean with my 5yo and 2yo. If I had to stop the 2YO from doing something to a 1YO I would have no chance whatsoever.

I am ashamed of the mess my house is in - I always spend 2 days before visitors come cleaning. However, if they turn up unannounced I am mortified.

Having said that, the reason my house is a tip is because both DH and I would rather lie on the sofa and read/MN/play computer games/watch TV once DD is in bed than do the dishes/tidy up/clean anything. We tidy, clean and do laundry at the weekends. Oh, and we have a dog who likes to tip the bin over at nights, eat nappies and has the odd accident. DD is 1 and likes to 'help' me with the dishwasher by grabbing at sharp knives, dropping plates or climbing into it. If I shut her behind the baby gate she either howls or goes and destroys something else. If I let her stay in the kitchen with me she opens all the cupboard doors and tries to play with the bleach. I could babyproof, I suppose...

The only solution is for DH and I to stop being so lazy (or more charitably, so knackered) and do a bit in the evening after work. And we keep resolving to do so and not doing it.

Yanbu. Not read whole thread, so apologies if this has been suggested. I have started following tasks emailed to me by flylady. Basically 15 minutes of tidying a day and I'm noticing a real difference.

I only put the toys away once a day. Otherwise it starts to feel like ground hog day. Try not to worry about it too much.

Well ladies it doesn't get better when they are adults, and are STILL living at home.
I leave the house at 6am get in from work totally shattered (I am an old woman) at around 7pm and then sort out dinner. I have no energy after loading the dishwasherto any tidying cleaning neither, unfortunately, does anyone else!

curiousitycola, no, have not tried flylady alhough often see it on mumsnet. Need to check it out. oldladyinashoe

You get bombarded with emails, so my house is tidier and my email inbox is a mess now. My mil can't judge that though .

Flylady saved my sanity and my house.

Mine stays tidy enough if I tidy up every day. Having enough storage is the key - we simply don't buy/keep big toys we can't put away.

We are gradually working through our house getting more storage or less stuff until it is completely manageable.

It depends what you mean by "always". I never tidy/clean during the day except wiping up meal mess, but I spend 15 mins tidying and a quick clean just before DCs go to bed so the house is in a reasonable state for the evening

laqueen out of interest I have tried to keep the house completely tidy eg beds all made washing all away everywhere hoovered polished etc bathrooms clean.
I have literally not stopped. I had lots on with the dds yesterday and so with all the housekeeping didn't sit down until gone 9 after cooking and making packed lunches. I ate then had to put cooking stuff in dishwasher and wipe down sides then hang up wet washing!
I fell into bed with greasy hair no moisturiser and was too tired to even speak to dh when he got home from work never mind anything else.
Sod that! I'd rather have a life thanks.

I have a 3 yr old and work 4 full days a week.

I try really hard to keep on top of the housework, washing etc.

However, the mess gremlin creeps in and messes it all up, puts crumbs on the floor, puts extra washing in the basket, chuck dust all over the place

I tidy up like crazy when i know people are coming round, then apologise for the mess even though it's really tidy as if i'm usually some sort of domestic goddess!! If i go round someones house i couldn't give a fig if its untidy (unless a cat is sitting on the biscuits) ..i just can't bring myself not to mind about mine though.Nuts, eh?

I could have written your exact post OP just add another toddler to the mix

The other thing I find is that if I make a big effort to clean all the time and keep the house really tidy, I feel really anxious about it getting messy and turn into super anal nag bag picking on everything everyone does. Been like that tonight and its caused tension.

I don't think it's impossible (sorry OP) but it is time consuming and 'what's the point' feeling inducing. My dts are 14 months and one day last week I spent what felt like the entire day picking up toys and washing. I was worn out! The next day the house had gone to the dogs and I had another 3 loads of washing. That's where my 'well what's the point comes in'. So to some extent I agree with cream it is a BIG effort so you have to just decide how much effort you want to make. I do the minimum here- beds,dishes, laundry (hardly iron) tidy toys a few times a day. Hoover when it needs it. Wipe surfaces when I'm waiting for the kettle/dinner etc. Wipe highchairs, tables etc after every meal. Actually it sounds like I'm doing a lot but my windows are filthy and my cupboards and draws contain sooo much crap! (I'm not joking the other day I found a piece of toast the dresser draw)

Me too, exactly that. I like to think I'm taking a short break while I have my wild red headed feral child

mrsrobertduvall Your teens have their own bathroom Serious bathroom envy going on here now....

I am of the opinion that, as much as the mess irritates at times and I think, really, at the age my lot are at, its not on, is it? I have got nothing really to complain about as, if all I have got to complain about is the fact the house is a tip then I have got good kids. At the age mine are at, it could be a lot worse. I will take a sh*t heap for a bathroom and the kitchen looking as if shoes and coats exploded all over the floor by the door and dishes piled up in the sink and crumbs left for any ant invasion to be a resounding success - for as long as they carry on being polite to others, nice to me, funny and working hard at college. You read all about late teenagers drinking, drug taking and being generally horrible to their parents - I have none of that going on (touches wood about 100 times, crosses the chest and and kisses the crucifix around neck). So, long may the mess continue... And people knock the front door never the back - we use the back door so the hallway is lovely and tidy - if I do not actually let people in, all they glance is the hallway - they will assume that is the general, overall state of the house - tidy and clean!

When I was a sahm my morning routine was
All up, dressed, breakfast
Load of washing on
Washing up& sides wiped
Beds made
Quick tidy of bedrooms
Quick wipe of bathroom sink and loo
Hoover downstairs - all of this in 20 mins or so (after the getting dressed and breakfast one)
Another job eg clean bathroom/dust/hoover upstairs/clean windows/ wipe marks off walls

Then tidy up toys as we went
Hang up the washing once it was done then iron and put away as soon as dry (either that eve if hung out or the next day in wet weather) - I didnt always keep up on this one I must admit.

In the eve washing up done as soon as dinner eaten, sides wiped again, floor hoovered again. Again less than 20 mins.

Then sit down for the eve in a mostly clean and tidy house. It was never immaculate as there were always bigger jobs that needed doing but it was ok on the surface.

Once I was at the stage of following this routine I didn't feel as though I was doing loads of housework but it did take a while to get into the routine and a few massive decluttering and cleaning sessions beforehand.

Btw when I had a screaming baby and a toddler none of that happened and my house was a total pit

I remember complaining to my friend that it was impossible to have a tidy house and she said "or maybe you just need to organise yourself better". At thevtime