To try and keep the house tidy in the holidays?

[clutterfly]

How does everyone else deal with messy houses during the school holidays? I've got a 5 year old, 4 year old and 1 year old and I'm a self-confessed neat-freak! But it's wearing and stressing me out, the constant trail...

Do you just resign yourself to it and do a mass tidy up at the end of each day? Or tidy as you go? Any helpful tips please - or ways to make me feel better about MESS would be most welcome.

BsshBosh absolutely to don't sweat the small stuff. We are very organised, well fed and clean during term time. But during the holidays I let it go a bit. If I'm kinder to myself I enjoy the holidays and the kids more.

There are no clubs, music practice, homework, packed lunches to worry about. As long as we're fed, clothed and happy. So I don't worry so much about fish fingers for tea, or if the kids miss a bath. Or a bit more mess etc. In the summer the evenings are lighter so if it's been full on, I hand over to dh and get some exercise (even just a walk) and look forward to a glass of wine at bed time!

The only way I cope is to ensure that it all gets tidied away when dd goes to bed so that I can gave me house back. I only have one kid though.

ShootPeppaPig - that sounds utterly joyless. Your DS is only a toddler.

No, it's pure bliss. We have tons of fun playing in his room and the mess stays there, easily put away in minutes in the right containers.

We do art/craft most days in the living room

We play out in the garden

I just have no mess to get on top of me, toddlers enjoy tidying up after themselves anyhow, it's the one stage in life kids get excited about sweeping/hoovering/wiping up etc

I am a neat freak too!

Toys are packed away and carpet swept/hovered before bedtime.

As long as the house is clean, I can cope with toys being out during the day. The small objects drive me potty as they get everywhere.