How do you stay on top of everything with kids? Really how?!

[FlyingDucks]

I want to start a thread that will be full of useful ideas and tips for becoming, and staying, on top of everything when you have kids. I know similar thread have been done before, but I'm in need of some new inspiration to get us through the Summer holidays and into a new and very busy school year in September.

I have 2 DC that are not yet at school, and 2 DC in infants school. We live in a 3 bed with no outside space and a tiny kitchen.

While we are lucky to have what we have, I still find it challenging sharing a bedroom with our 1 year old, and having to constantly manage a 2 and a 5 year old sharing a bedroom and toys. My 5 year old needs/loves his own space and quiet time alone. He hardly ever has the chance for this sharing a bedroom with his brother.

These are my 'problem' areas that I want to get on top of. If you have similar issues or are one of those completely organised people that I aspire to be like, please come and share your thoughts!

1. Our kitchen is a constant mess. I could spend an hour in there 3 times a day to keep it spotless. How do you keep your sink free from dirty dishes always? My oven and fridge hardly ever get a proper clean - probably once every 6 months for the oven and it's always dirty ...

1. Toys are everywhere, always! My DC's bedrooms can go from tidy to bomb site in 20 minutes. We only have few toys and they all have a place. DC have 4 small accessible toy boxes each. But still toys are always muddled up with no one having a 'full set' of something to play with.

1. I never, ever find time to clean all the hidden spots (as highlighted in another current post!). Behind furniture, outsides of bins etc never get done. Where do you find the time? I am shattered by the evening, and really don't want to give up a Saturday or Sunday to do it.

1. House admin/banking/paying bills etc. When do you get the time to do all this? I still have school photos from last year I haven't yet ordered :(

Please come and share your tips for success, or just come and commiserate with me.

Hear hear sapat. Too right!!

Re making beds as soon as you get up - I was always taught that you should let them air before remaking them? Does anyone else do this?

I air beds all day every day - or rather the DCs do cos at their age I'm not going to straighten them and they don't ...(I do do my bed most days though)

I consider organizing a two part project. First, you need to walk through your house with a pen and notepad and write down everything that needs to be tackled, room for room. Then you can break it down into smaller projects, so instead of " sort kitchen" it would be " sort all five kitchen drawers " " throw out old plates and cups" and so on. This way you can pick and choose projects daily as little or as much you like. For example you can sort a drawer when waiting for the kettle to boil.
Once you have finally got the whole house organized ( which will take at least a month) then the second part is creating a routine to stay on top of things.
I use small plastic stackable bins to store stuff and label things too. I would put those games and sets with lots of bits into ziplock bags and write the contents on it. I've used over the door hanging shoe organizers to create extra space in my cupboards and used them to everything from belts and jewelry to cleaning supplies.

alseb- I always turn down duvets- open the window and leave them like that as long as I can.
The body loses a lot of moisture during the night, making the beds in the morning simply traps in the moisture.
I like allowing them to air as much as possible.

It's interesting about making beds - we had to air beds at school (while we ate breakfast and then make them afterwards) but I read this and just make them if I have time now bedbugs don't like unmade beds

Marking my place to read later. I feel your pain op.

I've decided to start the "if it takes less than 5 minutes" idea and since I got in from work I've vacuumed and mopped the kitchen floor, picked up crap from all round the house and binned it, emptied the kitchen bin, wiped off a mark on the side of the bath that's been annoying me for days, put away some washing, put another load on and wiped down the fronts of the kitchen cupboards as well as the usual cooking dinner and loading the dishwasher. If I can keep this up I might end up with a clean house!
In the middle of all this DH arrived home and made me a cuppa to which my mum who was here commented, "poor DH waiting on you when he's just got in from work". Miraculously she is still alive after that remark!

It will be clear to most that I am a lazy arse, and I have never seen the point of making a duvet bed. I just leave it. dp makes it sometimes but it's irrelevant to me if it's made or not.
I also don't open the bedroom curtains, just get up, dress, leave the room. Then later go back, undress, get in bed. At no point am I in the room when having the curtains open would be necessary so I just leave them closed. dp opens them, but they are in his side of the bed anyway.

I think you should ask a friend or family member or even the children's father to take the kids out for a few hours once a week.
this way you can give your house a good clean from top to bottom making sure all dirt is erased and you have enough time to clean the oven and fridge which may I add is a breeding ground for bacteria...

if you can do this and give your house a good scrub at least once a week then all you have to do is basically keep on top of things for the rest of the week.

get all of your children in a permanent bed time routine. late enough so you can spend a little time with them but definitely early enough so that you can get done what you need to get done.

all mothers find it difficult and tiring, but that's what being a mother is all about.
most of us struggle but we still manage.. YOU HAVE TOO.

we chose to have our children so its our responsibility to make sure we have a well kept environment for our kids.

I have a new born and a disabled daughter yet I make sure everything is perfect for them waking up every morning.
I have 5 hours sleep every night and that's all I go on because their needs come first.

there are no weekends off in our house.
every day is like ground hog day.
up, tidy, ready, shopping, cook, tidy, bed
day in day out.

you should try get as much done on a weekend to because you don't have to rush about getting the kids ready for school so you should have more time to clean.

Jesus bee!!!! 5h sleep a night? I'd be such s shit mother on 5h sleep! This has been tried and proven alas

Fwiw I try to keep my house niceish for me, no one else gives a shit.

all mothers find it difficult and tiring, but that's what being a mother is all about.
most of us struggle but we still manage.. YOU HAVE TOO.
we chose to have our children so its our responsibility to make sure we have a well kept environment for our kids.

or, you could divide the housework and childcare equally with your partner, to make it a workable solution, instead of taking it all on yourself. Just because you're the mum, doesn't mean you automatically get to do the majority of the work.