Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell you I finally have a tidy living room and ask you for tips on keeping it that way?

80 replies

FlatteredFool · 01/08/2021 19:13

My whole house has become a tip and it getting me down. I have 3dc who are naturally untidy, as am I. I've worked really hard this weekend and finally have the living room tidy. It happens about 3 times a year and I need tips on how to keep it tidy please. The dc are old enough to tidy up after themselves but don't. It's a never ending battle.

OP posts:
Original poster
FlatteredFool · 01/08/2021 20:02

I am divorced Smile selling the dc might be problematic. Ds has been told that I'm putting a reminder on the Alexa for him to put away whatever he's had out before shower and pj time. The living room is on the middle floor. I'm going to make a sign saying no eating in here because they leave empty packets in here, dd1 leaves bowls with soggy cereal in them in here and lots of mugs from cups of tea or hot chocolate. Cereal is absolutely forbidden in here but she does it when I'm busy elsewhere and don't notice until I'm wondering where all the cups and bowls are again. I've actually refused to buy more crisps and cereal until they can learn to put packets in the bin and put bikes in the dishwasher.

Whoever said about a skip, that's my ultimate fantasy to just chuck everything in it. There's so much to sort through I get overwhelmed. This weekend was the living room and I've succeeded in that and feel happier for it. Tomorrow is ds's room.

OP posts:
KingdomScrolls · 01/08/2021 20:07

Since we got an robot vacuum downstairs had been immaculate. You can't just leave something on the floor until the next day or not put the toys away etc, because the vacuum will either get stuck or damage them. DS now runs around before bed picking up and putting away his toys to 'rescue them from the robot', it also means DH or I will study/wipe round while the vacuum is going rather than taking the time to pick up and hoover ourselves so everything is generally just tidier. We let it list upstairs last week and my god the first under some of the beds/furniture. It's like a little judgy presence in the corner that keeps us in line

KingdomScrolls · 01/08/2021 20:08

*dust/wipe
*let it loose upstairs
"The dust

Unfortunately it doesn't make me proof read

MargosKaftan · 01/08/2021 20:22

Also naturally messy.

I need to get back in the habit of picking stuff up as soon as I see it. Not thinking "this room needs to be tidied", but immediately pick up anything that's not where it should be and put away.

Serenschintte · 01/08/2021 20:28

Maybe this? www.google.ch/amp/s/www.scarymommy.com/moms-learn-how-let-it-go/%3famp=1

beigebrownblue · 01/08/2021 20:28

@KingdomScrolls

Since we got an robot vacuum downstairs had been immaculate. You can't just leave something on the floor until the next day or not put the toys away etc, because the vacuum will either get stuck or damage them. DS now runs around before bed picking up and putting away his toys to 'rescue them from the robot', it also means DH or I will study/wipe round while the vacuum is going rather than taking the time to pick up and hoover ourselves so everything is generally just tidier. We let it list upstairs last week and my god the first under some of the beds/furniture. It's like a little judgy presence in the corner that keeps us in line
This. Yes, also Eufy is a much cheaper brand than the others.

Particularly useful when you are ill (heaven forbid) or even down for some reason, as it's like you can get twice as much done and a bit like having a cleaner.

Also my teenager loves it.

HeddaGarbled · 01/08/2021 20:41

Never leave the room with empty hands.

RoseMartha · 01/08/2021 20:46

Tidy as you go after yourself.

Encourage dc to tidy at least every evening

If dc will not tidy their things from other areas of your home, dump the stuff in their bedroom.

I think if the rest of my home is tidy and they want to live in a mess they can.

Then shut their bedroom door when you cant stand walking past their mess anymore.

awkwardd · 01/08/2021 20:48

I have a nice storage box that fits next to our chair out of sight, it's a 'current activities' box so depending on what DC are into that week it's full of that stuff, so it's currently full of colouring books and pencils and all of the scrap bits of paper they have drawn on recently, last week it was Lego and a few tubes of bubbles, I clear it out on a Sunday afternoon and then wait for whatever else they bring in Monday morning to live there for the week. It saves taking things up and down to bedrooms three times a day, or more likely stuff being left out, shoved into corners and pieces lost.

drspouse · 01/08/2021 20:51

I spent the whole of Friday morning tidying the kitchen and JUST the dining table, not even the rest of the dining room.

Itstheprinciple · 01/08/2021 20:54

Definitely never leave a room empty handed. There is always something that can go back to where it should be. Make it a rule for everyone.

TSSDNCOP · 01/08/2021 20:54

Stand everyone in the room and point out this is the minimum state.

Set the rules:
No crap
No food
No clothes

Anything brought into the room goes back out of the room by 8pm.

I loathe untidiness, it's not cute, it doesn't make a home less homely it's just indiscipline.

Di11y · 01/08/2021 20:57

Could you have a crap basket for each child? They have to bung all their stuff in it each evening after dinner and put it away/take it up to their room?

I've found doing the tidy 10 things every day (everyone does it) helps.

maddening · 01/08/2021 21:05

Fully tidy it down each night

Antinerak · 01/08/2021 21:05

Set an alarm once a day that makes you and them do 10 minutes of tidying. If they're young, choose a tidy up song and challenge them to do as much as they can before it finishes. Make tidying easier by having good storage- even if all the mess gets lobbed in one basket it's better than having it scattered on the floor. "Don't put it down, put it away."

Put a basket or box on the stairs for each child, get them to put all their stuff in it and either you or they take it up at night. If you're passing it, pick one box up and take it to them.

Wjevtvha · 01/08/2021 21:08

While my DC are eating dinner I do a quick blitz of the lounge; put stuff back in their rooms or tidy it up into boxes as we have various storage things for toys. I then make sure anything played with in between dinner and bedtime is tided up before they go to bed and leave the lounge tidy each night. I do the same with the kitchen

TheSkatesOfCoachBombay · 01/08/2021 21:24

I tidy and clean every evening. I only have 2 rooms downstairs though a kitchen diner and a tiny living room.

DS age 6 has a toy box in the corner of the living room. I let the toys and child's general mess go till about half hour before bedtime then he has to start "preparing for bed" one job is put all his toys back in the toy box. He then goes up to bed. I then run the vacuum over the living room and put it right, wash the breakfast and dinner dishes and give the kitchen a wipe down. (I don't like coming downstairs to a dirty kitchen)

I then have me time in the clean living room till I retire upstairs. If I have a cuppa I wash the cup and out it on the drainer before going up.

I find decluttering and simply not having much stuff helps.

CommanderBurnham · 01/08/2021 21:27

Ok. Have a place for everything. As soon as you buy something give it a place. Tell everyone where the place is.

This is really important: only have stuff that you can manage to keep tidy. ie less stuff. Be ruthless.

IKEA is your friend here.

I've slowly pared right down - this should happen naturally as the children get older.

thelegohooverer · 01/08/2021 21:34

You just need to figure out your clutter threshold, or how much stuff you can keep tidy, and keep the amount of stuff in your home below that point and teach your family to do a 5 minute pick up everyday.

TragicKingdom · 01/08/2021 21:35

Don't let anyone in it...

user1471453601 · 01/08/2021 21:36

I'm a naturally tidy person, but dd and her partner are the opposite. One thing I've noticed is that I automatically check out a room (a quick glance round) and remove any item that doesn't belong there, and put it away in the room it should be in.

Id also echo the poster who said dont put it down, put it away.

As a consequence, my room is nearly always tidy, I kind of don't look when I walk past my dd and her partner room.

BMW6 · 01/08/2021 21:45

Well I think if your children leave bowls, cups etc around the house when they have been asked repeatedly NOT TO then there should be consequences.

Docked or no pocket money, restricted screen time possible?

If any toys are left in lounge/ anywhere else against your requests to put away perhaps you could confiscate the item for, say, 2 weeks and if persists take away said item completely?

Put in rules and boundaries, make clear consequences AND FOLLOW THEM

Best of luck!

Stompythedinosaur · 01/08/2021 21:46

Get it fully tidy at set points during the day e.g. before going out, maybe lunchtime, certainly before bedtime. It means the mess can't build up into a big job.

Declutter and have fewer things.

In truth I found it nearly impossible when my dc were tiny. Much easier now they are a bit older and can be bribed with pocket money.

MyMabel · 01/08/2021 21:48

How old are the children? 10+ would be anything left out more than 24 hours goes in the bin. If they want to save their things, put them back in their place.

muffindays · 01/08/2021 21:50

I cannot recommend decluttering enough. When you think you've finished keep going as far as is humanly possible. And then some more. Make it a daily habit to get rid of 3-5 items. Never stop. Have days where you do a bigger clear out. The only way to stay on top of mess is to have a lot less stuff. Eventually you will get to a point where you feel a lot more comfortable. Also, as others suggest, organise. A logical place for everything. It does take time to get to this point, it's not easy. But if you do small mini doses of decluttering each day and then a bigger version every so often you will see progress build. And the change is enormous.