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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How tidy is your house when you go to work?

68 replies

TooOldForThisShit1 · 27/02/2025 13:39

I'm 45 years old with 6 year old twins. I work 4 days a week.

I get up at 6am - 6.30am - make the kids lunch boxes, sort their breakfast out. Get myself dressed and ready for work. Kids teeth cleaned and dressed.

I'm always a bit frustrated when I leave the house - things are never as tidy as I would like them - for instance before we left - lego was being played with in the kitchen - it's still there and will be there when I get home. Play room is just awful. Living room - blanket still on the sofa from night before (I always need a blanket on me when watching tv). Cushions needs straightening out, random toys on the floor etc.

Island worktop probably needs wiping down and a few things put away

It won't take long to tidy it all but I never ever get time to do it before rushing out of the door to school. I won't get home until after 5pm after picking the kids up from wrap around care.

AIBU or is this just reality of a busy family? I'd love to hear how other people leave the house in a morning with it looking immaculate.

OP posts:
DGPP · 27/02/2025 13:40

Like a bomb site. That’s family life. We have a tidy up at the end of the day and have a cleaner once a week

Praying4Peace · 27/02/2025 13:45

Yes, that's life OP. Getting up and out with kids in the morning for school/work is a momentous task!

Magnastorm · 27/02/2025 13:49

Not tidy at all. If I had time to be fannying around tidying up in the morning I would be staying in bed for an extra 10 minutes or having a longer shower.

If I'm WFH I give everything a tidy when I take a break or at lunch, or it can wait till I get home from work.

SJM1988 · 27/02/2025 13:50

Some days it looks great. Others like a bomb has hit it.
I try to tidy and clean every evening. And at least put the dishes by the sink before leaving in the morning.
Alot depends on is going on. If its washing day. If the dishwasher was full the night before. If I need to make lunches (for DH or me). What activities DS has after school etc.

This morning, defo a bomb had hit it scene. Shoes everywhere (no idea why), lego has been out since mon evening, its washing day so washing thrown around ready to wash when I got back.
On Thurs I get 30 mins after drop off before starting work and 30 mins after finishing work before picking the kids up to get washing/tidying/housework done. It tends to mean its more chaotic on a Thurs.

Mon and Fri, as I have time Sun and Thurs evenings to sort stuff out, everything is tidy lol.

festivemouse · 27/02/2025 13:51

Very tidy, but no DC to mess things up!

I will say I do have a "closing shift" every evening where I go round and wipe surfaces, tidy up, put things away etc so when I come downstairs everything is perfectly tidy and sorted, that's very helpful. It means I start the day on the right foot!

Nannyfannybanny · 27/02/2025 13:52

I'm retired now, but I always left the house tidy and clean before going to work, I had 4 DKs, animals,big garden. I couldn't stand coming home to a mess!

PowderPants · 27/02/2025 13:55

Always tidy apart from my tea mug which can't go in the dishwasher!
Two DCs
Cushions plumped night before, beds made, breakfast stuff in dishwasher and surfaces wipes.
I do have a cleaner come in on a Tuesday and it is a specially tidy that day so her time can be spent cleaning and not tidying!!!

Lavender14 · 27/02/2025 14:01

Yeah I would have breakfast dishes rinsed but in the sink and I wipe obvious crumbs off the counter at that point. I do whizz round the house before I go to bed every night and then try to keep ds away from toys in the living room etc in the morning to minimise it. I get myself showered etc the night before so I just need a quick wash and dressed in the morning and can have myself ready in 20 min so ds gets tv time during that which he's happy with and creates no mess. If beds are made and curtains open and dirty laundry put in the hamper then I'm happy. I'm a lone parent albeit not with twins so I aim to get on top of things by bedtime for a fresh run at the next day - don't really mind what mess accumulates during the day as long as I get on top of it within the day so it doesn't build up on me. Obviously some days I'm running behind and the priority is just getting us out the door.

SatinHeart · 27/02/2025 14:06

Ours isn't at it's tidiest right before work and school as it can be chaotic getting everyone out on time. We do have a tidy up after DC have gone to bed though, so we come down in the morning to a tidy kitchen and living area.

offmynut · 27/02/2025 14:28

Spotless all day every day live a lone no man no pets no kids.
Its so nice to find things where i leave them and come back to my enchanted home of peace quiet and incense even better when i put yiruma on put my feet up and grab a book.

SUPerSaver721 · 27/02/2025 14:33

I have to leave the house at 8.15 in the mornings. I tidy cushions, throws the night before. Then in the morning I put breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, all beds made. Can you make packed lunches the night before? That's what I do and kept beside the fridge so only need to put fridge items in. School bags and shoes sitting at the front door. I even put out bowls and mugs the night before so I'm not rushing in the mornings. If you can prep as much as possible before bed I find that helps.

NebulousWhistler · 27/02/2025 14:37

It's very tidy on Thursdays as the cleaner comes and I would prefer she spends her time cleaning rather than tidying. The DC's room often looks like a bombsite though.

BarnacleBeasley · 27/02/2025 14:41

Mine is tidy before bed. And I put the breakfast things in the dishwasher and wipe the surfaces before leaving. So it would be just the toys that have been played with that morning left out in my house and DS1's bedroom complete with unmade bed and random bits of cardboard everywhere.

Loveduppenguin · 27/02/2025 14:42

Always tidy, maybe a few dishes in the sink but I’m a tidy as I go person so I never builds up.

thismummydrinksgin · 27/02/2025 15:01

Ah the Lego won't be there forever, enjoy it . There will be times when you leave the house tidy in a few years xx

Original poster
TooOldForThisShit1 · 27/02/2025 16:11

thismummydrinksgin · 27/02/2025 15:01

Ah the Lego won't be there forever, enjoy it . There will be times when you leave the house tidy in a few years xx

That's so true, they were very cute with it, they had all their paw patrol figures, putting them into a "bus" they'd built to take them all to softplay.

It did mean that I had 15 minutes to get ready without any distractions

My DH has just got home (much earlier than normal) and has just called me to say he's doing some tidying before I get home.

It's just never ending isn't it. I fell asleep on the sofa last night at 9.15pm, I'm just so tired

OP posts:
BaronessBomburst · 27/02/2025 16:28

I'm the last one to leave so it's usually immaculate. When I come home however......
Fridays are the worst. DH works from home and DS is home early so they've had time, lots of time, to make a mess. There will be bread crumbs in the sink and still stuck to the sopping wet dishcloth. Recycling by the sink and on the floor, unrinsed, cartons uncrushed. Garlic drying into the garlic press. The airfryer will be left out and full of chicken grease. Books and papers on the chairs, assorted crap on the dining table. Bags, shoes, coats dumped on the floor, along with cables, chargers. Sweaty running kit steaming in the utility room.
Oh and the Rubix cubes. About 11 of the damn things.
I want a divorce every Friday evening.

Suzuki76 · 27/02/2025 16:32

Not at all. DS is up at 6 and all 3 of us leave the house at 8.20 so he has nearly 2 and a half hours of slinging toys everywhere. If I had 20 minutes or so between him leaving and me leaving to go to work then maybe it would be different.

I do recommend tidying at the end of the evening. I always fold the blankets, put away stray shoes and fill the dishwasher.

Moveoverdarlin · 27/02/2025 16:32

That’s just the reality of a family. I don’t care what state the house is in when I’m at work and the kids are in school because no one will see it. As long as it’s tidy when people come round I really don’t care. I always leave breakfast stuff out in the morning and sort it out when I come home.

FrenchandSaunders · 27/02/2025 16:34

It’s lovely these days but that’s because my adult twins have recently left home … when they were 6 the place was a bomb site when we left the house.

I miss the mess and noise to be honest 😟

redphonecase · 27/02/2025 16:34

TooOldForThisShit1 · 27/02/2025 16:11

That's so true, they were very cute with it, they had all their paw patrol figures, putting them into a "bus" they'd built to take them all to softplay.

It did mean that I had 15 minutes to get ready without any distractions

My DH has just got home (much earlier than normal) and has just called me to say he's doing some tidying before I get home.

It's just never ending isn't it. I fell asleep on the sofa last night at 9.15pm, I'm just so tired

Show quote history

Bit passive aggressive from your DH?

Squeakpopcorn · 27/02/2025 16:35

I don’t work so we don’t leave the house until 8.30 in the monring and but I wouldn’t expect to be tidying toys up in the morning. Playroom is either tidied the night before or the door is closed so the mess can’t be seen.

It sounds like you’re acing things. There is a really twee social media post which says things like I’m thankful I have a messy playroom because it means my children have a playroom, the same with food and a measy kitchen.

potatopaws · 27/02/2025 16:36

My house is usually a mess.
I sometimes ask myself: If I were taken ill or in an accident and somebody needed to come to my house while I was in hospital, would I be happy about the state they find it in?
The answer is invariably no.

ByWildLimeCat · 27/02/2025 16:36

Absolute bombsite after the school run routine. Thankfully I come back and WFH so spend a quick 10 mins throwing things back where they belong!

thismummydrinksgin · 27/02/2025 16:39

@TooOldForThisShit1 When mine were that age I never had a tidy house. You can't compare yourself to other people, their kids may be sat watching tv giving them space to tidy. They may have helpful partners, be able to leave the house later etc etc. mine are teenagers and I'd give anything for to see some LEGO lying about the place 🥰