AIBU to just move rather than try and tidy this house?

[BasinHaircut]

Honestly, I do not know where the mess comes from. It’s only me, DH and DS(5).

I’m looking round and wondering how it’s possible for it to look so chaotic all the time. Even when we aren’t here mess seems to be generated.

Lol I hear you. Same here.

Trying to tidy up while the children are awake is like trying to mop up a flood while it's still raining.
My house is similar. My children are whirlwinds of mess creating havoc.

What kind of mess?

Is it cleaning or just general clutter? Have you got enough storage?

you could always put the house on the market and force your DH to declutter with you and then decide to stay put. (I did this accidently about 7 years ago. I was convinced we had to move but by the time we had got a skip and redecorated it turned out the house was fine)

It’s hideous. My house is the same. I’m on mat leave and decluttering a little bit each day.

I’ve also bought better furniture that is attractive whilst being practical for storage too.

I think you need to be ruthless but it’s hard.

We bought our house from people who did that. They never cleaned anything, at all, ever, and when it got so filthy that they couldn't stand it any more, they moved. I actually cried when I opened the oven for the first time.

Right there with you! Ultimately my dc has too much stuff. I do one room at a time - grab all of the clutter into bin bags, clean the room then sift through the bags later. I can cope with the bags when the room is tidy but not both at the same time! I'm trying carrot and stick with dc to keep on top of everything - tidy everything away each day for small treat or no toys downstairs for a week if you don't. Seems to be working but it's still a novelty. I did once do voluntary overtime at work and give my wages to dsd to do a massive declutter. I didn't recognise the place when I got home

You need twice as much storage as you have stuff. It needs to be really easy to put stuff away.

It always feels pointless cleaning when you have children because it will be messy within five minutes. I have a corner sofa where each individual cushion comes off and the end one is always somehow off the sofa and on the floor when my DC are sitting on it . This never happens when adults sit on it... they just have a knack of making the place look untidy .

We are moving house in a few weeks so I’m currently in the process of de-cluttering at least eight years worth of shit. Its hard and I’ve had to be incredibly ruthless when it came to the DC’s toys especially.

It’s a nightmare. As fast I tidy one part of the house, another part is being unravelled. I like the house to be clean and tidy so having a naturally messy child is sending me over the edge!

I have trained DD and her friends that the livingroom must be returned to good order by the time they finish playing and that there is no playing in the dining room, where I usually lurk (we have a couple of armchairs and bookcases etc in there as well as the table, so it’s quite a comfortable lurking spot). Everywhere else is a catastrophe, including my garden. I keep on top of the kitchen, continually, it seems but the rest of the house looks like a barbarian horde have galloped through.

I’m fairly ruthless as have a ‘tidy house tidy mind’ mentality, in that I find a messy chaotic house really mentally draining.

I’ve just done a 45 minute blitz of the DC bedrooms (4 DC) and binned a large bin bag of junk. Mostly scraps of paper, plastic crap, long finished magazines etc. We uncovered a few treasures which made DC happy and the rooms look better.

We have friends coming round later which motivated me to do it this morning!

You do need decent storage but you also need to bin/recycle stuff regularly. Start small and you’ll be surprised what a difference 5 minute chunks can make!

Yy to training children as well! DC know that at the end of the day stuff needs to be put away, and we usually do a small tidy before leaving the house. I give them ample warning but it must be done as walking back in to a maelstrom is so depressing! Obviously precious things like Lego models have a longer life span but they have to be on shelves etc.

This happens when you have too much stuff.

I hate hoarding, never buy more stuff than I need and regulary fill bags to take to charity shops.

Clutter makes me feel messy headed.

I am not houseproud by any stretch, but clearing the decks of surplus stuff is a good feeling.

@UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername

We bought our house from people who never cleaned too! We looked in the oven and immediately googled for a professional oven cleaner. It took him over 2 hours

I’ve worked it out it’s storage I lack. I’m not a hoarder by any stretch of the imagination, I’ve kept 2 of DS’s paintings that have come home from his reception year at school. Took photos of the rest (well some) and binned them.

Our house is not very big and 2 pairs of shoes by the front door makes it look a mess.

Pre DS my house was immaculate, but now I strive for ‘clean enough’. I’ve just got a promotion and first thing on the list is a cleaner because I hate it when you look at something and think ‘that could do with a wipe’ it makes me feel grubby. But I lack time.

Caring about this kind of triviality is a choice.
So choose not to care.