Running a house with "military" precision...do you? if so, how?

[twinteresting]

Sorry maybe this should be in good housekeeping.

I am currently pregnant with twins, have 2 young DC already and am a SAHM who works in the evenings.

I am a forces child my dad was navy but was away so much our house was NOT run to a schedule (think my mum was a bit depressed when my dad was away tbh)

My DH is out for the whole of the DC's day (has a long commute)
and I am looking for ways to make my life "run" better

any tips gratefully received.

Watching with interest.

Bumping this again
I may link from Good housekeeping?

I'm a little perplexed as to why you think we Forces Wives would be more likely than anyone else to run a house with "military" precision. We're not some amorphous bunch of Stepford Wives distinct from the rest of society.

You'll find there are some of us who run very organised houses, some of us who run very disorganised houses and a load of us who run the gamut in between. We even - shock horror! - have jobs and interests outside the home... We don't exactly publish Standing Orders and hold Room Inspections.

I tend towards the organised but only because I'd be like that regardless of my husband's job.

Jscot
Apologies. I was by no means trying to suggest anything vaguely like Stepford.
Please be assured that I am more than aware that those married to those in the services are more than just housewives but also (as I grew up in this) that the way of life has a massive influence on the domestic side of things and I was just looking to channel that
Apologies again

I think you'd have to be very authoritarian with your little kids in order to run the house with with military precision.

Trying to keep routines helped me survive the early years with DH out long hours and lots of travel. Things happened in a certain order during the day and they had a bedtime. But except for DD waking a 5.15 every day for over a year, there was no military precision with regards to the clock, because my preschoolers didn't have the same priorities as me. Bedtime varied by about 15 mins each way because of this.
Imposing my priorities would have meant lots of unnecessary upset, teaching them that their feelings didn't count. Or interrupting an activity where everyone was having fun happily in order to have lunch on the table at a particular time. I'm glad we didn't run too much too a clock schedule because now that they are in school they will have to do so for years and years. Sometimes I have to say, I can't listen to your worries now because we've got to get out of the door, save it for the walk, and I hate having to do that.

There are loads of good threads in Good Housekeeping about being organised. Good luck with your four little ones!

In your OP it sounds like your childhood was too chaotic for your liking and your fear of reproducing this puts you in danger of going too far the other way.

Jscot.....I think though that with husbands away for a long length of time, how you run your military household can and does impact on you in a way that in a normal civvie house might not.

Fr one, postnatal depression is very high within military families due to rural locations of camps and lack of close family support.

I think op that looking for lots to do in the area and giving yourself and the kids some time out at country parks, mini farms, soft play centres etc, will help you be able to manage the day to day running of the house more easily......

Even though your husband is at home, albeit with a long daily commute, still means that the children won't see much of him. Now this is the case for many civvie families however, military families cope with the constant uncertainty of when an OP tour will come around and not necessarily having friends and family close by to call on if needed.

Try to have a rota of some kind, have linen bins for each child and one in your room and do loads of washing by person rather than spending lots of time separating each persons washing after it's dry. It's much quicker.

Have a day to change your beds on and only iron if needed. Have certain times to clean the loo/bathroom and dust once a week. Have an in and out post tray and menu plan your meals. If you can, batch cook some ready meals or soups etc and freeze.

Not sure if that's any help....I'm all talk......my army quarter was always a mess!!

Oh and try not to go to bed with washing up on the work top....coming down to dirty dishes makes me feel depressed!

I am a military wife. I earn more and work longer hours (especially when you include the commute).

My house is a tip