Fledglings “March” 31 steps away from CHAOS and mess towards domestic success...

[sanguinechompa]

... well, a shiny sink at least!!

Welcome to the March 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Park your mops, buckets and microfibre cloths here!!

A huge "thank you" to Linzer for steering us all through February - not a small achievement Linzer considering your school run/teaching commitments and with your dh travelling so frequently.

If you're house is a mess and you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, whinging (in my case anyway ) and support along the way.

We advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's tips on restoring order to our homes, and as we are all at different stages we will be using one of the following methods:

Here you can, for one month:

• repeat or start baby steps

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

More info here and here!

All long-standing members, intermittent returnees, lurkers and newcomers welcome!!

Ds has been learning the lesson that when mum gets so mad she stops shouting you are in some serious shit. He has been pushing it on and off attitude wise for a while. It has just got to the point where enough is more then enough.

Good morning.

I am like a lump of lard coiled spring this morning ... ready to hide under the duvet tackle my list.

[slurps ] Distributes more ...

How about you lovely lot?

Whoknows Crikey - that was a close call. Lucky that your dh was able to come to the rescue and that you discovered the problem before it fell -but still - 20 mins was a long time to have to hold it all together (literally)!
Congratulations on the completion of your mega-list yesterday and for surviving the onerous extra-curric runs!! Hats off to you for fitting study in on top of everything else.

Toffee congrats to your ds2 on doing so well at school

Valium never thought of Fat Fairy in terms of recovery programme - but I suppose it is!! In fact, of course it is!! In the same vein, trying to remind myself this morning (as I survey dust and clutter) that it took a while to get like this and so will take a while to put right ... I'm with you on the reluctance and muttering though, I'm struggling with motivation atm - feels like I am wading through mud (perhaps we can offer one another reciprocal pokes with sharp sticks!!?) Well done for getting so much done yesterday.

[Hands Scatty bottle of Nitty Gritty]

Bitchy arf at stuffing elephants and killing ufos [I won't ask ]
I hear you re: stresses and strains of disciplining dc. DD blew up at me asking her to do RE homework yesterday (it only involved reading two passages and writing 6 sentences - should have taken 10 mins top) but she was "outraged" because it was due in on Wed and not today - not keen on concept of getting ahead. She was so resistant and rude that I had to tell her to go to her room half way through (and then the whole thing took 45 mins - during which there was shouting and tears etc etc) by which time I felt like a crumpled rag!! And dh always walks in at the point where it has disintegrated (never when it is going well!!) It really isn't at all easy [sigh] (Knew it was a bad idea to give up alcohol for last two weeks of Lent )

Swan/Toffee very worried about issue of Internet and safety here. So far dd is content with her ds (dh assures me she can't download from outside) but I found her surfing the computer the other day randomly looking at things on You Tube (fortunately she was only looking at 'Lonely Goatheard'!!) but still...we need to take action now. It's bad enough with this multi-channel telly package thing that dh got - proving virtually impossible to get some very dubious channels removed - haven't given up quite yet though. (For exampple, Playboy channel which we did NOT want (and is one of the milder ones) is next to BBC 3 and although dd hasn't twigged/isn't remotely interested as yet and it requires parental permission to click and open it up to view, sometimes the titles of the programme alone are fairly offensive What a world for dc eh?? On the positive side I have been really impressed with dd's ds and all it can do and the skills she is using (adapting and adorning photos of late guinea pigs for example!!) so, despite added temptations (which I agree are far more numerous in our day) there are benefits too I suppose.

Swan well done on completing mission yesterday and arf at musical bedrooms. Thanks for kind words about my ma too

Re: lying. DD's teacher told me yesterday that dd had said she only had 20 mins spare every evening to do her hwk because she had to cook supper for dh and I every night!!! [Shame she didn't have to sit a 'creative excuses' exam paper the other week!!]

Right, I need more caffeine ....

My list is too depressing to post. Will just make do with a "ta da" later on I think ...

Carry on everybody and have a good day!! Huge wing flaps to eveyrone I've missed ...

morning! 2 espresso later and I am ready to get going. 6.30 up, dogs ran, home showered, hair washed and dressed, DW stacked, laundry ready to come downstairs. DC up and ready for school, lunch made. My bed made, DS bed to get stripped and washed. DD too.

Just off for a ciggie cup of caffeine and I will get laundry on and kitchen cleaned. How can weetabix and rice crispies make so much mess?

Ds is going to be late for school. I feel like a slug. How have i avoided all colds this winter and now have a stinking cold? it's not hayfever i am dosed up on antihistamines and it seems to be getting worse

I need more coffee before i stuff and slay.

passes pot of to bitchy.

I know how you feel. Lemsip max works for me.

Do the minimum you have to and have a duvet day if you can.

SC feel with you on homework. It continues.....
Last night it was earthquake proof buildings what about earthquake proof mums that would be a good invention. Apparently pagodas have a central wooden pole which absorbs the shaking!!!

Good morning, everyone clearly inspired by sunshine and magnolia blossom and less temperamental than usual...

Fencing discussion with other neighbours (the posh ones,much posher than us) As long as there are no concrete posts, I don't really care any more...

Jax you deserve that ciggie!

today's bleary plan
buy food
go to mum
take away her mobility equipment!
go to library briefly
go to public library briefly
resurrect printer
finish tidying dd's room
keys to babysitter who is pickign up kids today, instructions, food left out
go back to mum's this eve
email to friend
laundry
hang up clothes in my room and change the sheets

SC - at your DD's homework excuse! With regard to computer safety, I would say your number one priority is to make sure you have the computer on strict safe search (the most innocuous image searches bring up all sorts of unsavoury things otherwise). Keep the computer downstairs in the family room so you can see what DD is doing at all times (you are the best parental control!). There are parental safety thingies you can buy or download, but you may find the computer provides enough of those for now anyway if you have a browse through settings. We mainly use them to make the computer come on and go off at set times.

The multi-channel telly is a pain, isn't it? I spent some time yesterday deleting unsuitable films ('Pans Labyrinth', 'The Omen', 'Aliens' ) that DS1 had downloaded. We have that, plus DH bought something which means we can get the internet through our telly. It has been nothing but trouble! I have just hidden the gadget that enables it.

Jax - are you naturally an early-morning person? Am just reeling from looking at your list, posted before 8am.

Swan - I posted on your other thread late last night, after . Reading back, I don't think I've been any help at all - sorry.

Bitchy - good luck with boy pushing boundaries, stuffed elephants, chickens and ufos today!

DS1 is still acting as if he is the one who has been wronged . Am not sure how he can deny responsibility for blatant lying, but he seems to genuinely think he's in the right. He compounded his bad behaviour by coming downstairs at 5.30am this morning and waking all of us up. DH sent him back to bed, but couldn't get back to sleep himself and is not best pleased. DS is now sleeping soundly, of course. GRRR.

DS2 has a streaming cold, so definitely no school for him today. We had a nice snuggle in his bed this morning and I read to him. He's now tucked up on the sofa under his duvet, watching children's telly. I think I can feel the beginnings of a cold myself, unfortunately.

I have my first visit from my new cleaner on Thursday. Those of you with cleaners - any tips? I feel weird about her cleaning my house. As if I should apologise. I will have to tidy up first.

To do list:

B/fast done
Get dressed; hair wash; make self look human
Ring school
Swish and swipe
W/machine on
Buy dishwasher powder
Wake DS1 for b/fast
Washing up
Home ed
Spend time with DS2 too
Lunch
Decluttering and room rescues
Find things to label with my labelmaker
Dinner - baked chicken and rice
Usual bath and bedtime routine for DS2
Watch Walking Dead from behind sofa with and popcorn
Before-bed routine
Bed at decent hour.

I agree with Jax re Lemsip. Wonderful stuff. Hope cold doesn't get any worse, Bitchy.

Morning all,

Bitchy - Lemsip max works for me too, the regular one doesn't though.

Well, the onerous evening is tonight, not last night, so I'm bracing myself. Got to go to work in a minute though. The DCs have been busy playing explorers in the detritus of their bedroom (we moved the leaning shelves out after they had gone to bed). It was very weird, the shelves came forward a couple of inches till the screws were out of the wall and all the stuff slid off, then they just dropped down a few inches, the lowest shelf was then on top of some storage boxes and the brackets which went all the way to the floor I guess just dropped a few inches over the skirting board and held the whole thing up. I had to hold it all till DH got back though in case it did topple. I've always avoided shelves over beds for this very reason, but never thought it would actually happen. The lower shelf was very heavy with books, I suspect too heavy.

To top it all, no hot water this morning. This happens to us a lot in spring/autumn, we have thermostatic radiator valves, if it is mild and the rads don't all come on the pressure is too low and the boiler cuts out, all you have to do is reset it but it's not a combi so you have to wait for the water to heat up, cold showers all round this morning.

Got to go, got to go. See you later

Cleaner tip. It takes a lot of getting used to. What helped is give very finite tasks - ironing, bed making wth new sheets, hoovering floors. It involved massive amounts of cleanign beforehand, removing of clutter I'm afraid, to be able to give cleaner proper cleaning jobs, but later as she gets used to house, you can be more relaxed untidy.

And I always clean the loos and remove all laundry, and strip the sheets.
Also it sometimes helps just to leave the house or clean upstairs when she is working downstairs if you feel uncomfortable. Or leave some rooms untouched completely, tell her not to do them.

Tbh I am still not at all good at having cleaner in house, but she makes kitchen look tidy on Mondays! Which is something

I have homework woes. Yr2 and i have no idea what the instructions mean. ds will be getting no help from me. I am assured by his teacher that he knows what he needs to be doing but he was trying to explain the difference between compound and complex sentences. The only thing i got was compound sentences are sticky and complex sentences you can fiddle with
After that i need a lot fo coffee.

I am so glad I have planned a sit down mostly kinda day ignores hideous nos of school run for one child

Actually i might start a thread... the pendants might be able to explain.

Cough, cough, wheeze...

Morning all.

I've been sick. Now I have no voice, but I no longer feel like a zombie, so...

On with the show.

Doing weekly home whatchamacallit by podcast at the moment. But it takes me three minutes to mop so...

I am totally allowed to be on here. :)

Hope all the other sickly people are feeling better soon too!

Flying almost failing here - but not quite! Most routines gone to pot but I still make the bed every morning as I am dressing and make a valiant effort to wash up and wipe the sink down before going to bed. But that's it! Back garden looks as if we are installing an olympic swimming pool; house covered in dust.

Toffee I have had a cleaner and I have done without a cleaner. Agree with Swan that you should be very specific in defining tasks and you must Clear The Clutter. I have found that, in this house, 90% of the 'cleaning' task isn't the actual cleaning, it's getting ready to clean. So that's why we are currently cleanerless (and it's so much cheaper!)

SC I feel you should take your dd up on what she wants to do and have her cooking dinner.

"SC I feel you should take your dd up on what she wants to do and have her cooking dinner."
Honu I like your thinking.

Swan - thank you for the tips. I am worried about the 'massive amount of cleaning beforehand'. DH still has boxes of books piled up in the dining room. I hope I can persuade him to take them away before she comes. I hadn't thought about ironing. I have a huge pile... Will certainly be cleaning the loo beforehand and, to be honest, I feel like asking her not to do the loo. It feels wrong to expect someone to clean your loo.

My MIL used to have a cleaner. She used to give her lunch and let her use her washing machine to do her washing - then complained to us that she didn't do much cleaning and was there for far too long!

WhoKnows - that is so scary about the shelf. I refuse to have shelves over beds for the same reason.

MrsUrsa - sorry you've been sick.

I am in full-on procrastinating mode - I should be working, I am not. Working from home is not all its cracked up to be sometimes

Will set timer and do 15mins................if I can stop wandering around internet sites long enough to do so!

Bitchy - apologies, but my English degree did not equip me to understand complex and compound sentences . Or maybe I knew once and have forgotten.

Honu - hmm, maybe I need a professional declutterer instead of a cleaner. I will make a list of specific tasks and start chucking stuff into boxes to hide in our bedroom.

Feet - timer is a good idea!

i have had them explained in terms i understand. plus there has also been a deal btwn 2 posters to swap maths and literacy talents

I am also procrastinating. Pain killers, more coffee, inhalers. will be a good start to the day if i actually find my list and check what i need to do.

Hmm the list.

Tues' list:
me and ds up
morning school run
stuff elephant half done
kill another UFO
Kill off chickens
15mins on bedroom floor
ironing
Job hunt and application
sort paperwork for meeting wed
Lunchtime school run
feed ds lunch without killing him
Do not shout at ds or rise to his provoking succeeded so far but he has been on bext behaviour
evening school run
ds to sort ds' room as he is banned to his room for the evening.

tbh, toffee there are plenty of jobs that cleaner can do which don't involve clearing clutter - that's just me at my maddest...

1. mop floors
2. clean worktops
3. scrub tiles
4. hoover stairs
5. clean bins

now you may say you could do all that yourself in one hour, but the trick is to say, now if I don't do that, I may have the energy to do something else...

done
clothes off line
another wash on
bed stripped
dw loaded
breakfast cleared
clean dishcloths/napkins away
s & s three loos and basins

clothes in my bedroom hung up

now to hoover our bedroom and dd's bedroom.

bitchy also a Eng graduate with no idea what is meant by complex/v compound. Although I do remember in Little House on Prairie book series when 1860 Laura Ingalls gets teaching cert she has to parse a compound sentence; my first experience of grammar really

Bitchy Another stumped English grad here ...

Swan I need one of those inner pagoda poles!!

Feetheart Uncle Nesbit has moved in here too

Toffee I loathe the cleaner coming (she is away atm having foot operation) She's a lovely lovely lovely woman and we get on really well (despite language difficulties) but I would far rather not need to use her. Big unruly house so have no choice but hugely embarrassing most of the time having her wade through my clutter. I'm sure she is convinced I am mad, incompetent, nutter!!! (Wouldn't be far wrong )

Would advise asking in advance if they like ironing or not. Once had a cleaner who absolutely loathed it, she took ages and burnt loads of clothes. I don't think it's a task you can do well if you genuinely hate it!!

Thank you so much for Internet safety tips - much appreciated. You've advised me before about it and I've not got to grips with it. Now MUST do so a.s.a.p. relocating computer being first priority.

Honu arf! I might just do that!! [At the risk of being served pain perdu five evenings in a row!!] Wholeheartedly agree that 90% is clearing and tidying ...
beforehand ... actual cleaning is the easy bit! How much longer do you have to endure builders for?

Sorry you are feeling so rotten MrsUrsa and Bitchy (and Toffee's ds2) [distributes lemons, honey and handkerchiefs]

Good luck tonight Whoknows

Jax you are being scarily efficient today

Off to follow Feethearts example and set the timer ...

Hi all .

Sympathy for those with colds. I hate spring colds .

whoknows at shelves, glad you are ok.

I have been obsessively nit combing Dc and me (luckily dh has no hair ). Took dd to school and whispered to her teacher about it. DD standing in the line manically scratching her head!

Have been to buy DDs birthday present (7). No idea what to get her. not playing with toys so much, not sufficiently into clothes to be pleased. In the end I bought a portable dvd player as she is not really into the comp or PS/Ds but is always asking to watch HSM a film.

To do:
hoover
mop
laundry
dust