To want a cleaner?

[Cherryapples]

I work three days a week, so it feels as if I should be able to manage it myself.

However, the reality is that I’m struggling. I have one child who is 20 months old, and I am a teacher.

So as not to drip feed, on the days I work, I am up at around 6, give ds some milk, shower and get ready, get ds teeth brushed and washed, dressed, out of the house for around 730, take ds to nursery. In work for 8, leave at 4, pick ds up, home for around 430. Then ds has his bath at 630, bed at around 7. I do generally have some work to do at home.

I do have two days off a week with him and my thinking was I’d be able to do housework then. But just keeping on top of things seems to take up most of all my time - putting toys away and cleaning up after lunch and dinner. To be totally honest, I really struggle to do anything when ds is there as he just follows you around messing it up!

But looking into it, it really is costly. Is there an easier way I can keep on top of it all myself?

My toddler can’t even reach the table! 😂

I am not trying to suggest DH doesn’t help, but everything he might do to help also creates extra work - not in a horrible way but another person inevitably creates more mess / stuff.

I found that my day off with toddlers was not a time to catch on chores, I counted it as a success if the house wasn't messier at the end of the day.

For me, my day off is for quality time with the kids, I realise I could ignore them or stick them in front of the telly and do housework but I don't want to and we can afford a cleaner so I don't have to.

I get more done on my WFH day - though realise you're a teacher so this won't help you.

@Tomorrowisalatterday that’s what I tell myself, and to be fair it’s true I do a lot with DS on those two days. I guess that’s why I don’t want us stuffed indoors cleaning.

I don't know if my toddlers are less compliant than others but we do do tidy up time and it isn't really any quicker than just doing it ourselves - we do it to get the kids into good habits really - and there is also a 10% possibility that one of them will do something which generates way more mess.

It's not particularly possible for me to leave my toddler wiping the table and do something else because he would 100% try to swing from the pendant light fitting.

I find I do have bits of time where I can do things around the kids - e.g. bathroom clean while they're in the bath or kitchen wipe down while they're having lunch - but there's so much to do that it isn't enough without devoting time in the evenings or weekends on top

If you can afford it, Op, get a cleaner. I put it off for so many years, because I thought that I ought to be able to manage it myself - but I regret not doing it sooner.
Lots of people saying, oh let your toddler help wipe the kitchen table, and sort the laundry with you. No - cleaning a house involves so much more than that.
I work FT, as does DH, and I'll be buggered if I'm spending my rare downtime cleaning skirting boards, washing down kitchen tiles, and scrubbing four bathrooms and shower screens.

I pay my cleaner £14p/h for 4 hours a week, and it's the best decision I've ever made. I wouldn't be without her. And I work four days a week with two teens.

You don't need to apologise or justify to anyone.

If you can afford it or want to prioritise it then go for it. When my kids were little it wasn’t a luxury I could afford unfortunately. I did manage to get housework done with toddlers around, or waited until their dad was about to do upstairs / bathrooms etc. Now my youngest is 14, a few promotions later (plus an illness to cope with) I can afford it, and a dog Walker. I pay £30 for 2hrs, a friend of mine has a cleaning business and she gets through the whole house in this time. It’s honestly such a luxury coming home from work on a Wednesday to a clean house. I trust her implicitly and she loves my dog! Feel fortunate I can afford this now

A 20 month old is hardly going to wipe a table properly. That just creates extra work.