OK, I give up - how do you do keep on top of it all with a toddler & a newborn? Tell me your routines

[somethinganything]

Right, have two DDs 2.7 & 5MO. DD1 hasn't yet started nursery and I'm finding it v hard to keep on top of everything (I'm also trying to do a bit of work from home). Have decided it'd work better if I had some structure rather than doing little bits here and there throughout the day while trying to look after DDs and not really doing anything properly i.e. washing/tidying etc or playing with DDs. DD1 will happily 'help' with some things. DH works very long hours so other than taking the recycling out in the morning doesn't do any housework except the odd thing that I ask him to help with at weekends.

Obviously I don't need the house to be perfect but as I live/work/relax here I hate it when it's complete chaos and I actually need to be on top of washing etc

Our day generally starts at about 6.30 and the DDs are both usually asleep by 7.30 (don't mind doing some stuff after that but I don't want to spend the whole evening catching up on housework cos I need the time to work and sometimes, dare I say it, relax).

Please can you tell me what works for you? What is your daily routine? Any little tips for getting things done faster etc

Anyone?

Lists are the way forward. Urgent list, it can wait list and when I get round to it list. The urgent list should only have about 5 things on it that involve meal preparation and basic hygiene.

Thanks endangered - do you ever get onto the 'it can wait' list, let alone the 'when I get round to it' list?

Firstly - drop your standards as low as possible.
Secondly - get a cleaner! My Mum & MIL clubbed together for my birthdya & XMas presents and bought me 3 hours a week for the first 10 months of DD2's life. Bliss. It was a shock when it stopped.

Batch cook. Never cook anything without at least two portions going in the freezer. Feed the kids evening meal from the freezer stash. I used the weekends to do massive stashes of bolognese sauce or savoury muffins - that kind of stuff.

I would try to do one chore slot a day - usually in the baby's morning nap slot. Now DD2 naps after lunch, I stick D1 in front of the telly for half an hour and mumsnet do chores.

I only did the living room regularly after the kids were asleep so that I had one clutter-free room for me in the evening.

It will get easier!

Oh - and my TO DO lists became Do It Now Or Get Sued Lists.

I find it hard to keep up too, don't beat yourself up too much!

I'm not great for routines but generally try to break it up throughout the day so,

DS 1 (3) and DS2 (15mths) have breakfast whilst I wash up/do dishwasher/clean kitchen surfaces and grab some toast.

Then upstairs for toothbrushing etc. whilst up there probably put some laundry away or wipe down sink/toilet as necessary.

Then spend time enjoying kids/have cup of tea/whatever.

After lunch DS2 naps and DS1 has quiet time in front of cbeebies so then I might hoover or wash kitchen & bathroom floor. Then DS1 and I always treat ourselves to a drink & a biccie!

When they have their tea I might do a bit more in the kitchen/start our dinner/bring in washing etc

I do stuff like dusting in the lounge while they are in their playing with their toys, and tidy their rooms while they play up their as a way of juggling it.

I only do this on Monday and Friday as I work the other days. I do dedicate a few evening/weekend hours to cleaning but by keeping the bulk of it to Monday/Friday.

arrgh. Didn't finish. By keeping the bulk of it to Mon/Fri feel like I'm not cleaning ALL the time.

Have wondered about not bothering at all though as it seems as soon as you've done it someone makes a new mess!

Have you tried the FLYLADY website /threads on here sometimes under slatterns etc?
Even just having a morning and evening routine can be a help.
For example put a wash on first thing whilst you make coffee. Whilst in bathroom give it a swish and swipe (quick spray and wipe over).
Another tip is to do things in 15 min increments e.g declutter mop floor or whatever needs doing .It's all about fitting things in little and often so it never gets overwhelming .
I found it a life saver when my eldest 2 were little there's 16 months between them and the eldest needed lots of health care tube fed tracheostomy etc so i know how hard it can be!

There is 15 months between mine and the bog thing was to get them to sleep in the afternoon at the same time - from about 2 till 3.30. It provided me with santity.

Even when ds got a little too old to nap, it was "quiet time" where mummy got left in peace and he played with toys on his own or watched a DVD.

When I was off work, dh was also required to assume daddy duty when he got home so that I could sort everything else out.

We would then both collapse in a heap at 7.30.

Other stuff that works for us:

Load the washing machine in the evening, OH sets it going when leaving for work. I hang out while kids eat brekkie.

Cleaning wipes for superquick bathroom cleaning (emergency people coming over type!) and for spot spills on kithcen floor etc.

DS has been taught to put his things in the dishwasher (he thinks its fun!) and pour drink etc he no longer wants down sink.

I have two DC 1 and 3.

My meathod is-
-clean up the kitchen after every meal asap,
-wipe down the bathroom sink, toilet and bath very quickly after everyone has had their morning wash or showers,
-put a load of washing on every morning
-when dc have gone to bed tidy up toys and do any ironing so it doesn't build up

and 5 days a week of the 7, work on 1 room of the house for 15-30 minutes. Like really clean it properly.If it happens to be the bedroom change to bedding etc

Maybe every other day i grab the vac and go over main bits.

Oh and we only ever eat in the kitchen and always take shoes off at the door. That keeps the house cleaner for longer too.

Oooh, this is all really helpful, thanks ladies. Sounds like I need to write a list of everything that has to be done each day and try to divide up in the morning & evening routines. Am potty training DD1 at the moment so mountains of laundry, which I guess will improve with time!

insprognito I had a look at the fly site about a year ago. Thought it looked great but for some reason never managed to get the emails coming to me. Will perhaps try to look at the threads on here instead but scared I will get sucked in and then not spend the time doing the chores...

mickylee now that sounds v practical.

I do end up hoovering kitchen most days though cos so much of DD1s food ends up on the floor and I hate crunching it underfoot! Thinking of investing in a dustbuster so I don't have to lug the great behemoth out of the cupboard twice a day.

wrt laundry, the thing that helped me was getting a laundry basket with separate compartments, so I don't have to sort anything - everything is already diveded into lights/whites and darks/colours. We have a timer on ours so it goes in to the machine in the evening and I time it to finish washing straight after breakfast.

Get a carpet sweeper! I never hoover (DP gives the whole house a proper go at the weekends) and I just sweep up every day. Takes 2 minutes and DS is learning to do it himself

Jareth where did you get your laundry basket? Sounds great

I have two DSS, 22 months and 15 weeks. What works best for me is quickly clearing up whichever room we're in - either decluttering, or more thoroughly if I have time. And as we move through the rooms through the day, it generally helps me keep on top of things. And the babies are always there and involved in/watching the cleaning, so it sort of counts as entertainment! Put some music on, get your toddler to join in...

Thanks porcupine have just had a go at that in the DDs bedrooms. They look a lot tidier now

John Lewis

We have this one - can't believe I ever spent that much on a laundry bin, ahem.. sorry, linen basket but we had JL vouchers

I love it though.

My routine is kind of clean as you go.

I have a cleaner once a week for 2 hours so she keeps on top of things. If you get a cash in hand cleaner (they advertise in shop windows etc) this will be about £15 a week. Unless you are really struggling financially this is WELL WORTH IT. DP and I pay £30 per month each.

DPs job is changing the beds and doing one light and one dark load of washing. Mine is to do the kids washing.

Now, all the rest of it is quite easily managed by things like the little scenario I found myself in tonight..

Went to bathroom, wiped face with simple exfoliating face wwipe.. Then used same face wipe to wipe round sink, bath, then toilet.

Toothpaste on toothbrush, brush teeth. Use other hand to spray mirror with polish and wipe clean.

Sprayed limescale deterant on to shower screen.

rinsed toothbrush. Poured bleach in toilet.

Went to kitchen for glass of water and wiped sides with antibac wipe whilst water was running clear enough..

I do that every day and my house is beautiful in no time at all.

I do only have one bathroom though.. I guess if you had two you could do that routine in each bathroom on alternate nights.

Oh and you must online shop, same day delivery each week.
Put the weeks menu on the fridge so you know what to get out of freezer or marinade etc the night before.

I take the DSS to the supermarket almost every day - it also passes for entertainment!

sorry lost track of this thread. But thanks v much to foureleven for those handy tips. The menu on on the fridge thing makes such good sense have just never got around to doing it. Tend to do a mammouth online shop every 5 weeks or so but then run out of tonnes of stuff in between times. Will try to do the weekly thing in future.